Singer Carly Simon revealed in a recent Instagram post she has Parkinson’s disease. She wrote that her initial symptoms were difficulty walking and worsening mobility.
By 2050, there’s projected to be more than 25 million people living with Parkinson’s disease worldwide, a 112 percent increase from 2021.
Here’s what to know about common symptoms.
- Movement symptoms: Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disorder, is known for characteristic movement symptoms, including tremor, stiffness, slowness and difficulties with balance. Simon found she had a difficult time getting up from chairs, and thought her mobility issues were due to arthritis, and her two knee and one hip replacement surgeries.
- Mood issues: Parkinson’s disease can also cause mood symptoms, including depression, anxiety and apathy, which Simon likened in her post to “lying there like a starfish drying in the sun.” Other nonmovement symptoms can occur years before a diagnosis.
There are ways to reduce your risk of Parkinson’s, including the Mediterranean diet and moderate to vigorous exercise. Effective treatments include levodopa, which the body converts to dopamine, and deep brain stimulation, which has recently improved with AI.
In her post, Simon said she is working on a new album. “I am still writing, singing, imagining, laughing, worrying, remembering and occasionally getting trapped in an overstuffed chair,” she wrote.
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