EARLY ONSET PARKINSONS

When someone who is 21-50 years old receives a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD), it is referred to as early onset Parkinson’s disease, or young onset Parkinson’s disease (YOPD). While the symptoms of the disease are mostly the same at whatever age it develops, younger people will experience the disease differently due to their unique life circumstances. Managing the disease can be particularly challenging for a younger person and their family from a medical, psychological and social standpoint.

Because the majority of people who get Parkinson’s disease are over the age of 60, the disease is often overlooked in younger people, leading many to go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for extended periods of time.

However, once it has been diagnosed, the rate of the disease’s progression is usually much slower in younger people than older people, due in part to the fact that younger people have fewer general health problems and are more capable during physical therapy treatment.

While common symptoms of Parkinson’s may be similar no matter what age you are, the progression is often different:

• Young people often have more involuntary movement problems due to the most commonly prescribed Parkinson’s disease medication, levodopa. For this reason, young onset patients are usually initially treated with alternatives to levodopa.
• Other problems associated with Parkinson’s such as memory loss, confusion, and balance difficulties tend to be less frequent in young people with the disease.

Younger people will experience the disease differently than those who are diagnosed later in life, in part due to their different life circumstances. Employment, new relationships, and parenthood add particular challenges that those who are diagnosed older may not have to navigate. When and how to disclose the diagnosis is also of particular concern, such as when to tell young children, an employer, or a romantic partner.

 Employment and Parkinson’s disease – A frequent issue that many people encounter, especially those with early onset PD, is navigating their continued employment. Learn more about your options and how others have handled similar situations.

Parenting with Parkinson’s disease – Navigating PD is challenging enough but add parenting into the mix and it can be a lot to tackle, both emotionally and physically. Helpful tips and advice from others who have been there can help.

About 10%-20% of those diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease are under age 50, and about half of those are diagnosed before age 40. Approximately 90,000 new cases of Parkinson’s are diagnosed each year in the United States, meaning somewhere around 9,000 – 18,000 are young onset patients.

The cause of Parkinson’s disease is not yet known. However, Parkinson’s disease has appeared across several generations of some families, which could indicate that certain forms of the disease are hereditary or genetic. Many researchers think that Parkinson’s disease may be caused by genetic factors combined with other external factors. The field of genetics is playing an ever greater role in Parkinson’s disease research, and scientists are continually working towards determining the cause or causes of PD.

There are a number of treatments and lifestyle changes that can ease Parkinson’s symptoms. Every treatment plan is different and may over time involve a combination of medication, exercise, physical, occupational, and/or speech therapy, complementary therapies, surgical treatments, and more.