Often common, shaky hands or hand tremors aren't just an inconvenience that holds you back from doing your everyday tasks, they could be indicating an underlying health condition that you should examine and look into. Join us as we explain more about this condition, what causes it, and how you can deal with it in terms of treatment. Moreover, we will be answering some of the common questions about this condition.
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What are Tremors?
Tremors are continuous involuntary movements of a certain body part that make it appear like it's shaking. They are considered to be the most common type of uncontrollable body movements and they can affect multiple body parts, such as:
- The hands.
- The head.
- The trunk.
- The voice.
- The legs.
- The torso.
Even while they can occur at any age, they typically first manifest in youth or later in life (between 40 and 50 years of age). It may begin mildly and remain that way, or it may gradually worsen. There are two main types of them:
- Resting Tremor: This type occurs when the affected body part is resting and not doing any voluntary movements. This type is often linked to Parkinson's disease but can also be triggered by other neurological dysfunctions. Moreover, it typically affects the hands and feet, and it tends to significantly decrease when the affected body part is moving voluntarily.
- Action Tremor: This type mainly occurs during voluntary movement of the affected body part, and it's mainly associated with ET, alcohol withdrawal, medicine side effects, and dystonia.
Why are my Hands Shaking?
Tremors could either be normal or indicate an underlying health issue that you should look more into. Here are some of the common causes of shaking hands.
Neurological Conditions:
- Traumatic Brain Injury: Depending on the place and severity of the injury, TBI could lead to the development of various neurological conditions, including tremors. They can manifest as action, resting, or a combination of both.
- Cerebellar Disorders: The cerebellum is the part of the brain that’s in charge of balance and movement coordination. When the cerebellum is affected by any disorder, it could lead to causing involuntary trembling movements and difficulties in managing and controlling motor functions.
- Strokes: When the required blood supply to a portion of the brain gets interrupted for any reason, the brain tissue gets damaged, which causes a stroke. Depending on the location and extent of this said brain damage, the stroke can cause a variety of symptoms, including neurological ones like involuntary movements of the body.
- Multiple Sclerosis: MS is a long-term autoimmune disease that affects the parts of the body that make up the central nervous system, which are the spinal cord and brain. This disease can be the main cause of developing several neurological symptoms other than involuntary muscle shaking, such as fatigue, numbness, and overall muscle weakness.
- Parkinson's Disease: Parkinson's is a chronic neurological disease that mainly affects the neurons responsible for producing dopamine, which plays a role in managing motor functions. This dopamine deficiency causes symptoms like stiffness, slowed movement of the body, resting tremors, and an overall impairment of the body's balance and coordination.
Metabolic Disorders:
- Hyperthyroidism: This condition is defined by the excessive production of thyroid hormones in the body due to an overly active thyroid gland, which leads to several symptoms that include uncontrollable body movement that typically impacts the hands and fingers, weight loss, and anxiety.
- Hypoglycemia: This condition is characterized by low blood sugar levels that could've been caused by diabetes, extra insulin production, or other medical conditions. The trembling associated with this condition can affect multiple body parts, but mainly the arms, legs, and hands.
- Liver Failure: Liver failure is the result of the liver being unable to function properly which leads to a buildup of toxins that flows through the bloodstream. This could lead to developing a condition called flapping tremors which are defined by flapping movements of the hands.
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Medications:
- Asthma Medications: Asthma Medications tend to have a stimulatory effect on the nervous system, therefore, they could cause involuntary muscle contractions as a side effect.
- Antidepressants: Because antidepressants tend to alter the amount of neurotransmitters in the brain, tremors can be a side effect of such medications.
- Stimulants: Due to their high stimulatory effect on the nervous system, stimulant medications tend to cause uncontrollable muscle movements as a side effect.
Physical Therapy:
- Occupational Therapy: This type of therapy works by teaching patients different techniques and methods that help them in managing their day-to-day tasks and activities. Therapists could also provide patients with great assistive devices and gadgets that makes coping with the symptoms much easier.
- Physical Therapy: Physical therapy improves muscle strength, control, and overall coordination through a variety of exercises and techniques. Therapists can help patients find specific and individualized methods and approaches for improving functional abilities. These exercises could include stretching, coordination, and strengthening exercises and physical activities that work to solely improve motor functions and reduce tremors.
Are Hand Tremors Normal? And How do I Stop Them?
It's relatively common to have hand tremors, and it could happen to anyone at any age. It shouldn't necessarily indicate anything serious, but if it does, here are some of the expected treatment options:
Medications:
- Beta-blockers: These medications work by blocking the effects of adrenaline on your body's beta-adrenergic receptors, which reduces the severity of the shaking.
- Anticonvulsants: These medications can be very useful for ET patients. They stabilize the electrical activity in the brain which reduces uncontrollable movements.
- Benzodiazepines: This type of medication is mainly used to treat ET and other types of tremors by enhancing the action of the GABA in the brain, which regulates involuntary movements in the body.
Herbal Remedies and Supplements:
- Passionflower: This natural remedy helps calm down your body and reduce shaking in a natural chemical-free way by using its anti-anxiety and stress relieving properties.
- Valerian Root: This herbal remedy is known for its ability to reduce tremors and promote relaxation throughout the body by using its sedative and muscle-relaxing properties.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids are widely recognized for their several and very beneficial properties. They have proven to enhance the brain's function and reduce any irregularities that could be causing any unusual activity in the brain.
Lifestyle Modifications:
- Reduce Caffeine Intake: It's crucial for people who suffer from involuntary muscle contractions to reduce their caffeine intake as much as they can due to its role in triggering these symptoms.
- Manage Stress and Anxiety: Stress and anxiety can worsen many conditions, not just this one. This is why you have to make sure to keep yourself in a calm environment and practice things that aid in stress reduction like yoga, physical exercises, meditation, and deep breathing.
- Use Adaptive Devices: To lessen the impact of handshaking on productivity, tools like pen grips, stabilizing cups, and weighted utensils can be very beneficial for enhancing grip and overall hand control.
FAQs:
For better understanding, let’s go through some of the commonly asked questions regarding this issue:
How to Stop Shaking from Anxiety Immediately?
When you experience anxiety-induced tremors and want immediate relief, sit down in a comfortable position, close your eyes, then start taking deep breaths through your nose, hold them for five seconds, and then exhale slowly through the mouth. Moreover, talking to someone almost always provides us with an instant feeling of comfort. Try to reach out to a friend, a family member, or a significant other to help calm you down.
Why do my Hands Shake When I Hold Something?
As we’ve already covered in the blog, these uncontrollable movements could be happening for a variety of reasons, such as medication side effects, neurological conditions, and disorders, or other things like anxiety and stress. The best course of action to take whenever you suspect something unusual is to consult with your doctor and seek a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
Why am I shaky and Weak All of a Sudden?
Experiencing sudden weakness and shakiness could be an indication of something serious like hypoglycemia, hyperthyroidism, anemia, neurological disorders, heart problems, and infections. It’s very important to speak with your doctor when you notice such sudden shaking and trembling.
How Much Hand Tremor is Normal?
Typically, a tremor arises when a limb is strained against gravity or is carrying a large weight. You can see this by placing a thin piece of paper over the outstretched palm. But because it is so small, it usually goes unnoticed. Consequently, a mild kinetic or postural tremor that usually affects one or both hands or fingers is viewed as normal. Postural or kinetic tremors can be the symptoms of physiological tremor, which has a very low frequency and amplitude of about 6–12 Hz.
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In Conclusion:
Conditions like tremors don’t always mean that you have a serious condition, they are relatively common and can happen at any age. However, it’s always best to seek professional help just to be sure of what you have going on inside your body and deal with it properly.
Learn more about the Steadi-Two- a revolutionary glove designed to reduce hand tremors.
