Essential tremor is a neurological disorder that causes involuntary and rhythmic shaking of different parts and on different sides of the body. It often affects areas like hands, arms, head, larynx (voice box), tongue, and chin. The lower body is rarely involved. But the trembling occurs most often in your hands especially when you do simple tasks, such as drinking from a glass or tying shoelaces, which means it occurs while doing any action.

Essential tremor is usually not a dangerous condition, but it typically worsens over time and can be severe in some people so much that they may find it hard to do everyday tasks like eating, dressing, or writing. It’s only when the tremors become severe that they actually cause disability.

What Causes Essential Tremor?

Essential tremor occurs due to the unusual electrical brain activity that is processed through the thalamus. The thalamus is a structure deep in the brain that coordinates and controls muscle activity. Essential tremor can happen at any age, but it most often appears during adolescence or in middle age (between ages 40 and 50).

Early Recognizing Features of Essential Tremors

The main symptom of essential tremor is trembling, particularly of the hands while doing or attempting any activity. The person cannot control this movement, which tends to have a rhythmic pattern. It may be an up-and-down or side-to-side motion. Essential tremor usually affects both sides of the body, but it may be more noticeable on one side. A person may have tremors in their face, head, neck, hands, arms, trunk, voice, legs, and feet, less commonly.

Essential tremor does not usually happen at rest, this is the highlight of these kinds of tremors. It mostly happens during activities such as eating and drinking, shaving, applying makeup, or writing and this causes difficulty in making signatures, holding a pen, drinking water. The tremor is progressive, within a period of time it becomes more severe. It can make daily activities, such as drinking from a glass, tying up shoelaces, or writing difficult. A person with essential tremor may also experience certain other symptoms like changes in the way they walk, changes in thinking, depression, anxiety, personality changes, ataxia, a reduced ability to coordinate voluntary movements, a loss of hearing, and the sense of smell, in some people. Most patients have a family history of essential tremors.

Read More: Essential Tremors Symptoms, Causes and Treatment : Dr Navin Tiwari 

Diagnosis 

There is no specific test for essential tremor, mostly the diagnosis is clinical. neurologist look at the person’s symptoms, ask about their personal and family medical histories, ask about any medications, perform a physical examination, do some tests, if appropriate, to rule out other conditions, To evaluate the tremor, the doctor may ask to:

• pour and drink water
• touch their fingers to their nose
• hold their hands out in front of them
• write
• draw a spiral

Tests to rule out other conditions might include a blood test to check levels of thyroid hormones and an MRI scan of the brain.

Treatment

If the essential tremor is mild, it may not need treatment. If it affects the quality of life or ability to do everyday tasks, a doctor may recommend one of the following approaches.

• Medications for essential tremor
• Deep brain stimulation
• Thalamotomy
• Physical therapy

The role of Dhyan, pranayam, yoga and meditation in controlling tremors is under study but it is seen that patients who are performing Dhyan, yoga regularly have these tremors reduced in intensity.

Essential tremor is a movement disorder that leads to tremulousness affecting mostly the hands and head and in most cases, it has a genetic background. If symptoms are mild, treatment may not be necessary. If a person has tremors while doing a daily activity, then soon consult your neurologist so that it doesn’t progress to affect our activity of daily living.

At the Asian neuro centre where the best neurologist in Indore, Dr Navin Tiwari with world-class diagnostic infrastructure and team has treated thousands of patients with essential tremors successfully with a holistic approach.

For more information pls call at 9111234529 or write to us at info@asianneurocenter.com