Last month was Parkinson’s Awareness Month, with Parkinson’s Australia highlighting the prevalence of the condition.
Parkinson’s is the second-most common neurological condition in the world but still remains one of the least understood, according to Parkinson’s Australia.
The disease affects 150,000 Australians, or one in 173 people, or .85 per cent of the population.
Fifty Australians are diagnosed each day, with one person diagnosed every 27 minutes – amounting to 19,500 new cases per year.
Data found from Parkinson’s Australia
Parkinson’s Specialist Nurse based in Goulburn, Lauren Hogan has had almost 100 people referred to her in the past two years.
“The referrals are not slowing down, we are seeing an increase in the number of new cases,” she said.
“Globally we are facing a Parkinson’s pandemic, with the number of cases worldwide set to double by 2024.”
In 2020, 33 per cent of Parkinson’s cases came from New South Wales, with 24 per cent in Victoria and 20 per cent in Queensland, with Tasmania and South Australia having the highest number of sufferers.
Data found from Parkinson’s Australia
Parkinson’s Australia estimates that up to 13,408 people living with Parkinson’s are below the age of 65 (9% of all cases), these people are considered to be of working age.
“Services such as Regional Parkinson’s Nurses are becoming so vital to supporting not just newly-diagnosed people with Parkinson’s’, but also those that are unable to access specialist services readily,” Ms Hogan said.
Overall, it is estimated that two per cent of the population, aged 55 years or older, live with Parkinson’s, with those over 65 years, it is estimated that 3.2 per cent live with the disease.
Data found from Parkinson’s Australia
Data found from Parkinson’s Australia
With Parkinson’s Australia promoting the importance of identifying the early warning signs of Parkinson’s, Ms Hogan explained that family members often notice small changes before the person does.
“Most people first notice a tremor or rigidity in their upper limbs, other motor symptoms such as difficulty walking/slow walking (shuffling) or balance issues can also be a sign to see your doctor,” she said.
Parkinson’s disease affects everyone differently, with more than 50 symptoms, with the combination varying for each individual.
