The cause is not known, but it is often passed down from a parent to a child. Essential tremor is sometimes confused with other types of tremor, so getting the right diagnosis is important.
Tremors tend to be worse during movement than when at rest. The tremors can be disabling and can slowly worsen over time. Some things might make tremors worse, and avoiding them may be helpful. Medicines can also help control or limit tremors in some people. Severe tremors can sometimes be treated with surgery. Essential tremor ET is a neurological disorder that causes your hands, head, trunk, voice or legs to shake rhythmically. It is often confused with Parkinson's disease. Essential tremor is the most common trembling disorder.
Everyone has at least a small degree of tremor, but the movements usually cannot be seen or felt because the tremor is so small. When tremors are noticeable, the condition is classified as essential tremor.
Essential tremor is most common among people older than 65, but it can affect people at any age. Some experts have proposed considering ET that starts earlier in life as essential tremor and ET that begins later in life as age-related tremor, because the conditions may have different symptoms and may respond differently to treatments.
The cause of essential tremor is unknown. However, one theory suggests that your cerebellum and other parts of your brain are not communicating correctly. The cerebellum controls muscle coordination. In most people, the condition seems to be passed down from a parent to a child.
Sometimes, ancillary testing such as brain imaging or genetic testing may help with the diagnosis. If you have essential tremor, you will have shaking and trembling at different times and in different situations, but some characteristics are common to all. Here is what you might typically experience:. The appearance of your tremor, in the setting of a comprehensive neurological examination by an experienced clinician, can result in diagnosis of essential tremor. Your doctor will probably need to rule out other conditions that could cause shaking or trembling.
For example, tremors could be symptoms of diseases such as hyperthyroidism. Your health care provider might test you for those as well.
Withdrawal tremor. People suffering alcohol withdrawal can experience postural tremors. Diagnosing a tremor requires a physical exam and a careful analysis of your medical history. Is there balance impairment, stiffness, or slowness of movement as in Parkinson's disease? Was there a stroke? Is there a brain lesion? Is the person taking a certain kind of medication? Does the person consume a lot of caffeine or have any other underlying conditions?
She says it may be necessary to order lab work to check for thyroid disease or get an image of the brain to check for signs of a past stroke. Some tremors can be eliminated or dramatically reduced. For enhanced physiologic tremor, you may just need to cut back on caffeine or manage stress. Tremors caused by thyroid disorder or alcohol withdrawal may be reduced by treating those conditions.
Medication-induced tremors may be resolved by switching to a different type of medication. Essential tremor is often treated with medications such as the beta blocker propranolol Inderal or the antiseizure drug primidone Mysoline.
Parkinsonian tremors may be reduced with anti-parkinsonian medications or a procedure called deep brain stimulation, in which electrodes are implanted in the brain to stimulate areas regulating movements such as tremors. Because hand tremors can interfere with eating and other tasks, it may help to use weighted eating utensils and to work with an occupational therapist for help with fine motor skills, such as buttoning clothes.
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