Symptoms
The tremor is known in technical terms as tremor. A characteristic feature of tremor is that it occurs rhythmically and opposing muscle groups contract alternately. There are different types of tremor depending on when the tremor occurs.
A tremor at rest, without any movement being performed, is called a rest tremor. This occurs in Parkinson’s disease, but is not yet proven to be the cause of the disease. If a movement is performed at rest, the tremor is reduced.
Initially, only one hand is usually affected in Parkinson’s disease. Typical is the observation of the so-called pill twisting phenomenon, in which one hand is affected by an isolated tremor of the index finger and thumb. Medication can also trigger a rest tremor.
Often, drugs trigger a tremor, which create similar conditions in the brain with regard to the messenger substances as in Parkinson’s disease. Another type of tremor is the so-called intention tremor, in which the hands tremble when they move. The closer you get to your intended target, such as a glass of water, the more your hand begins to tremble.
This form of tremor occurs, for example, in diseases of the cerebellum. The cerebellum is responsible for the fine coordination of movements. Intention tremor can also occur in the context of multiple sclerosis.
Alcohol abuse or certain drugs also play a role here. The third and last type of tremor is the holding tremor. It occurs when the hands must be held against gravity.
Holding tremor can occur in connection with anxiety or as a sign of withdrawal from drugs, medication or alcohol. Liver and kidney diseases, when the body cannot detoxify properly, can also cause a severe tremor. In rare cases, tremor can also be caused by the so-called copper storage disease (Wilson’s disease), in which copper accumulates in the body because the body cannot excrete enough copper.
The copper then has a toxic effect and mainly damages the brain, liver and eyes. Copper storage disease is a hereditary disease. An important and frequent cause of tremor is the so-called essential tremor.
It is probably a hereditary disease, as it is more common in families. In some cases, tremor begins at a very young age, but can also occur at an advanced age. Essential tremor usually occurs in the form of postural tremor, but is often accompanied by action tremor, which is described by those affected as particularly disturbing.
In most cases, both hands are affected by the tremor, followed by the head and voice. Paradoxically, the tremor is improved by the moderate consumption of alcohol. Although the disease of essential tremor is disturbing, it is not dangerous.
The cause is not yet known. If the hand tremor is based on a neurological disorder, it may be accompanied by other movement disorders. These include, for example, an unsteady gait pattern or increased muscle stiffness. In addition, it can also lead to mental abnormalities such as dementia or depression.Tremor is often not limited to the hands, although it is the hands that are most commonly affected and diseases that are associated with tremor usually start in the hands.
