Hidden early signs of Parkinson's disease, you know when you look at your nose?
Sep 26, 2025
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Commonly known symptoms are motor disorders such as hand and arm tremors (progress), muscle stiffness, and slow movement, but recent studies have focused on the fact that 'lost sense (including decreased sense of smell)' may be an early sign of Parkinson's disease.
According to an international neurological study, it has been reported that 70-90% of patients with Parkinson's disease have decreased olfactory function in the early stages of the disease. It is known that it often begins years before symptoms of motor disorders become clear.
This can have a great impact on the quality of life beyond simple discomfort.
Failure to detect the smell of food can lead to loss of appetite or weight changes, increasing depression or affecting interpersonal avoidance. It can also pose a safety threat as it does not detect the smell of burning food.
Experts explain that this phenomenon occurs because parts of the olfactory nerve and the limbic system of the brain are damaged first in the pathology of Parkinson's disease. He also advised that `if the olfactory degradation persists for a long time, it is recommended to seek professional treatment.'
To date, there is no way to completely prevent Parkinson's disease, but early detection can significantly improve patients' quality of life.
Meanwhile, the number of Parkinson's disease patients in Korea is steadily increasing.
According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of Parkinson's disease patients increased by about 13.1% in five years from 125,607 in 2019 to 140,2013 in 2023. Currently, the exact cause of Parkinson's disease has not been identified, but genetic and environmental factors are known to work in combination. 5-10% of all patients are caused by genetic causes, and the remaining patients are idiopathic of unknown cause.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
