This symptom can come and go - one moment, the patient can move easily, and then suddenly needs help. Activities such as washing or dressing may take several hours. Loss of postural reflexes - poor balance or a tendency to fall. This symptom causes patients to develop a forward or backward lean. When bumped or when starting to walk, patients have a tendency to step backwards before continuing forward.
Postural instability can also cause patients to walk with a stooped posture.
Some of these symptoms may be made worse or even caused by medication for Parkinson's. Late in the course of the disease, a few patients suffer from dementia. Parkinson's disease usually strikes in late middle age, affecting people over 50. The average age of onset is 60 years - only five to 10 percent of people suffering from Parkinson's are under the age of 40. The disease affects men and women equally.