Why are my hands shaking non-stop?

Hand tremors are an experience that many patients have had. Hand tremors have a great impact on people. For example, if your hands tremble, you cannot do many actions, which will naturally have a certain impact on your work and life. There are many reasons for hand tremors, the most common of which are physiological tremors, physical or hereditary tremors, tremors caused by Parkinson's disease, and tremors caused by cerebellar lesions.

1. Physiological tremor

It is a normal physiological phenomenon rather than a disease. The tremor pattern is small and rapid. Normal people have this kind of tremor but it is not obvious and unconscious. In certain circumstances, physiological tremor will be intensified and become severe and obvious. Common causes that can intensify physiological tremors include: emotional excitement, fear, cold, hypoglycemia, hyperthyroidism, alcohol or drug withdrawal symptoms, and the effects of medications or caffeine. It has the highest proportion among all tremor disorders. The cause of this tremor is unknown. It is generally believed that it is related to personal constitution, and half of them have a family history of the disease, so this kind of tremor is closely related to heredity.

2. Constitutional or hereditary tremors

It occurs in people of all ages, but the older you are, the more severe the tremor will be. It mainly occurs in the hands, but also often in the head, and may even cause tremors in the voice. It is particularly obvious when the hands maintain a fixed posture or make fine movements, and it is relieved when resting. For some patients, the degree of tremor will be reduced after drinking. The course of this type of tremor is slowly deteriorating, and no other neurological symptoms occur. Constitutional or hereditary tremors have some variant subtypes, such as: tremors that occur only when moving, tremors that occur both at rest and when maintaining a fixed posture, tremors that occur only when writing (writing tremors), simple voice tremors, chin tremors, simple tongue tremors, and standing tremors.

3. Tremors in Parkinson's disease

It occurs in middle-aged and elderly people, mainly in the hands and feet. It is particularly obvious when resting and will be alleviated when moving. This characteristic is the opposite of physical or hereditary tremors. The course of the disease continues to worsen and is accompanied by other neurological symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

4. Tremors caused by cerebellar lesions

This type of tremor is caused by cerebellar lesions and is characterized by being absent or very mild when resting, mild when maintaining a fixed posture, but particularly obvious when approaching a target, and is accompanied by other cerebellar symptoms such as imbalance.

Symptoms of Parkinson's disease include: tremors (involuntary shaking) of the jaw and lip muscles, affecting eating and speaking, drooling, slurred speech, fatigue in the limbs, trembling hands, inability to hold dishes and chopsticks, inability to write, unsteady gait, and difficulty walking. Overwork may cause twitching of hands and feet and shaking of the head. The complexion is sallow, the expression is dull, and it looks like a "mask face". The two upper limbs are bent like the shape of a basketball player shooting. Some patients have incontinence. The autonomic nervous system symptoms of Parkinson's disease patients include increased salivation, sebum overflow, increased sweating, increased body temperature, lower limb edema, and poor appetite. Some patients often sweat profusely at night, while others experience worsening symptoms and higher body temperature when the weather is hot and humid. Elderly patients are more prone to mental symptoms, depression being the most common. In older people, the early stages of the disease are sometimes difficult to detect. Because Parkinson's disease in the elderly often presents with immobility as the first symptom and slow walking movements. This is very easy to overlook, and people mistakenly assume that the movements of the elderly are naturally less agile than those of the young. Therefore, if elderly people have slow movements without any other reasons (such as poor eyesight), we should consider the possibility of Parkinson's disease and conduct a detailed neurological examination.