Why are hands shaking and what to do about it

Why are my hands shaking

The nervous system is responsible for how the hands behave at rest and how accurate their movements are. Any disturbances - for example, problems with cerebral circulation, damage or disruptions in the work of some parts of the brain, incorrect transmission of signals along the nerve pathways - lead to the fact that we lose control over fine motor skills of the extremities. This is how a tremor occurs.

Here are some common reasons for Reasons Your Hands Are Shaking that can lead to this.

1. You are nervous

When your brain thinks you're in danger, it triggers a fight-or-flight response. That is accompanied by a sharp increase in the level of hormones, and this leads to overexcitation of the nervous system. One of the signs of nervous tension is trembling in the hands.

2. You have depression or other mental disorder

This is the case when the nervous system is constantly under stress. Depression, anxiety disorder, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), manic-depressive psychosis, or a variety of phobias can manifest themselves.

3. You recently went overboard with alcohol

Alcohol poisoning is an unpleasant thing, which is accompanied by imbalance and tremors of the hands as one of the symptoms.

Also, trembling in the fingers is a frequent companion of withdrawal symptoms. This condition occurs when an alcohol-dependent person tries to give up alcohol.

4. You drank too much coffee

Caffeine is a natural stimulant of the nervous system. It can make your hands shake if you've drunk too much of the invigorating drink.

In addition, green tea, chocolate, some sodas, and more, caffeine is found in decent doses.

5. You are taking certain medications

If your hands start to tremble after your doctor has prescribed a medication for you, see the instructions, section on side effects. You may find there a tremor clause.

Here are some medications that can increase your risk of shaking hands:

asthma medications;
Medications containing caffeine (such as over-the-counter headache medications) or amphetamine
corticosteroids;
agents for the treatment of certain mental and neurological disorders;
some antihistamines (antiallergic) drugs.

6. You are not getting enough sleep

Healthy sleep is needed not only to rest physically, but also to restore the nervous system. If you sleep less than necessary, or you have sleep disturbances - for example, insomnia, sleepwalking, sleep apnea, brain performance decreases, the transmission of nerve impulses to organs and tissues is disrupted.

7. You are overheated

Overheating is a condition when the body cannot cope with thermoregulation and cannot remove excess heat. The most common causes are heat, prolonged exposure to the scorching sun, exercise in hot weather.

For the body, this situation is stressful, and the body reacts to it with a rapid heartbeat and increased activity of the nervous system, which leads to Tremor or Shaking Hands, including tremors of the hands.

8. You are frozen

Chills are a physiological attempt to keep warm. Hands shake with the whole body.

9. You have hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone. Because of this, physiological processes in the body are accelerated, they begin to take place unevenly, in jumps. This also applies to the work of the nervous system. Disruptions in the transmission of nerve impulses lead to a constant slight tremor of the hands.

10. Your blood sugar has dropped

Glucose, which is found in the blood, is the "fuel" for muscles and nerve endings. If it is not enough, it can manifest itself as weakness and trembling in the hands.

Common causes of hypoglycemia (as low blood sugar is called) are diabetes or malnutrition.

11. You are lacking vitamins

In particular, we are talking about vitamin B12, which plays a key role in the normal functioning of the nervous system. If you do not eat meat, fish, eggs, or drink milk, you may lack B12. Vitamin deficiency often makes itself felt by trembling, tingling, numbness of the limbs.

12. You have something wrong with your liver or kidneys

Hepatic or renal failure sometimes manifest themselves with tremors in the hands - that is, conditions in which the body cannot cope with the elimination of harmful substances and they impede the work of the nervous system.

13. You have brain damage

A head injury or stroke sometimes results in loss of fine motor control. This tremor may be almost imperceptible in a calm state, but is exacerbated by stress, heat, alcohol or caffeinated drinks.

14. You have Parkinson's disease

Shaking hands are one of the most famous symptoms of this type of dementia.

15. You suffer from multiple sclerosis

This disease affects nerve fibers scattered throughout the brain and spinal cord (hence the name "scattered"). Hand tremor is one of the consequences of damage to nerve tissue.

16. You have essential tremors

It is a common nervous disorder in which a person's hands, head, vocal cords, or other parts of the body shake. The exact cause of essential tremor is not clear. But it is known that the violation manifests itself with age and is hereditary, that is, it is transmitted from parents to children.

What to do if you have hand tremors

If you notice trembling in your hands and fingers for the first time, do not worry. Try to calm down, breathe deeply, relax. Most likely, the tremor will go away on its own - within a couple of hours or after you get enough sleep.

You need to contact a therapist only in two cases of Tremor or Shaking Hands:

The tremor appears more and more often and becomes stronger.
The tremor, although rare, is so severe that it interferes with daily activities. For example, it may cause you to write clearly or find it difficult to hold the cup without splashing the drink.

The doctor will conduct an examination, ask you about the symptoms, and clarify under what circumstances trembling most often occurs. You will most likely need to have blood and urine tests. Their results will help to make an accurate diagnosis.

If it turns out that the tremor is caused by some illness or mental disorder, the therapist will send you to a specialized specialist - a neuropathologist, psychotherapist, endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, nephrologist. Doctors will help correct the primary disease, and the trembling in the hands will recede by itself.

In cases where the cause of a severe tremor cannot be established or there is no strength to wait for recovery, medications are prescribed that stabilize the nervous system and help cope with the tremors. These drugs can be different. Some need to be taken continuously. Others - only when necessary: for example, before a stressful situation that increases the tremors.