Understanding Essential Tremor: Its Causes, Symptoms & Treatments

If you have been experiencing uncontrollable tremors of your hands, head, jaw, or voice, it may be due to Essential Tremor (ET). This is a condition that originates in the central nervous system. It is a common movement disorder, with nearly 10 million people in the U.S. suffering from it. Though it is not a life-threatening disease, it can be a progressive condition that worsens over time and can disrupt your life.

This blog helps you understand essential tremor, its causes, symptoms, and treatment options. For a better understanding, we have included several FAQs to discuss when you need professional help.

What is Essential Tremor?

Essential tremor is a neurological condition that causes involuntary and rhythmic shaking of a part of your body. The tremors primarily affect the hands but can also affect the head, face, torso, voice, and, in rare conditions, the legs. While it can occur at any age, it mainly affects people over 40 years and, is seen more commonly in men than women, and often has a familiar component.

Essential Tremors can be classified into:

• Action tremor: It occurs when the affected body part is performing an action
• Postural tremor: It happens when the body part having the tremors is in a specific posture or position

Essential Tremor differs from Parkinson’s Disease in many ways in that Parkinson’s is a progressive degenerative disorder linked to multiple other physical findings and is responsive to different medications.

• Parkinson’s disease, tremors are worse when at rest.
• Essential tremor mainly affects the hands and head, or jaw, whereas the tremors in Parkinson’s disease may also affect the legs.
• Essential tremors involve only tremors, and Parkinson’s disease also involves a stooped posture, slow movements, stiffness, and altered gait and balance.

Essential Tremor Causes

While experts haven’t determined its exact cause, the following factors are believed to be involved in the evolution of an essential tremor disorder.

• Genetic factors

According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), 17–50% of essential tremor cases may be hereditary, known as familial tremor. It is an autosomal dominant disorder, if one of your parents has the condition, you have a 50% chance of inheriting it.

• Neurological factors

A malfunction within the brain, especially within networks involving the cerebellum (which controls and coordinates muscle movement), may cause essential tremors.

• Environmental triggers

Specific environmental triggers may cause essential tremor symptoms. They include:

• Aggravated stress / Anxiety
• Fatigue
• Caffeine
• Stimulants
• Alcohol
• Specific medicines
• Hunger
• Low blood sugar

Essential Tremor Symptoms

You may experience the following symptoms if you have essential tremor:

• Uncontrollable shaking of the hands and arms when doing an activity
• It affects both sides of the body but is more noticeable on any one side
• Tremors worsen with movement
• Bobbing or swaying of the head
• Shaky voice due to tremors in the tongue or voice box
• Difficulty doing activities that require fine motor skills

Essential Tremor Treatment Options

Several treatment options are available for essential tremor. Depending on your symptoms, your physician may suggest the following treatment:

Medication

1. Beta-blockers: Effective in easing tremors
2. Anticonvulsant medicines:
3. Tranquilizers:
4. Botox injections: Temporarily weaken muscles to reduce the tremor intensity

Therapies

1. Physical Therapy: Includes exercises that improve muscle strength, control, and coordination
2. Occupational Therapy: Can help you to adapt to the tremors while performing your routine activities

Adaptive Devices

Special devices are designed to help you control essential tremors. They include:

1. Weighted items
2. Electronic nerve stimulation device
3. Vibration devices
4. Tremor-canceling devices

Surgery

1. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
A probe is surgically inserted into the thalamus in the brain and is connected to a neurostimulator implanted into the chest that blocks the tremor-inducing signals from the thalamus if all other therapies have failed.
2. Focused Ultrasound Thalamotomy
Deep brain destructive lesions induced by focused sound waves aided by magnetic resonance imaging target the brain tissues in the thalamus to stop a tremor.

 Frequently Asked Questions

1. When should I worry about tremors?

It may be worrisome if you have frequent tremors with increasing intensity that make it difficult to do basic activities.

2. What are the early signs of tremors?

You may have mild tremors in your hands, with one hand more affected than the other. The shaking worsens with movement.

3. What does an essential tremor look like?

They are fast and short rhythmic movements.

4. What is the best vitamin for essential tremors?

B1, B6, and B12 are the best vitamins for essential tremor.

When to Seek Medical Professional Help

If your symptoms are mild, you may not need any treatment for essential tremors. However, you must consult your physician to discuss treatment options for your specific symptoms if:

• The frequency of symptoms increase
• The intensity of tremors becomes more severe
• They disrupt your daily activities, such as eating, drinking, and writing
• They make it difficult to do tasks that need gripping and handling smaller tools.

Get Faster Relief for Essential Tremors with Advanced Treatments at Michigan Neurological Associates & Pain Consultants

Our team at Michigan Neurological Associates & Pain Consultants has the expertise and experience of over 25 years to offer high-quality essential tremor treatments for our patients in Clinton Township, St. Clair Shores, MI, and the surrounding areas.

Contact us today to learn more about our services and treatments.

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