How dangerous it is and what it can mean if your hands are shaking

Involuntary trembling of the hands, a symptom of Parkinson’s disease, can cause anxiety and even panic. However, we must pay attention to the differences in order to distinguish between a common condition and the much-feared Parkinson’s disease.

“A certain degree of hand tremor is the norm for everyone,” the Washington doctors’ website tells us. Such a tremor, especially visible when doing exact work, is considered quite common.

The tremor of the hands, found in almost all people, is a physiological tremor. The appearance of this phenomenon is facilitated by a series of factors, mainly related to lifestyle.

1. Fatigue Do you sleep less? Fewer hours of sleep may be one of the reasons a person’s hands tremble when trying to hold their cup of coffee in the morning.

2. caffeine. Excessive consumption of caffeinated beverages (coffee and others) causes a slight tremor in the hands. You should not exceed 300 mg of caffeine per day.

3. The stress. Stress and anxiety cause a psychological tremor in the hands.

4. Medications. Hand tremor can be caused by certain medications: thyroid hormones, lithium, antidepressants. In addition, it is facilitated by the intake of substances such as amphetamines and cocaine.

But if your hands are shaking without the effects of the factors described above, you should be vigilant, it is better to go to the doctor. This is most likely a common tremor, which occurs most often after age 50.

“When you do nothing, your hands are completely at rest. But if you try to do something with your hands, you write a line, you rearrange a full cup, your hands will shake,” says neurologist Lauren Schrock of the University of Utah.

Experts call essential tremor a permanent disorder of the nervous system, affecting about 1 in 25 people – that is, it is quite common. It appears in adulthood and stands out with age. In addition to the hands, the tremor can be reflected in the voice and make it tremble. The condition is not considered dangerous, as its manifestations are generally expressed in moderation. Establishing this diagnosis is important mainly for the exclusion of Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease

In Parkinson’s disease, tremor of the hands is more severe than described above, it can occur at rest.

“Tremor in Parkinson’s disease is like running a small object, like a pill, between your thumb and forefinger,” says neuropathologist Gatlin Etienne of Piedmont Halskar in Georgia. Over time, the body becomes more rigid, the gait becomes unbalanced. The voice may sound hoarse and the face becomes less mobile. Due to decreased facial expression, it may seem sadder. These are the symptoms that characterize Parkinson’s disease, so you can tell if trembling hands are an isolated symptom or not. If so, then you probably don’t have to worry.

Source: sanoteca.md