The tremor usually appears as a response of our body to specific situations, such as fear, cold, anxiety, etc. The earthquake in the hands can occur suddenly or be triggered every time a person tries to act or is under a specific condition, such as writing or when he is in a state of rest. Therefore, we can distinguish between different types of hand tremors. The causes of the earthquake in the hands can also vary, being an involuntary response of the body. In this FastlyHealarticle we explain why hands are shaking.
Know how to differentiate the tremor
The first thing to keep in mind is that handshaking is a natural body response. This response can be triggered in response to different situations. For example, when we are nervous when we feel scared, cold, etc. As we can see, these situations are some facts that everyone has been able to experience at some time, and the tremors disappear once those situations are over. However, there are people whose hands shake in cases where they usually do not, such as when trying to write or simply resting their hands. In these situations, we can feel alarmed and think that something is not working as it should. Before rushing forward, we must not associate the shaking of the hands with Parkinson’s disease. Therefore, below we will explain the different reasons why your hands shake.
Types of tremor
When your hands are shaking, you may find yourself moving, resting, or trying to maintain a posture. Therefore, we can differentiate between:
- Tremor of rest. The hands shake when the person is not doing any activity that requires the effort of the muscles.
- Postural tremor. Hand tremor occurs when trying to maintain a posture, such as holding an object firmly.
- Trembling of movement. The reason why hands shake is their movement, no matter how small.
From this classification of tremors in the hands, we can get an idea of the type of tremor we may be suffering from. Likewise, some of the causes that can cause this type of tremors are the following, which we will also relate to the causes of hand tremors in the following point:
- Aging.
- Excessive consumption of stimulant drinks: alcohol, coffee, tea, caffeinated soft drinks, etc.
- Having anxiety, feeling stressed, being very tired.
- You are taking certain types of medications.
- Low blood sugar
- Perform physical exercise that involves high muscle performance.
- Parkinson’s disease. It is one of the best-known cases of hand tremor.
- Multiple hyperthyroidisms.
Essential tremor
The tremor in the hands will vary depending on the area in which it is most intensely appreciated, the moments in which it appears, and the degree to which it manifests itself.
Essential tremor is the most common cause of hand tremor and appears with age, without a specific reason. The period at which it begins can vary, although it seems after 40. The tremor in the hands tends to increase progressively over time, and most of these patients suffer it by inheritance, that is, by one of their mothers. In addition, it can be accompanied by trembling in other areas of the body, such as the head. Stretching the arms or trying to bring the index fingers of the two hands together horizontally can be evidenced. This type of hand tremor is more common than Parkinson’s, and, according to some studies, a large part of the population over 64 years of age suffers from essential tremor that has not been diagnosed.
Temblor cerebellar
The tremor in the hands is a consequence of neurological disorders due to other ailments:
- Multiple sclerosis . Tremor is one of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, although it is not one of the most frequent. They can occur during rest when maintaining a posture or during movement and are caused by damaged areas along the nerve pathways responsible for the coordination of activities.
- Traumatic brain injury . When a person suffers an injury to the brain due to an accident, such as a collision while driving a car, an impact on the head can cause brain damage that damages some nervous system functions.
Trembling from medications or drugs
It consists of the involuntary tremor that occurs after having ingested a drug, which produces an effect on the nervous system. Some of these medications can be:
- Cancer drugs, such as thalidomide and cytarabine.
- Asthma medications, such as theophylline and albuterol.
- Heart medications, such as procainamide or amiodarone, among others.
- Some antibiotics
- Anticonvulsants, such as valproic acid and sodium valproate.
- Antidepressant medications.
- Medications for high blood pressure.
Likewise, drugs can affect the nervous system in the same way, causing tremors in the hands.
The tremor from Parkinson’s disease
This disease causes the deterioration of nerve cells that allow the nervous system to coordinate. Our brain has a substance called dopamine, thanks to which our movements are coordinated and which is destroyed by Parkinson’s. In addition to tremors, this disease has other symptoms, such as muscle stiffness, slow movements, loss of facial expression, joint pain, etc. As we can see, Parkinson’s involves more symptoms than hand tremors.
When to go to the doctor?
First of all, we must remember that tremor in the hands is not synonymous with suffering from a disease such as Parkinson’s. Subjecting ourselves to different situations, which involve stress, anxiety, fear, and others, can trigger the tremor in the hands. However, if the earthquake of hands appears when we are not subjected to any condition like the previous ones, it is possible that then the causes are other, such as those that we have explained in this article. Therefore, if you detect that your hands frequently tremble for no apparent reason or after having suffered a blow, fall, or accident in which your head has been damaged, you should see a doctor.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
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I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.