Hand trembling can occur as a result of emotions such as stress, physical fatigue, anger, excitement, fear, or it can be seen due to many different neurological diseases. Frequently asked questions; "What causes hand trembling, how is it diagnosed, is there any treatment?" before answering questions like "What is hand tremor?" It is necessary to answer the question.
What is Hand Tremor?
Tremor or tremor, as it is known among the people, can only be seen in one part of the body or in one or more limbs (hand, arm, leg). , head, chin, vocal cords) may also be seen. Especially hand tremor is a disorder that affects the daily life of the person and reduces the quality of life. Hand tremor, which can be seen in all age groups, can also occur depending on many different types of diseases. However, in some cases this tremor becomes evident and then this tremor is called "Increased physiological tremor". This can develop especially when the person is excited, worried, afraid, or angry. It can also occur in metabolic disorders such as hypoglycemia or overactivity of the thyroid gland, when excessive caffeine enters the body due to excessive consumption of tea and coffee, or during alcohol withdrawal, which develops in people who drink heavily when they do not drink. The complaint of extreme fatigue during the day and hand tremor, which we call "increased physiological tremor", which can also be seen as a side effect of some drugs used, disappears spontaneously when the current situation disappears.
The disease we call essential tremor is the most common movement disorder. As it progresses, and especially in the hands, it affects the daily life of the person. It usually starts on one side of the body and progresses over time and begins to appear on the opposite side. This type of tremor is usually seen when the person is moving or if the trembling area is in an antigravity position.
Essential tremor usually starts with the complaint of trembling of the hands, but it can also be seen in the legs, head and vocal cords. Essential tremor, which mostly occurs in old age, occurs after adolescence or in middle age. It can also be seen in food. More than half of people who develop at an early age also have this type of tremor in their families. The symptoms of essential tremor increase in situations that increase the above-mentioned physiological tremor, and in advanced cases, activities of daily living can be severely restricted. For these people, situations that require fine movements of the fingers, such as typing, buttoning, carrying a tray, drinking water from a glass, drinking coffee from a cup, and eating, become increasingly difficult.
What Other Types of Hand Tremor Are There?
There are many subgroups of hand tremor, different from the types described above. It occurs due to emotions such as stress, fear, etc. This situation, which differs from person to person, can also be seen from time to time due to reasons such as stress and tension that occur in the family or in business life. This type of tremor is more common in women, but it is important to distinguish it from physiological or essential tremor, which increases under stress. It occurs when the person is motionless, distracted, and relaxed, where the trembling body region is not under the influence of gravity. It is usually an act of counting money or making pills. It typically disappears when the person notices the condition and moves their hand/arm or trembling body part. This type of tremor occurs in conditions that lead to Parkinson's disease or parkinsonism.
What Should a Person with Tremors Do?
Although Parkinson's patients are the first to come to mind when involuntary hand tremors are mentioned, every tremor is Parkinson's disease. It does not occur due to illness. As mentioned above, the most common form of tremor is "Essential Tremor". For this reason, the first thing that a person with a complaint of hand tremor should do is to apply to a neurologist. The neurologist first listens to the patient's history, examines and plans the necessary tests, makes the diagnosis and starts the treatment.
Which Tests Are Performed for Diagnosis?
Blood analysis, magnetic resonance (MRI) examination, EMG (detection of the responses of the muscles to electrical stimulus) and frequency measurement of tremor can be counted among the tests requested when necessary. In the light of the findings obtained at this stage, further examinations may be required if the physician deems it appropriate. With the identification of the disease causing hand tremor, the person is diagnosed and appropriate treatment is started.
How is it Treated?
Because there are many different causes of tremor, there is no single way to treat it. In other words, treatment for tremors differs depending on the underlying condition. First of all, the factors that may cause tremor should be treated or eliminated as much as possible. In addition, drugs given as "symptomatic" treatment are beneficial as long as the patient uses them. If the response to medication is insufficient in essential tremor patients, satisfactory results can be achieved by performing surgical treatment on appropriate patients. Surgical treatment can be applied to appropriately selected patients when the tremor in Parkinson's disease is insufficient and other symptoms of the disease progress. When dystonia decreases, tremor also improves to a large extent.
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