Shaky Hands? Causes, Signs, How To Cure, Risk, And More

What Is shaky hands?

Shaky hands are also known as “hands tremors” which most commonly occur in old age.

First, know what is tremors? – Involuntary shaking movement (you shake without trying to do so) is called tremors, whether it is hand, legs, neck.

Also, muscles of the trunk, face, head, and even your voice can affect by this disorder, the feet are less often involved (1). which creates hinder while eating, drinking, and writing.

People with essential tremors have a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease and hearing loss, especially seen in 65 years old persons.

The essential tremor is the tremors that accompany aging, which is not caused by any disease, It is really present when your affected area is at rest.

In some cases, they can be completely normal, while in others they may indicate an underlying medical condition.

Several studies have shown that about 25% of patients with cervical dystonia had a tremor in their hands (2)

2. Types of Tremors

Essentially there are 3 types of tremors, however, there are 15 + tremors also, but in most seen these 3 types of tremors. include:

Resting or static tremors: when your body or affected area is at rest, then tremors are seen. Not in while doing work.

Kinetic tremors: When you are moves your hand or move the affected part of your body, tremors happen.

Postural tremors: Tremors that change according to your position. for example – nothing happens when you fold your hand, but a tremor when you raise your hand.

3. Causes of shaky hands?

In some times tremors or shaky hands is a normal condition, which means it does not indicate any medical condition.

Here are common reasons for tremors or shaky hands. which include:

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Fatigue or even in illness, you feel fatigued, leads to tremors
• Fear
• Runs by families, or genes
• Vigorous exercise
• In some cases, Pollution can also cause this condition
• Chain smokers
• Rage
• caffeine overdose intake.
• Too much alcohol and alcohol withdrawal can cause tremors.

NOTE: Being tremors won’t change your emotional state, but the emotional state may cause tremors. And if emotional health is change your tremors, then this may be a medical issue.

Some medical conditions that also cause tremors include:

• Parkinson’s disease
• Overactive thyroid
• Low sugar and blood level can also cause tremors.
• Some neurological conditions that can cause shaky hands include:
  • stroke
  • Multiple sclerosis – This targets your immune system, brain, nerves, and spinal cord and can cause intentional tremors.
  • Traumatic brain injury – An injury on a certain area of the brain, which is somewhere connected to a tremor, which leads to shaky hands, neck, etc.
  • Dystonia
  • Cerebellar disorders – It is a brain disorder, that affects your cerebellum, (A area that controls your balance, and coordination).

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Depression
• Liver and kidney failure
• Anxiety or panic
• Certain medicines such as antidepressants, anti-arrhythmic drugs, certain antiviral drugs, medicine that affect the immune system, etc.

NOTE: You can have tremors even at a young age, for just tired. And in most youth, hand tremors are shown due to anxiety.

4. Signs

The symptoms of essential tremors usually worsen with age. 

Common signs, that shaky hands people can see in their personal life. which include:

• When you’re reaching for a target, like a keyhole to unlock the door, you may feel shaky hands.
• Difficulty writing or drawing and performing an activity.
• Problems holding and controlling utensils, such as a spoon.

Sometimes stress, anger, or emotions may trigger your shaky hand’s symptoms more.

5. Is It a Normal Condition?

Sometimes it is normal, but sometimes it causes an underlying medical condition.

But when is it normal? – One hand generally shakes, when you ask someone on a date and before an interview or an important event.

Sometimes more noticeable tremors are seen, which are seen in:

• Old age
• Stressful, tired, and angry situations
• After drinking coffee, tea, cola, and smoking
• Feeling hot or cold
• Certain medicines or medicine’s side effect also causes hand tremors.

6. Shaky hands and covid

There are no reports that suggest that covid-19 can worsen the symptoms of tremors or shaky hands.

However, the pandemic has heightened anxiety for many people, and for those with essential tremors, that increase in anxiety can worsen a tremor (3).

7. Diagnose

It has also been seen that familiar tremors, and essential tremors sometimes get suppressed by drinking alcohol. which is also a useful test for diagnosing it.

If your shaky hands are more severe then talk to a neurologist, they recommended you some tests are:

• Blood test
• CT scan or MRI scan of the brain, and both can happen
• EMG (electromyography) of the hand, – In this it is ascertained whether the nerve is coming from the brain to the hand, and is working properly or not.
• Urine test

There are also some other tests that identify whether this is happening due to the disease or not.

8. Treatment

There are many treatments but it’s depending on what kind of tremors you have – if someone has hand tremors, then the doctor may treat it with therapy.

NOTE: If your shaky hands are caused by essential tremors, then there’s no cure, but there are many ways to manage it.

Therapy

• Weighting training– If your essential tremor symptoms are mild, then putting weight on the wrist may provide relief and improve hand and arm function.

• Speech training – If someone has tremors in speaking, then speech training for him, can evaluate communication, speaking, and swallowing disorders.

• Occupational training – In this, the therapist can teach the person new ways to perform activities of daily living that will affect the tremors.

Medicines

If there is no medical condition that causes tremors, then your doctor may recommend some medicine. include:

Beta-blocker propranolol – which is commonly used to treat high blood pressure, which also causes they also help treat essential tremors.

Deep brain stimulation – Is used for essential tremors in 2002, and was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Injection – The doctor may also ask you to give an injection shot, that will block the nerves and relax the affected muscles.

There are some other commonly used medicines – Botox, anti-anxiety (However, some anti-seizure medications can cause tremors), anti-seizure medicines, and Tranquilizers.

Do not take medicine all the time, only when you need to take medicines – like in a stressful event, ask your doctor about it.

NOTE: Medicine will not cure the tremor, but it often helps to reduce the shaking or trembling (4).

Lifestyle changes

There are certain lifestyle habits, which highly trigger your tremors whether it’s your hand, neck, leg, etc. which you should avoid. include:

• Avoid too much exercise
• Avoid extreme alcohol consumption
• Eat a healthy diet, with regular exercise, and yoga,
• Avoid smoking, and too much caffeine product intake.
• Eliminate tremor-increased things like – medicines

Surgery

If your tremors are severe and interfere with your daily activity, then in this case doctor may recommend you some surgery such as:

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) – In this, the movement is controlled by sending signals to the thalamus (a part of the brain),

Thalamus is a deep structure of the brain that controls some involuntary movements.

9. When to talk to the doctor?

Talk to your doctor – if this interferes with your daily life like while writing, and gripping something.

As long as it looked mild, get it treated, In severe cases, even treatment is not possible.

BOTTOM LINE

Involuntary shaking movement (you shake without trying to do so) is called tremors, whether it is hand, legs, or neck.

Shaky hands us trigger by stressful events, fatigue (which is the main cause in teenagers), fear, genes, rage, too much alcohol intake, or alcohol withdrawal.

There is no cure for most tremors, also medicine will not cure the tremor, but it often helps to reduce the shaking or trembling.