A doctor rather then a neurologist often diagnoses a Parkinson's sufferer that's because they recognise certain Parkinson's symptoms. Here are some of the early signs of Parkinson's disease.

One of the first signs of Parkinson's disease is that the patient is losing weight for no apparent reason or that the patient complains of poor sleeping.

Sometimes the patient is depressed and uninterested in anything in life.

Other patients might feel 'dizziness' when standing up suddenly or they might find remember words very hard which makes speaking with friends and family harder which could make their depression worse. Another symptom is a generally 'slowing down' when previously the patient had been very active.

The Parkinson's patient might have pain in their joints and suffer from poor eyesight that doesn't get any better with the right prescription of glasses for them. Also they might find it extremely hard to making any decisions.

When the Doctor gives the Parkinson's sufferer a medical they will notice the inability for the patient to stay erect, another thing that will be obvious will be how the Parkinson's sufferer walks usually very slowly - this is known as the 'Parkinson's gait'.

Because Parkinson's can be very difficult to diagnose as many as 35% of people are misdiagnosed just because the symptoms haven't been picked up correctly and since there is no laboratory test availably to diagnose Parkinson's disease it makes it harder for everyone involved.

Symptoms that patients or their friends or family members may notice include feeling more tired than usual, and getting shaky or having difficulty getting out of a chair or up from a couch.

They may be told that they speak too softly or that it is difficult to read what they write as their handwriting has become smaller and more cramped looking than the usual handwriting.

The Parkinson's patient can forget there 'train of thought' very quickly and this can make them bad-tempered with family and friends.

Often the Parkinson's suffer might feel very stiff and shaky on their feet and might suddenly 'freeze' when trying to walk through a doorway.

The tremor typically will begin in the hand. The tremors can also appear in the foot, face or jaw. The individual may complain of aches, pain or of feeling stiff or weak. Their arm or leg movements may be jerky, short or with rigidity. There may be a noticeable lack of automatic movement such as swinging of arms while walking.