The diagnosis of PD depends upon the presence of one or more of the four most common motor symptoms of the
disease. In addition, there are other secondary and nonmotor symptoms that affect many people and are
increasingly recognized by doctors as important to treating Parkinson’s.
Each person with Parkinson's will experience symptoms differently. For example, many people experience tremor as their primary symptom, while others may not have tremors, but may have problems with balance. Also, for some people the disease progresses quickly, and in others it does not.
By definition, Parkinson’s is a progressive disease. Although some people with Parkinson’s only have symptoms on one side of the body for many years, eventually the symptoms begin on the other side. Symptoms on the other side of the body often do not become as severe as symptoms on the initial side.