A BBC journalist has revealed that he has Parkinson's Disease after viewers noticed his hands shaking on TV.
Rory Cellan-Jones, 61, was presenting a report on live from Covent Garden when viewers pointed out that his right hand was trembling throughout the broadcast.
The presenter then chose to reveal his diagnosis on social media, explaining that his shaking hand was a symptom of the devastating condition.
Taking to his personal Twitter account, Rory wrote: "A couple of people have noticed my hand shaking in my live 5G broadcast today.
"So seems a good time to reveal that I've recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's.
"I'm getting good treatment and the symptoms are mild right now – so I'm carrying on as normal."
He had been reporting on what is said to be the UK's first ever news broadcast using a public 5G network.
Rory's tweet was immediately responded to by Julie Dodd from Parkinson's UK.
"Really glad to hear you’re getting good treatment. @ParkinsonsUK is here for you if you need any advice," she tweeted.
"And if you’re interested in hearing about some of the new technologies being used in Parkinson’s research and treatment I’d love to fill you in (I’m our digital director)."
Know the signs
Two Brits are diagnosed with the condition every hour but not many of us know much about it.
A tremor like Rory's is one of the main symptoms of Parkinson's.
There are different types of tremors, from body parts trembling to muscle spasms.
The most common is called a "Parkinson's tremor" – and that tends to look like you're rolling a pill between your thumb and index finger.
Not everyone will have a tremor or shake, however.
We previously reported the case of Shaun Slicker, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's at just 23, after what he thought was a hangover twitch.
His day-to-day symptoms are that he's stiff and sore – and he shuffles.
But Parkinson's isn't just a physical condition.
It can come with a tonne of non-visible issues too which don't affect a person's movement but do significantly reduce their life quality.
Symptoms of Parkinson's
The signs of Parkinson's disease fall into two categories: motor and non-motor.
The three main motor signs are:
- tremor
- stiffness – stopping people from swinging their arms, turning around or writing properly
- slowness – walking with short, shuffling steps
Non-motor symptoms include:
- pain
- fatigue
- low blood pressure
- restless legs
- bladder and bowel problems
- sweating
- sleep
- difficulty swallowing and poor saliva control
- speech issues
- eye problems
- poor dental health
- memory and thinking problems
- anxiety
- depression
- hallucinations and delusions
Parkinson's is a progressive condition, meaning that the symptoms do get worse with time.
But knowing about it makes it easier to manage.
If you want more info on how to care for someone with Parkinson's, check out Cera's blog on the subject here.
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