It is a disease of the brain which progresses slowly and causes difficulty in speaking, walking and causes stiffness and shaking. The symptoms may be absent in the initial stages of the disease but may exhibit with time causing difficulty in memorising, sleeping, balancing, etc.

It is caused due to the loss of nerve cells in the brain decreasing the levels of dopamine, a chemical in the brain. Although the exact cause is not clear, it may occur due to genetic or environmental factors. Thus, it can pass on from parents to children or it may be due to harmful environmental pollutants. Certain medicines and brain conditions like stroke may also lead to Parkinson's disease.

The signs and symptoms during the early stages of this disease are subtle and common to those of ageing due to which they are commonly ignored. The following are some of the early symptoms: difficulty in sleeping, constipation, dizziness and fainting, stiffness causing difficulty in moving the limbs, slight shaking and twitching, and speaking in an inaudible volume.

The following factors may increase the risk of Parkinson's disease: family history and genetics are one of the significant risk factors, exposure to pollutants, pesticides and herbicides, gender, as men are more prone to this disease as compared to women and ageing, as elderly aged 60 are at a higher risk.

Although it cannot be cured completely, numerous treatment options are available for the management of symptoms: medicines to reduce tremors and mobility issues by increasing the level of dopamine in the brain, and surgery is useful in certain cases where an implant is placed in the brain which increases the production of dopamine in the brain.