Head bobbing

[Confusedmaa]

Just want some opinions. My mam is in her early seventies, fairly healthy apart from osteoarthritis. She is very switched on and mentally able. She never forgets anything and can navigate a mobile an iPhone better than I can. Over the last couple of months I've noticed that sometimes her head bobs/nods slightly when she is listening to me speak. She doesn't do this when she is talking or doing something else. This might not happen every time she is listening to me but it is quite often. Is this something that just happens as people get older or should I mention it to her?

She needs to see her GP as shaking can be an early sign of Parkinsons. Drugs can be given to alleviate some of the symptoms.

How is her hearing?

How are her hands , one more so than the other ?
That is another sign

I'm not a doc, but it could be an "essential tremor," which is basically benign, although it can interfere with certain activities such as cooking if it occurs in the hands and becomes severe.
The classic difference between a Parkinson's disease tremor and an essential tremor is that a Parkinson's tremor occurs when the body part (head, hands) is at rest, while the essential tremor is worse when the affected part is being used.
If It were my mum, I would have her see the GP. There are some conditions that can cause a tremor, such as thyroid disease, or metabolic issues, that can be treated.
Hope this will be easily resolved for you and your mum.

She doesn't have any other shaking but it's interesting to hear about the metabolic link. She doesn't each much and has been trying to lose wait for a while and it's just not happening. No matter what she does she cannot lose weight. She's had her thyroid checked and that is normal.

She has slight tinnitus but apart from that hearing is ok.