Jeremy Paxman has opened up about his diagnosis with Parkinson's disease and is fronting a new documentary about the condition.
The former quiz show host says he was diagnosed with the condition after a fall on slippery ground when he was taking his dog for a walk.
"The first thing I knew was when somebody was sitting me on a bench. I’d fallen over and I made a terrible mess of my face," the 72-year-old explained in Paxman: Putting Up With Parkinson’s, airing on Tuesday, October 4 at 9pm on ITV.
He continued: "When I was in A&E, a doctor walked in and said, ‘I think you’ve got Parkinson’s.’ And it turned out that he had been watching University Challenge and had noticed that my face had acquired what’s known as the Parkinson Mask. I wasn’t as effusive and exuberant as normal. I had no idea."
In the documentary, Jeremy chats to The Chase's Paul Sinha, who also has Parkinson's, about the condition.
It comes after he announced back in August that he would be leaving University Challenge after 29 years of hosting the programme.
Paul explained: "It’s a much more complicated disease than people give it credit for, isn’t it? Because everyone associates it with the tremors.
"But at the moment the tremors are not really part of my diagnosis. For me, it’s the tightness and slowness of movement."
It's not yet known exactly what causes Parkinson's disease, but scientists believe it’s a combination of age, genetic and lifestyle factors, causing certain nerve cells to die – meaning the brain can’t produce enough dopamine to control movement properly.
"There are over 40 symptoms, ranging from pain to insomnia to anxiety," says Rowan Wathes, associate director of the UK Parkinson’s Excellence Network (parkinsons.org.uk).
"However, people’s experiences of Parkinson’s can vary, and not everyone will experience all of these symptoms all the time."
Here, Rowan explains some of the less common signs of the condition.
1. Rigidity
Muscles can become tight and stiff which may affect movement in a variety of ways, such as a person not being able to swing their arms when they walk.
"Some people with Parkinson’s can struggle to turn around, get out of chairs and even turn over in bed," said Rowan. "Simple tasks can become a lot harder, for example fastening buttons, typing or writing. Handwriting may become noticeably ‘spidery’, smaller or difficult to read."
2. Slowness of movement
A person's coordination may be affected when the slowness of movement kicks in.
Rowan explained: "The way they walk can look more like a shuffle and their pace might slow down.
“Everyday tasks we take for granted, such as paying for shopping at a check-out or opening a packet of food, might take longer."
3. A decreased sense of smell
"Some people notice their sense of smell, especially when it comes to familiar or favourite foods, has disappeared,” Rowan explained, as the condition is known as hyposmia.
"This can sometimes start years before other symptoms develop, even before diagnosis."
4. The Parkinson’s mask
As Jeremy explained, the ‘Parkinson’s mask’ refers to the way a person’s facial muscles are affected, meaning their expressions could appear less varied, blank or sad.
"This can happen even if they are actually experiencing a strong emotion," Rowan explained. "The medical term is hypomimia, but medication, as well as speech and language therapy, can help people experiencing this."
5. Hallucinations
"Many people with Parkinson’s say they experience hallucinations at some point," Rowan said, suggesting this usually happens as a side effect of medication. "But in some cases can be a symptom of Parkinson’s itself, or another condition, such as dementia."
6. Swallowing
Rowan says people with Parkinson’s "might cough when eating or drinking, or find it difficult to keep food or drink in their mouth. Chewing food can take longer, and some people struggle to open their mouths."
Paxman: Putting Up With Parkinson’s will be broadcast at 9pm on on Tuesday October 4 on ITV and catch-up on the ITV Hub.
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