Rhythmic hand trembling - why the hands are shaking. Shaking hands: symptoms, causes and treatment

Each person has a clear understanding of what sensations he is experiencing at the current moment and how these sensations are perceived by him. More specifically, the body is a closed system that can, through certain phenomena, signal the processes taking place in it. Thus, a person understands what he is experiencing at a particular moment, how comfortable or uncomfortable these sensations are, and most importantly, by means of certain signals, one can judge what state the body is in now. Hand tremor is one of such notification methods, the concept of which is described in detail below.

Hand tremor - what is it?

Hand tremor, or trembling, is in most situations a physiological process that does not have any pathology under it and is experienced from time to time by all people. It should be noted that involuntary, uncontrolled twitching of the hands and fingers is experienced by every person at any time, but in most cases this trembling is not noticeable to the eye due to the imperceptible frequency of vibrations.

There are a huge number of reasons for the phenomenon under consideration, some of them, for example, tremor during excitement, are physiological, and some, including trembling accompanied by dizziness and loss of consciousness, have a pathological factor under them. At the same time, there are a large number of classifications that make it possible to differentiate trembling in the hands and describe the phenomena in terms of the specifics and characteristics of the tremor characteristic of a particular problem.

Thus, the characteristics of the twitch should be more clearly described, for example, distinguishing between a tremor relative to the center of generation as central and peripheral. Regarding the connection of the phenomenon with an existing disease, physiological and pathological tremors are distinguished. Regarding the amplitude of contractions, sweeping, inconspicuous and slightly trembling are distinguished. It is also important to note whether trembling increases during rest or during activity, which is also an important condition for describing the phenomenon.

Physiological causes of hand trembling

Physiological tremor is an involuntary trembling in the hands, which is not caused by the presence of any disease in the human body. In other words, it is a tremor that can occur in every person without pathological factors. As a rule, this trembling is short-lived, it has clear boundaries that can be observed.

• Most often, hand tremors are experienced by people who have a weak, excitable type of nervous system, such as melancholic. In this case, hand trembling will occur more often than others. A person with a weak nervous system will experience tremors every time they are nervous, emotionally overwhelmed, tired, or simply hungry.
• Medications can cause small, and sometimes large, sweeping tremors. These can be psychostimulant medications, antidepressants, neuroleptics, etc. This trembling is similar to that felt by a person who has consumed alcohol, which is clearly noticeable from a hangover, when intoxication and alcohol elimination processes occur in the body. Also, trembling in the hands will be present if you drink a large amount of strong coffee, tea, or an energy drink.
• Often there is a tremor caused by physical exertion, which proceeds by analogy with muscle contraction, which it actually is. At the moment, the muscles are rapidly contracting, as a result of which twitching of the hands is noticeable, it is important to note that convulsions can occur in this situation, as well as myalgia. This trembling occurs immediately after exercise or active physical work and quickly subsides.
• In this case, most often the hands tremble from nerves and strong emotional experiences. In this situation, trembling is present only during the time that a person experiences a disturbing psycho-emotional state. However, in the event that a person is placed in a state of constant stress and anxiety, then the tremor may well become chronic.

What diseases and diseases are shaking hands

A pathological factor is always accompanied by a functional disorder, in other words, the cause of such a tremor is a disease. It should be noted that in this case, the hands are shaking constantly, without ceasing, while the amplitude of movements may be the smallest. Also, tremor is often accompanied by additional symptoms, for example, the head begins to spin or hurt, ringing in the ears, weakness, and nausea appear. In order to more specifically understand what the disease is called when hands are shaking, let's imagine a number of syndromes with characteristic symptoms:

• traumatic brain injury, as a result of which damage to the brain structures, the temporal lobes of the cortex, as well as the cerebellum occurs;
• essential tremor is a genetically determined shaking of the limbs, which usually occurs without a reason;
• Parkinson's disease most often occurs due to damage to the subcortical structures of the brain. In this case, the tremor increases at rest, at the moment when the patient experiences weakness;
• multiple sclerosis, as well as diseases accompanied by the development of tumors in the brain;
• cardiovascular diseases, as a result of which the nutrition of the brain is disturbed, the vessels in the cervical spine are pinched;
• pathological changes in the thyroid gland;
• various ailments associated with disruption of the nervous system, as well as internal organs.

Hand tremor in young girls and boys

It should be understood that tremor, as a symptomatic manifestation of any phenomenon, has a certain dependence with age-related characteristics. In this regard, we can talk about the factors that cause trembling in the limbs at any age. Thus, it is possible to identify the causes that are described as gerontological and characteristic of the elderly, or vice versa, factors that are more common in young boys and girls.

Young age, especially adolescence, is accompanied by a serious restructuring in the human body. At this moment, all body systems work at the limit of their capabilities, since the age from 12 to 16 years is a period characterized by the most intensive growth and development of the whole organism. Sometimes physical and mental development is uneven, and therefore there may be temporary failures, one of the signs of which is tremor. In most cases, this phenomenon goes away on its own, but this is not a reason to refuse to visit a doctor.

Since youth is a period of active, energetic life, it is young people who experience head injuries, after which their hands begin to tremble involuntarily. Overwork can also affect in a similar way, especially if a person is associated with work that requires careful eye contact and intellectual effort.

It is important to note another reason inherent in young age, while almost only women face such a problem. Tremor in this case occurs as a result of hormonal changes. This can occur with premenstrual syndrome, thyroid disorders, and even during the onset of pregnancy.

Why do older people shake hands?

For the elderly, there are a number of characteristic diseases that can cause tremors in the hands. One of these ailments is Parkinson's disease, which begins to manifest just in old age. On average, people over 60 experience it, with trembling being the first characteristic symptom, but in some cases it may be completely absent.

At the same time, old age is the period during which degenerative processes begin to start in the body. Thus, the nervous system can gradually begin to malfunction, within which an age-related characteristic tremor appears. For venerable age, numerous vascular problems are also characteristic, within which there is a violation of the nutrition of the brain and the circulation of liquid tissue throughout the body, which can also lead to the described consequences.

What to do when your hands are shaking

The first thing you need to pay attention to is your own neuropsychic state. If a person is immersed in stress, then it is necessary to relax, drink hot green tea, take a bath, and also drink Valerian or Persen for some time. You also need to review your own diet and daily routine. You should limit the intake of alcoholic beverages, coffee and strong tea, sleep at least six hours a day, walk in the fresh air, take a break from work. In the event that no measures to normalize one's own condition and lifestyle have instilled any changes, then it is required to seek help from a specialist for subsequent diagnosis and, if necessary, treatment.

Which doctor to contact for treatment

If tremors appear in the limbs, then the first specialist to contact is a neurologist. If the tremor does not have a neurological cause, then this doctor will redirect you to a consultation with another specialist. In the event of a malfunction of the thyroid gland, the help of an endocrinologist will be needed, in a situation with malnutrition of the brain, it will be necessary to visit a vascular surgeon. If the cause of the phenomenon described is stress, anxiety, or some other mental condition, then it may be necessary to visit a psychotherapist or psychiatrist, depending on the depth of the problem.

Hand tremors can occur at any age, but most often these conditions occur in older people whose age has crossed the mark of 60 years. There may be several reasons for this. Especially for the readers of “Popular about Health”, I will consider what hand trembling is, why hands are shaking and what to do about it.

Shaking hands - causes and treatment

Hand tremor what is it?

Under the tremor, experts understand the uncontrolled small-scale movement of the arms (fingers, hands or forearms less often than the shoulder), which is based on an increase in the tone of the skeletal muscles.

Hand trembling can be constant or intensify during stress, as well as after physical exertion. Tremor triggers include the use of certain medications or even alcoholic beverages.

It is customary to distinguish between physiological and pathological tremor. In the first case, the severity of trembling is extremely low. In addition, under load, for example, if you take any heavy object in your hand, the tremor of the limbs almost completely disappears.

Pathological tremor is expressed to a large extent. The hands and forearms are often involved in the process. Tests with physical activity are negative.

Hand tremor severity

You can determine how severe the tremor of the limbs is on your own completely at home. All you need is a sheet of A4 paper. Ask the subject to extend their arms, palms down, and place a sheet of paper on the backs of the hands.

If the sheet holds perfectly, without even thinking of falling, therefore, the trembling is insignificant. Such conditions often do not require the intervention of specialists. If the paper falls, the tremor is pronounced, which is the reason for going to the doctor.

There are other methods for determining hand tremor. Some of them involve drawing. The interpretation of the obtained results is quite straightforward - if the contours of the drawn objects are smooth and clear, then there are no particular problems. If the patient is unable to depict a relatively even circle, it is necessary to consult a specialist.

Causes of hand tremors in the elderly

Parkinson's disease

Yes, the main cause in the elderly is Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's tremor has a number of characteristic differences, thanks to which it can be quite easily differentiated. Hand movements are greatly enhanced at rest. During the activity of the fingers, the tremor can be almost imperceptible. The frequency of movements is usually in the range from 3 to 7 Hz.

In medical practice, there is such a thing as a tremor of rolling pills. The movements of the fingers of a patient suffering from Parkinson's disease vaguely resemble this kind of movement.

In Parkinson's disease, hand tremor in the elderly often affects not only the hands, but also the forearms. Also, the pathological process can spread to the lips, tender jaw and tongue. Even more rarely, the tremor extends into the muscles of the neck.

In addition to tremor, Parkinson's disease has the following symptoms: feverishness of the muscles of the extremities, instability of the body position (it is difficult for patients to maintain balance even during rest), as well as bradykinesia - a slowdown in active movements, and some others.

Treatment of hand trembling, and indeed, Parkinson's disease is complex. Patients are prescribed antiparkinsonian drugs that belong to different drug groups: dopamine agonists, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, anticholinergics, and so on.

Cerebellar lesion

Cerebellar tremor has characteristic features. At rest, as well as during active movements, it is practically absent. However, trembling in the limbs is clearly visible at the beginning and end of movements.

With lesions of the cerebellum, tremor is quite pronounced. Pathological movements are carried out not so much in the fingers as in the elbow or even shoulder joint. In addition, the frequency of movements is quite low.

In addition to tremor, cerebellar lesions are often accompanied by the following symptoms: gait instability, inability to maintain a static posture for a long time, speech disorders, nystagmus (frequent involuntary eye movements), severe stuttering, and so on.

Treatment of cerebellar tremor, especially if it is quite pronounced, is complex. Patients are prescribed the following drugs: beta-blockers (in low doses), monoamine oxidase inhibitors, nootropic drugs, drugs that suppress the activity of the thyroid gland.

Essential tremor

Essential or primary tremor is an independent pathology and is not associated with any diseases. Pathological movements most often occur only in the fingers or hands. Trembling almost never spreads to other parts of the limbs.

Tremor increases significantly during emotional stress: with stress or banal excitement. Alcohol intake also leads to an increase in the negative symptoms of these conditions. Among other manifestations, the following should be noted: trembling of the head, inconsistency of the voice, tremor of the eyelids and tongue.

A characteristic feature of this condition is the ability to clearly hold the object with two hands. In this case, the tremor practically does not make itself felt. However, when trying to hold an object in one hand, pathological movements become very noticeable.

The treatment of such conditions consists in the appointment of anticonvulsants, low-dose beta-blockers, sedative drugs, muscle relaxants, and vasoconstrictor pharmaceuticals. Botulinum toxin injections give a good effect.

Conclusion

The causes of hand tremors in older people can be different. If the pathological symptoms are expressed to a small extent, as a rule, there is nothing to worry about. Otherwise, a consultation with a neurologist is required.

In medicine, it is called a tremor of the upper extremities. It is observed in absolutely all people. This condition can be caused by physiological and pathological factors. So what do you do if your hands are shaking? And is there any reason for concern?

Natural or physiological tremor is observed even in perfectly healthy people. As a rule, it is observed when stretching the arms and passes quickly.

Most often, tremor begins to manifest itself as a result of exposure to some factors, for example, strong loads or while maintaining the upper limbs in a stationary state for a long time. In these cases, tremor occurs as a result of muscle strain. It can also spread to the lower extremities.

Physiological tremor can also be observed in the event of a stressful situation. During this period, there is a strong excitation of the nervous system, which is manifested by this symptom.

There is also a so-called juvenile or family tremor. It can be provoked not only by strong physical exertion or stress, but also by those moments when the body is in a state of complete rest.

Such a tremor manifests itself first with a trembling of one hand, then it spreads to the other hand and the whole body. As a rule, familial tremor does not require special treatment. If it interferes with the usual way of life, only an anticonvulsant or tranquilizer can be prescribed by a doctor.

In the event that your hands shake for 14 or more days, while you do not experience stress and do not engage in heavy loads, then most likely the cause of the tremor lies in pathological diseases of the nervous system that require immediate treatment.

Tremor of the upper limbs can be caused by pathological processes occurring in the body. Depending on the disease and its course, hand trembling can have a different character.

Some medications can cause hand tremors. In this case, we are talking about a small-scale tremor in the fingers, which is characterized by irregular and low-frequency trembling of the hands.

If this condition was caused by the toxic effects of drugs, then their cancellation will help eliminate this unpleasant symptom.

There is also such a thing as alcoholic tremor. It occurs against the background of an advanced stage of alcohol dependence. Moreover, such people have not only trembling of the hands, but also of the whole body, including the head and tongue.

Establishing the presence of alcoholic tremor is very easy. As a rule, it becomes less pronounced or even disappears after drinking a small amount of alcoholic beverages. The same goes for drug addiction. In this case, an individual consultation of a psychologist and a narcologist is required.

It should be noted that pathological tremor can also be observed in violation of the hormonal background, which is observed with hyperactive thyroid gland. It produces an excessive amount of hormones that lead not only to tremors in the upper limbs, but also to the appearance of other signs of the disease. It:

• increased sweating;
• tremor of the tongue;
• anxiety;
• sudden weight loss;
• exhaustion and hair loss;
• irritability;
• cardiopalmus.

Such hormonal disorders are most often observed in pathologies of the endocrine system, pregnancy, and also in diabetes mellitus. In the latter case, there is a low content of sugar in the blood, which causes trembling in the hands. As a rule, the manifestation of tremor disappears after eating any sweets.

Tremor of the upper limbs is also observed in a disease such as Parkinson's disease. With this pathology, hand trembling occurs in an asymmetric manner. That is, there is a strong trembling of only one hand. At the same time, when you try to perform an arbitrary action, this symptom weakens.

There is also essential tremor. In this state, hand trembling does not occur during moments of complete calm, as in Parkinson's disease, but during periods of any action. At the same time, trembling is observed in both hands symmetrically.

In medicine, there is another concept - cerebellar tremor. Its appearance is provoked by pathologies occurring in the cerebellum of the brain. Trembling of the limbs in this case is observed when trying to keep them in a static position. When a person wants to perform any action with his hands, the amplitude of the oscillation increases. The manifestation of this type of tremor decreases only with complete relaxation of the limbs.

There is another type of tremor of the upper limbs, which is called Asterixis. This type of tremor is manifested by large-scale and arrhythmic trembling of the hands. There is a tremor at the moments of stretching the arms and dorsiflexion of the hands.

And another type of upper limb tremor is rhythmic myoclonus. This type of tremor is manifested by sweeping trembling of the hands and the entire torso. Moreover, such manifestations of the disease are observed only when trying to perform any action. When a person is in a state of complete rest, hand trembling disappears.

Why hands are shaking, we have already dismantled. It remains only to find out whether it is possible to get rid of tremor and how. Modern medicine provides a large selection of methods for getting rid of hand tremors. It:

• surgical intervention;
• diet therapy;
• apitherapy;
• hydrotherapy.

Surgical treatment involves the use of stereotaxic thalamotomy. It is quite effective in the treatment of tremor, but is used very rarely, since such an operation is very difficult to perform.

It is carried out only in exceptional cases, when the disease greatly affects the quality of life of the patient. For example, due to trembling upper limbs, he cannot eat or drink water on his own, as everything falls out of his hands. And then, first, the patient is prescribed medication for tremor, and if it does not help, then only in this case they resort to surgical intervention.

Diet therapy in the treatment of tremor is very effective. After all, human nutrition affects all processes occurring in the body. The abuse of drinks containing caffeine and thiamine, the consumption of a large number of sweet and fatty foods, leads to excitation of the nervous system, resulting in an increase in tremor.

With trembling hands, the fasting method also gives high efficiency. However, you cannot do it yourself at home. For this, there are special medical centers where strict control over the state of health of patients is carried out during moments of complete starvation.

Apitherapy is considered an unconventional treatment for tremor. It is a bee treatment and in some cases gives really positive results. However, modern specialists do not treat this method of treatment in the best way, in exactly the same way as they do with hirudotherapy.

Hydrotherapy is considered one of the most effective treatments for hand tremors. Water in general has a beneficial effect on the body, so modern doctors are only "for" its use in the treatment of various diseases of the central nervous system.

At home, you can conduct a contrast shower. The change of hot and cold water will help to increase blood circulation, strengthen local immunity and the nervous system. But most importantly, with its regular conduct, the intensity of the manifestation of tremor decreases.

If hand trembling is caused by the influence of psychological factors, then an unpleasant symptom can be eliminated with the help of calm swimming. Therefore, if you periodically experience a slight tremor, you can get rid of it by regularly visiting the pool.

In principle, maintaining a healthy lifestyle has a beneficial effect on the treatment of tremor. You need to eat right (you can use it), give up bad habits and exercise regularly (jogging, swimming, hiking, etc.). All this in combination with drug treatment will quickly get rid of this disease.

In modern medicine, there are a huge number of different drugs that help eliminate hand tremors.

First of all, such patients are prescribed antidepressants. They have a calming effect on the nervous system, thereby reducing the severity of tremor. Most often, such drugs are prescribed in combination with B vitamins, calcium and magnesium. Such treatment is prescribed for people whose tremor develops against the background of psychological stress or prolonged depression.

When severe cases (such as essential tremor) are observed, inhibitors are given. Such drugs have a powerful effect on the functioning of the nervous system. Although they help, most of them have many side effects, one of which is the dulling of taste buds.

If after the course of inhibitors there is no positive dynamics, then benzodiazepines are prescribed by specialists. Such drugs are not aimed at eliminating the root cause. They only help to eliminate bouts of involuntary hand trembling.

Also, anticonvulsants are prescribed for the treatment of tremor. They are taken in small doses and can completely cure minor tremors. However, such drugs also have their own contraindications and cause various disorders in the body. Therefore, before using them, you should carefully read the instructions.

In any case, you should never take any drugs without the knowledge of a doctor. The selection of all medications occurs on an individual basis and largely depends on the cause of the tremor and the age of the patient.

If your hands are shaking, you don’t know what to do with it, then you can use traditional medicine. However, they can only be used if the tremor is caused by strong excitement, stress, or overwork.

To relieve trembling at home, you can drink oatmeal broth. It is prepared in advance, in the evening, as it needs to be well infused before use. To prepare it, you need to take 150g of oats and pour it with 2 liters of water. Boil such a decoction for several hours.

Strain the drink in the morning and drink it throughout the day. You need to take such a decoction for 5 days, after which you should take a short break. If attacks of involuntary hand trembling occur again, the course of treatment with oatmeal should be repeated.

In addition to oats, herbal decoctions give a positive effect in the treatment of tremor. They are prepared from various herbs that have a calming effect (for example, valerian root, motherwort or heather).

These decoctions are very easy to prepare. To do this, take 2 tbsp. herbs (optional) and poured with 2 cups of boiling water. After that, the resulting mixture is poured into a thermos and infused all night. In the morning, the broth should be filtered and drunk throughout the day.

Remember that tremor is not a disease, but a consequence. Therefore, its main treatment should be directed to the root cause, and not to the elimination of the main symptom. For this, the use of folk methods alone will not be enough.

To get rid of hand tremor, it is necessary to undergo a complete examination and a course of treatment with special medications, which can last from several weeks to a year.

Causes and treatment of tremor

What to do if your hands are shaking

Two causes of tremor, or, more simply, shaking hands, are known to each of us: severe stress or an excess of alcohol in the blood. But sometimes a serious illness lies behind the trembling of the hands.

Body intoxication
Trembling occurs against the background of nerve shock and the effects of toxins on the brain, which disrupts the normal coordination of movements.

Shaking character. Hands tremble finely, slightly, as if vibrating. Sometimes it is not even visible to the eye. With poisoning by toxic chemicals (for example, barbiturates), trembling is obvious, with food poisoning - almost imperceptible. With a strong trembling of the hands, a person also feels trembling and weakness in the legs, loses orientation in space.

Associated symptoms. All that a person usually feels when poisoned is nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, pallor, increased sweating

Hereditary "vibration"

The so-called essential tremor is a disorder that is inherited. It is not associated with any particular disease, it manifests itself in adulthood or old age.

The nature of the shaking. The usual small trembling observed with any attempt to tighten the fingers or keep the hand on weight.

Associated symptoms. With hereditary tremor, trembling covers not only the hands, but also the lower jaw, head and muscles of the larynx, which is why the speaker's voice can also tremble quite noticeably.

On the way - Parkinson's
Trembling hands are one of the most common signs of Parkinson's disease, occurring already at its first approaches.

The nature of the shaking. A rather large trembling covers not only the fingers, but the entire brush. A clear tremor occurs at rest, and if you start doing something, your hands seem to stop shaking. At the slightest excitement, the trembling intensifies - sometimes to such an extent that everything literally falls out of hand. A typical sign is asymmetrical trembling, when one hand shakes more than the other.

Associated symptoms. In addition to the hands, the lower jaw, forearms, tongue, lips and feet may tremble.

Problems in the "control center"
There is a cerebellar tremor, which is a sign of pathological changes in this part of the brain. These changes do not occur from scratch, they are usually preceded by a traumatic brain injury. Another reason is multiple sclerosis.

The nature of the shaking. Trembling can be weak or strong. It manifests itself when the arm is strained or an attempt is made to keep it in one position. The more tension, the more shaking. It passes at rest.

Associated symptoms. Muscle tone decreases, the body becomes lethargic and does not obey commands from the brain. With closed eyes, it is impossible to touch a specific given point on one's own body. Fatigue increases, by the evening the simplest physical efforts seem exorbitant.

big
With Wilson's disease, various vascular disorders, multiple sclerosis, and some pathologies of the brain stem, a special - rhythmic and large-scale - tremor may occur.

The nature of the shaking. Trembling is uniform and with an amplitude of fluctuations up to 1-2 cm. Appears during movement, disappears with complete relaxation. However, it is with such a tremor that it is not easy to achieve the desired degree of muscle relaxation. Sometimes, in order to pacify diverging hands, you just have to sit on your own palms.

Associated symptoms. Not only the hands are trembling, any other parts of the body and even the body itself can be involved. A person, as it were, does not know peace and is forced to constantly twitch.

hello from thyroid
Hands tremble with hyperthyroidism - a dysfunction of the thyroid gland, the provoking factor is the excessive production of hormones.

The nature of the shaking. Small trembling, hardly stopped at rest.

Associated symptoms . The normal functioning of the internal organs is disturbed - the kidneys, liver, pancreas are junk, chills constantly occur, a strong heartbeat, mood jumps. And most importantly - the protruding tongue also trembles finely.

For diabetes
Hands tremble if the concentration of sugar in the blood has dropped significantly. The same thing can happen during an episode of hypoglycemia in a relatively healthy person.

Shaking character. Hands tremble as if they were very tired, regardless of the state - rest or movement.

Associated symptoms. Tremor is accompanied by weakness and sweating, and all these symptoms disappear when a dose of glucose enters the body.

Blame the tick!
Encephalitis is one of the diseases in which the hands tremble.

The nature of the shaking. Trembling convulsive, attacks.

Associated symptoms. Along with hand shaking, muscle spasms, pain, numbness, and even paralysis occur.

Falling into sadness
Hands can also tremble with depression. A characteristic feature of depressive tremor is continuity.

The nature of the shaking. Trembling is weak, but persistent, manifests itself in any state - from rest to strong tension.

Associated symptoms . All signs of depression are loss of interest in the environment, disturbances in appetite and sleep, lethargy, fatigue. In addition to trembling hands, all movements become choppy and poorly controlled.

REMEMBER! If the hands tremble very rarely, no more than once a month, and this is associated with short-term physiological changes (severe fatigue, heavy lifting, excitement, the need to stay in one position for too long), then there is nothing to worry about. Elderly people often experience convulsive trembling of the hands at rest, which is associated with taking any drugs or exceeding the dose of caffeine.

In the practice of a therapist of almost any specialization (pulmonologist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist), there are patients who either complain of trembling in their hands, or it is detected during the examination. And then the doctor needs to figure out whether this trembling is a symptom of the disease with which the patient applied, or is it a concomitant symptom and is not associated with the underlying pathology.

Perhaps, neurologists are in a more advantageous position, since tremor, or trembling in the course of neurological diseases, is studied in detail. Consider such a common symptom as trembling in the hands.

Hand tremor - what is it?

Hand tremor is a state of hand trembling, which can be both short-term and permanent, symmetrical and unilateral, pronounced and erased, with high amplitude and frequency of trembling and low, depending on volitional effort and not obeying it.

As you can see, hand tremors have many characteristics that the doctor needs to understand together with the patient, since it is the methods of questioning and examination that are of paramount importance in the diagnosis of tremors of all types.

There is nothing easier than checking your own body for trembling. To do this, stretch your arms forward, spread your fingers and hold them in this position for at least a minute. Most often, if the trembling is noticeable from the first seconds, then it will gradually increase as fatigue in the hands increases.

Sometimes a trembling in the hands can be observed in a completely healthy person, but only for a short time, and only when exposed to strong emotional stimuli (excitement, strong fear).

There are many causes of tremor and treatment directly depends on them. Obviously, alcohol tremor or hand tremor in a child are completely different things.

The causes of hand tremor can be divided into two large groups. The first group includes physiological tremor, which is a functional disorder, may be temporary and does not indicate any disease.

Its reasons are:

• Increased emotionality. Hand tremor during excitement can be in asthenic, neurotic personalities, artists;
• Depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, traces of emotional stress;
• character accents. So, with hysteroid psychopathy, a person may have a tremor of the head and hands at certain intervals;
• drug reaction. Some drugs increase the convulsive readiness of the nervous system: some antidepressants, adaptogens (Rhodiola rosea, golden root, extracts of ginseng, magnolia vine, eleutherococcus), lithium preparations, aminophylline, some antipsychotics;
• Trembling in the hands can be caused by drinking strong coffee, tea, strong cigarettes;
• The use of drugs such as amphetamines causes tremors in the hands;
• A pronounced example of a tremor in a healthy person can be chills during hypothermia, after hard physical work (for example, work as a loader);

It is important that all these types of physiological trembling have an external factor, with the exclusion of which the condition should disappear. A doctor should be consulted if the tremor does not disappear after 15 days after the normalization of the lifestyle.

Pathological tremor can, as a rule, speak either of poisoning (chronic), or of a nervous disease, or of other causes, for example, endocrine. Common causes of pathological trembling in the hands, which is a symptom of the disease, are:

• Poisoning, for example, lead, carbon monoxide, strychnine;
• A separate line is chronic alcoholism and withdrawal syndrome;
• Severe trembling in the hands is caused by hypoglycemia, which occurs with (insulin-dependent);
• Thyrotoxicosis and adrenal pathology also provoke a prolonged tremor;
• Chronic liver failure, with severe jaundice in fulminant forms of viral hepatitis. In this case, a “clapping” tremor occurs - hands tremble even if a person is lying in bed;
• Damage to individual structures of the brain: stem, cerebellum, extrapyramidal nuclei causes persistent tremor, as in other extrapyramidal disorders. Trembling of the hands with damage to the cerebellum is called intentional: the swings of the hands intensify when trying to reach out to any object;
• Family forms caused by hereditary predisposition;
• Parkinson's disease;
• Senile dementia, Alzheimer's disease;
• Hepatocerebral dystrophy, or Wilson's disease - Konovalov;
• and other demyelinating diseases (acute disseminated encephalomyelitis);
• Progredient forms of tick-borne encephalitis, encephalitis and encephalomyelitis of a chronic course;
• Anemia, including hereditary, conditions associated with chronic blood hypoxemia: habitual blood loss with hemorrhoids, ulcerative colitis and chronic stomach ulcers;

A separate nosological form is essential tremor, which can be familial, but there are no disorders of other systems. Hence the name - "essential", which can be replaced by another: "trembling for unknown reasons."

According to the description of some reasons, it becomes clear that the problem of tremor is very complex, and doctors cannot approach its explanation “slipshod”.

There is an unhealthy practice, without understanding, to immediately diagnose a patient, especially after 60 years, with Parkinson's disease, and send such a person to the center of extrapyramidal pathology.

As a result, it turns out that the person does not have any Parkinson's disease, but he turns out to be unnecessary to any of the doctors. Therefore, the problem of timely diagnosis of symptomatic trembling is acute for polyclinic doctors.

All manifestations of trembling in the hands must be classified according to severity, since sometimes this serves as a reason for transferring the patient to disability, due to permanent disability. Tremor is divided into:

1) Slightly pronounced, or appearing at certain intervals, which are much shorter than the usual state. Tremor does not affect the way and quality of life of the patient;

2) Moderate tremor. The patient is sometimes forced to change jobs, as he cannot control fine and small movements. Some social functions suffer: for example, in a restaurant or at a party, a person can break a crystal glass, etc.;

3) Significantly pronounced tremor. Under it, the patient cannot serve himself: he can break his face and teeth with a glass of water, he is forbidden to use a fork, since he can gouge out his eye, such a person cannot hold a book, he is forced to put it on the table, but at the same time turning pages will be difficult.

Writing and typing text on a computer is also extremely difficult. Such persistent hand trembling occurs with multiple sclerosis with damage to the cerebellum, as well as with hepatocerebral dystrophy, encephalitis.

Tremor in a child

Previously, we considered types of hand tremors in adult patients and this suggested that they have a fully mature and functionally complete nervous system. In the event that a child's hand tremor is considered, it must be borne in mind that this symptom may be temporary.

It may simply arise due to the unavailability and underdevelopment of the nervous system to receive and transmit impulses due to incomplete maturation of peripheral nerves.

As a rule, this type of disorder occurs against the background of emotional overstrain and the release of norepinephrine into the blood. Usually this is a signal for active muscle contraction and increased utilization of oxygen and glucose by the muscles, but the muscles react with trembling.

It is important for a pediatrician to know that the baby overcame the critical periods of intrauterine development without "adventures", and during pregnancy there were no diseases, intrauterine fetal hypoxia, and fetoplacental insufficiency.

Other causes of tremor can be intranatal (perinatal) birth trauma, threatened miscarriage, prematurity, rapid delivery, congenital diabetes mellitus (diabetic fetopathy), or congenital.

Under normal conditions, with the correct development of the child, most often after reaching the age of one year, hand trembling in babies disappears. Otherwise, observation by a pediatric neurologist and subsequent treatment is required.

Alcoholic tremor

The tremor of the fingers of the drunkards entered the folk proverbs and sayings, and became the subject of theatrical miniatures. In fact, the toxic effect of ethanol on the nervous system is to blame, as a result of which toxic polyneuropathy develops.

As a rule, the trembling increases in the morning. In the initial periods of alcoholism, the tremor is expressed inconsistently, but over time it becomes permanent.

• It can be treated, only with a complete condition, otherwise all detoxification methods will be ineffective.

Essential hand tremor

A few words have already been said above about essential tremor. To complete the picture a little, it should be said that this disease is common in 2% of the young population, under the age of 40, and much more often in old age.

Hand trembling occurs at a frequency of 8-10 times per second, sometimes a tremor of the head, legs, and voice joins the movements.

Essential tremor should not be confused with Parkinson's disease: the parkinsonian has a "freezing posture", muscle rigidity, propulsion, "serrated" hypertonicity. In addition, essential trembling, unlike Parkinson's disease, does not progress, and patients retain memory, intelligence, and self-care ability for a long time.

This disease is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner, from parents to offspring.

Different types of these disorders require different types of therapy. You should know that a universal cure for hand tremor is still unknown to mankind.

Therefore, we will consider how to cope with the physiological tremor that occurs in the vast majority of patients, in patients with essential tremor, and we will show how extrapyramidal tremor is treated in Parkinson's disease.

Treatment of "normal" physiological tremor

Getting rid of hand tremors caused by a physiological cause is the easiest way. Non-drug methods of therapy are associated with the normalization of the regime of work and rest, good sleep, the rejection of heavy physical work and the exclusion of all factors that cause trembling (refusal of coffee, tea, alcohol).

It is very important to completely stop smoking, get an orthopedic pillow, and ventilate the rooms before going to bed. It is this group of diseases that is well treated with herbal sedative infusions, decoctions and traditional medicine.

The following drugs have a good effect on tremor:

• motherwort tincture, valerian;
• "phytosedan", prepare infusions, take 1/2 cup at night;
• "Novo-Passit";
• "Glycine". Swallow 2 tablets at bedtime.

Sometimes long-term use of SSRI antidepressants is required to treat depression. As mood improves, tremors also decrease. In some cases, courses of sleeping pills such as zopiclone and zolpidem are indicated.

Drugs such as hexamidine (primidone) are used. It belongs to anticonvulsant drugs, but it has an effect on tremor.

Sometimes, with tremor, therapeutic starvation is indicated, as a result of which the physiological muscle tone changes, and the inhibitory regulation of muscle contraction returns to normal.

Essential tremor

Treatment of essential tremor is carried out according to other principles. As a rule, the following drugs have a pronounced effect:

• Beta-blockers (anaprilin, propranolol, obzidan, inderal). Starting dose - from 10 mg per day, with an increase in dose to an effective one, under the control of blood pressure, pulse;
• At strongly expressed tremor neuroleptics and tranquilizers are shown;
• Inhibitors of carbonic anhydrase (diacarb) are shown;
• Sufficiently large doses of vitamin B6 can slow down the progression of trembling and reduce its amplitude. The drug is used in the form of monthly courses, and the daily dose can be up to 8 ml;
• Of the anticonvulsants, levitracetam (an anticonvulsant drug) has proven itself well.

Parkinson's disease

For the treatment of extrapyramidal hand tremor in Parkinson's disease, which is similar to "counting coins" or "pill rolling", "heavy artillery" is required, since it is necessary to act on the basal nuclei of the brain and on increased muscle tone. Examples of such drugs are:

• Levodopa;
• Bromocriptine;
• Amantadine;
• Memantine.

These drugs, unlike the treatment of essential tremor, affect the exchange of neurotransmitters (mediators) in the deep structures of the brain and therefore self-treatment with these drugs of other forms of tremor is strictly prohibited.

Hand tremor, the causes and treatment of which we have considered, should not be an annoying cause that is looked at through the fingers. On the contrary, this symptom may turn out to be one of the early markers of metabolic processes, and a thorough diagnosis will help to cope with serious diseases in a timely manner.

In turn, a diagnostic medical search is impossible without "strongholds", which are created by the doctor's thinking on the basis of a detailed questioning of the patient, which this article will help to a large extent.