Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Bradley Jolly

Little-known symptom of Parkinson’s disease you might spot while doing weekly shop

A little-known symptom of Parkinson’s disease - and crucially an earlier one - can be spotted during your weekly shop.

The neurological condition, which worsens over time, is often associated with tremors, stiffness and slow movement.

But these signs usually appear when significant progression has already occurred.

Sooner signs are crucial to clock in order to get an earlier diagnosis, doctors stress.

These include handwriting getting smaller - something noticeable when reading your list during the regular trip to the supermarket.

Changes in the brain can cause movements to become reduced or less forceful than before.

And fatigue, which is tiredness that doesn't go away with rest, affects up to half of all people with Parkinson's disease too.

Smaller handwriting - either smaller than it was previously or gradually getting tinier on a page - is a tell-tale sign of the condition (Getty Images/Westend61)

This is caused by chemical changes in the brain, but may also be related to other symptoms or features of the condition.

Parkinson's UK, a charity, says, like handwriting changes, fatigue often surfaces much earlier than obvious physical signs, like slow movement.

It has listed 10 common symptoms, some of which manifest earlier in the journey.

1. Problems with your sleep

2. Stiffness, inflexibility and cramps

3. Losing your sense of smell

4. Uncontrollable actions

5. Smaller handwriting

6. Experiencing depression

7. Issues with your bladder or bowels

8. Feeling anxious

9. Fatigue

10. Slow movement

Around 145,000 people live with Parkinson's disease in the UK. Its prevalence increases with age, as nearly two per cent of all those aged between 80 to 84 have had the neurological condition diagnosed.

People with Parkinson's don't have enough of the chemical dopamine in their brain because some of the nerve cells that make it have stopped working.

But there are several different treatments, therapies and support available to help manage the condition.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.