Why shaking hands

A tremor is when you're not able to control shaking or trembling in part of your body. See a GP if a tremor is affecting your life as treatment may help to reduce it.

It's normal to have a slight tremor. For example, if you hold your hands or arms out in front of you, they will not be completely still. Some medicines and conditions can also cause a tremor. Speak to your GP before you stop taking any prescribed medicine. Your doctor will want to make sure the tremor is not caused by another condition.

They may also be able to offer treatment. What could be causing this problem? While only your doctor can diagnose your problem, you could be experiencing symptoms of a common disorder known as essential tremor, which causes an involuntary trembling or shaking. It can vary in intensity and affect different parts of the body, most commonly the hands, head, or voice. Essential tremor is often inherited; people with the condition may have a parent who had it too. It most often improves when you do an activity, such as holding your tea cup.

Essential tremor is the opposite: tremors are more common during activity and stop at rest. If your doctor suspects essential tremor, she will likely want to rule out other potential causes of your shaking, such as medications, excess caffeine intake, muscle fatigue, stress, or certain medical conditions, such as hyperthyroidism.

In addition, finding alternatives to activities that trigger tremors can make symptoms more manageable. For example, you might use a debit card instead of writing a check, or use voice recordings instead of written notes.

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Beneath the skin, your hands are an intricate architecture of tendons, joints, ligaments, nerves, and bones. Each of these structures is vulnerable to damage from illness or injury. If your hands hurt, even simple tasks can become a painful ordeal.

This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Essential tremor is a nervous system neurological disorder that causes involuntary and rhythmic shaking. Autosomal dominant inheritance pattern Open pop-up dialog box Close. Autosomal dominant inheritance pattern In an autosomal dominant disorder, the mutated gene is a dominant gene located on one of the nonsex chromosomes autosomes.

Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Accessed Nov. Facts about essential tremor. International Essential Tremor Foundation. Tarsy D. Surgical treatment of essential tremor. Overview of tremor. National Library of Medicine. What is essential tremor? Genetics Home Reference. Pharmacologic treatment of essential tremor.