A 90s POP star has revealed his early onset Parkinson’s diagnosis at the age of 58.
Guitarist Tom Dumont, who is from the band No Doubt along with Gwen Stefani, shared an emotional health update about his secret battle.
The star, who’s band are known for hit 90s songs Don’t Speak and Just A Girl, bravely opened up about his heartbreaking Parkinson’s diagnosis.
This type of disease, which has no cure and usually affects people over 60, includes symptoms such as tremors, stiffness, slow movement and balance issues.
In a candid video. Tom revealed he had been secretly battling Parkinson’s for a number of years.
He also added that the symptoms from the disease had luckily not affected his ability to play the guitar.
Speaking on Instagram, the No Doubt star said: “I went to my doctor.
“I went to a neurologist, and I did a whole bunch of tests, and I was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease.
“It’s been a struggle. It’s a struggle every day,.
“The good news is, I can still play music. I can still play guitar.”
Tom said the reason he decided to share the diagnosis now is because he was inspired by other people battling the disease.
“I think it helps erase some of the stigma, and it raises awareness, obviously, and awareness is really important for prevention and for research,” the guitarist said.
What is Parkinson’s?
PARKINSON’S is a progressive neurological condition.
This means that it causes problems in the brain and gets worse over time.
People with Parkinson’s don’t have enough of the chemical dopamine in their brain because some of the nerve cells that make it have stopped working.
Around 166,000 people live with Parkinson’s in the UK.
It’s the fastest growing neurological condition in the world.
Symptoms start to appear when the brain can’t make enough dopamine to control movement properly.
This usually happens around the age of 50, but some people might see the first signs in their 40s.
There are over 40 symptoms, but the three main ones are:
- A tremor (shaking)
- Slowness of movement
- Rigidity (muscle stiffness)
They can also include:
- Mild memory and thinking problems
- Sleep problems
- Pain
- Mental health problems, including anxiety and depression
There are several different treatments, therapies and support available to help manage the condition.
Source: Parkinson’s UK
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