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Parkinson’s disease is an attack on the nervous system that starts gradually, affecting your movement, your expressions, and even speech. Early symptoms can be as little as a barely detectable tremor in one hand, but they’re often accompanied by a stiffness in movement.

As the disease progresses, your face may stop showing signs of expression, and your arms may not swing when you walk. Speech will become difficult and slurred.

In the past, scientists didn’t see a connection between Parkinson’s disease and inflammation. Now, however, researchers are seeing chronic inflammation as a potential cause for the disease, and not a result. An abnormal accumulation of certain proteins is believed to trigger an inflammatory response, which then allows the disease to progress.

Early symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include the following:

 Tremors

 Slowed movement (bradykinesia)

 Rigid muscles

 Impaired posture and balance

 Loss of automatic movements

 Changes in speech

 Changes in writing

Here are the risk factors for Parkinson’s disease:

 Age: Parkinson’s disease generally starts in midlife, with the chances increasing as you get older. It rarely occurs in young adults.

 Your genes: Having a close relative with Parkinson’s disease increases your chances of getting the disease as well. Still, unless you have several relatives with the disease, your chances don’t increase that much.

 Gender: Parkinson’s occurs most often in men.

 Environmental toxicity: Those regularly exposed to pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides have a greater likelihood of developing Parkinson’s disease.