What is Parkinson’s disease?

Parkinson’s disease is when parts of the brain slow down and can’t send messages as well as they used to.

Imagine your brain is like a conductor of an orchestra, it tells all the different parts of your body what to do, like when to move or how to walk. In Parkinson’s disease, some of those muscle messengers, called dopamine, get lost on the way. Dopamine is like a special kind of message that helps your body move smoothly.

When dopamine is missing, your brain can’t control your movements as well. It's like trying to walk with heavy socks on, everything takes more effort. You might find yourself moving slower, or you might shuffle when you walk, and your hands might shake a little bit.

At first, it might just be a small change, like walking a little slower. But as time goes on, the messengers get fewer, and the orchestra gets harder to conduct, so your movements can feel more difficult or even stiff.

Sometimes, people with Parkinson’s also have trouble writing or remembering things, but that's not always the case. It all depends on how much of the message gets through!