Legendary singer-songwriter Neil Diamond recently sat down with CBS Sunday Morning to discuss his 2018 diagnosis with Parkinsons diseaseand acceptance.
I still havent given it up, yet, Diamond, 82, said regarding touring. Its very hard.
Diamond said he was in denial for a year or two after being diagnosed with the condition, a degenerative neurological disorder that ended his touring days, for the most part.
When the doctor told me, I was just not ready to accept it, he recalled. I said, Oh, okay. Ill see you, you know, whenever you wanna see me. But I have work to do, so Ill see you later.
Parkinsons disease affects at least half a million Americans, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The actual number may be as high as a million, however, because many individuals go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Thats because symptomssome of them subtle and oddonset slowly.
What are the early symptoms of Parkinsons disease?
While most people with Parkinsons disease are diagnosed after age 60, 5% to 10% of patients with the condition begin to experience symptoms before age 50some as early as 20.
Just what should you be on the lookout for, if youre concerned about Parkinsons?
The first symptom may be a minor tremor in just one handor even your finger or chinwhile youre resting. Here are some other early tells, according to the Parkinsons Foundation:
- Smaller handwriting than in the past
- Loss of smell
- Difficulty sleeping due to sudden involuntary movements
- Arms that dont swing when you walk like they used to
- Stiffness in your arms, legs, or trunk
- Constipation
- A change in your voice that makes it very soft, breathy, or hoarse
- A new lack of facial expression
- Dizziness or fainting
As symptoms progress, people with Parkinsons may find themselves experiencing more motor-related symptoms, like the following, according to the Cleveland Clinic:
- Slow movements (These arent due to muscle weakness, but to muscle control problems, experts say.)
- Resting tremors
- Lead-pipe rigidity, described as constant, unchanging stiffness when moving a body part
- Cogwheel stiffness, which leads to a stop-and-go appearance of movements when lead-pipe rigidity is combined with tremors
- Stooping or hunching over
- Blinking less than usual
- Drooling
- Trouble swallowing
While there isnt a cure for Parkinsons, a variety of medications and treatmentslike dopamine, medications that stimulate dopamine, medications like block dopamine metabolism, and deep-brain stimulationcan significantly improve symptoms.
There are experimental treatments, too, like stem cell transplants, neuron-repair treatments, gene therapies, and gene-targeted treatments, meaning more hope is on the horizon for more patients.
