Former Viking and Packer Brett Favre Reveals Parkinson’s Diagnosis

During a congressional hearing on Tuesday, former NFL quarterback Brett Favre revealed that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.

Favre says that during his twenty-year NFL career he was only officially diagnosed with four concussions, the hall-of-famer says that in reality he probably suffered thousands of them.

Favre won three straight MVP awards with the Green Bay Packers from 1995 to 1997, leading the 1996 Packers to their first Super Bowl title in nearly three decades and brought them back to the Super Bowl the following year.

Favre switched alliances in 2009, becoming a member of the Minnesota Vikings for two seasons.

Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease, such as shaking and difficulty with balance and coordination, gradually worsen over time and often progress to difficulty walking and talking. Over one million people in the U.S. live with the disease and nearly 90,000 are diagnosed each year.

According to ESPN, A 2020 study found that having a single concussion increased the risk of developing Parkinson's disease by 57% and having multiple concussions further compounds the danger.

The Parkinson's Foundation says that these are the ten early signs of Parkinson's:

1. Tremors
2. Small Handwriting
3. Loss of Smell
4. Trouble Sleeping
5. Trouble Moving or Walking
6. Constipation
7. A Soft or Low Voice
8. Masked Angry or Depressed Face
9. Dizziness or Fainting
10. Stooping or Hunching Over

Of course, all of these could be the result of something other than Parkinson's Disease. As always, see your physician if you ever have any health concerns.