Mark Mardell, a former BBC presenter, has disclosed that he has Parkinson’s disease. On the podcast Beeb Watch, the former editor for Europe and North America broke the news and assured his former coworker Roger Bolton that he was “great and dandy” but that his voice was “very weird and weak.”
The 65-year-old jokingly said, “I’m getting used to being the quietest person in the room rather than the loudest.”
Presenter Jeremy Paxman revealed last year that he has Parkinson’s disease.
The former BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones revealed he had Parkinson’s disease exactly two years prior to the University Challenge host’s diagnosis. A neurologist had noted his symptoms during a live broadcast and had informed the BBC.
Bolton was informed by broadcaster Mardell, who also hosted The World This Weekend on BBC Radio 4, that he first became aware of the symptoms when having difficulty opening grocery store packaging earlier in the year.
“Waitrose is making its packaging particularly difficult to get into these days. What’s going on?” I wondered at the beginning of the year.
Then, for no apparent reason, I saw that my arms were rising or staying over my head.
Mardell, who spent 30 years working for the BBC before leaving in 2020, was suggested to see a doctor in May by a friend who is a physiotherapist.
Mardell added that his current main fear was finding that the drug he has been prescribed can cause individuals to act impulsively.
“Generally it’s in the stage of simply being bothersome rather than something dreadful,” he said.
“You know there’s an issue with the medications if I start gambling!”
A neurological condition called Parkinson’s disease targets the part of the brain that regulates movement.
They include actor Michael J. Fox, singer Ozzy Osbourne, and comedian Sir Billy Connolly. The illness is thought to be the fastest-growing neurological ailment in the world.
The Parkinson’s UK charity estimates that approximately 145,000 people in the UK currently have the disease, and that figure is expected to rise as people live longer.
Parkinson’s disease: What is it?
Involuntary trembling, sluggish movement, and tight, inflexible muscles are the three prominent signs. Other physical and psychological symptoms that can accompany Parkinson’s disease include depression, anxiety, difficulty with balance, loss of smell, issues sleeping, and memory issues.
Parkinson’s disease is brought on by a loss of nerve cells in the substantia nigra, a region of the brain. It is unclear exactly what causes it, but the majority of specialists believe that a combination of hereditary and environmental factors is to blame.
Parkinson’s disease affects about one in 500 persons. Despite the lack of a remedy at this time, medications and physical therapy can help lessen the primary symptoms.
Most Parkinson’s patients now have a normal or almost normal life expectancy because of advancements in treatment.
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