Why are hands shaking and what to do about it

Shaking hands (scientifically - hand tremors) is a common problem that every adult has probably encountered at least once. Usually mild tremors are harmlessWhat causes shaky hands? and passes by itself. However, it can sometimes be an early symptom of serious illness.

Why are my hands shaking

The nervous system is responsible for how the hands behave at rest and how accurate their movements are. Any disorders - for example, problems with cerebral circulation, damage or malfunction 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 limbs. This is how a tremor occurs.

Here are some common reasonsReasons Your Hands Are Shakingthat can lead to this.

1. Are you nervous

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

2. You have depression or another 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 - 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, caffeine is found in decent doses in green tea, chocolate, some carbonated drinks and more.

5. You are taking certain medications

If your hands start to tremble after your doctor has prescribed a medication, 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:

• medicines for asthma;
• 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 relax physically, but also to restore the nervous system. If you sleep less than you need to, or you have sleep disturbances - for example, insomnia, sleepwalking, sleep apnea, brain performance decreases, 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 fever, prolonged exposure under the scorching sun, exercise in sultry 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 toTremor or shaking hands including hand tremors.

8. You are frozen

Chills is 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 hypoglycemia (This is the name of a decrease in blood sugar) - 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.

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

13. You have brain damage

Traumatic brain injury or stroke sometimes result 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 species. dementia.

15. You suffer from multiple sclerosis

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

16. You have an essential tremor

This 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, don't 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.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 a cup without splashing the drink.

The doctor will examine you, ask you about your symptoms, and clarify under what circumstances tremors are most common. 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 kind of illness or mental disorder, the therapist will refer you to a specialized neurologist, psychotherapist, endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, nephrologist. Doctors will help to 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 do it only when necessary: ​​for example, before a stressful situation that increases the shaking.