When feeling scared or anxious, many people experience hand shaking. Sometimes, hand shaking can also be caused by physical weakness. However, when there is excessive shaking without any reason, tasks that require fine motor skills, such as writing, sewing, or putting on clothes, become nearly impossible.
Causes:
- Mental stress or anxiety.
- Side effects of medications, such as certain drugs used for breathing difficulties (e.g., salbutamol, theophylline), which can cause shaking of the hands and feet.
- Thyroid hormone issues, such as an excess of this hormone, can lead to hand shaking. In this case, the patient’s weight drastically decreases.
- Essential tremor is another cause. This hereditary condition causes shaking of the hands and feet, along with the head.
- Parkinson’s disease, a type of neurological disorder, causes hand shaking along with slowed walking speed.
Diagnosis:
To determine the cause of hand shaking, the patient’s medical history should be thoroughly reviewed. If hand shaking is due to anxiety or medication side effects, no further tests are required.
In other cases, tests for anemia or thyroid function should be done. If Parkinson’s disease is suspected, an MRI of the brain may be recommended.
Treatment:
The first step in treatment is to identify the cause of the shaking. If hand shaking is due to medication side effects, the medication should be stopped.
A stress-free life and good sleep are key treatments for hand shaking.
Propranolol-based medications are very effective in treating shaking of the hands, feet, and head.
For hormonal disorders, consult a specialist. Some medications or radioactive iodine treatments can completely cure hormonal diseases.
Parkinson’s disease typically requires long-term treatment. Procyclidine-based medications can help reduce hand shaking in Parkinson’s disease, but these medications have side effects, so they should only be taken under a doctor’s guidance.
In most cases, hand shaking is fully manageable with treatment. For patients who do not respond to medication, a surgical treatment called DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) is available both in the country and abroad and is highly effective. If hand shaking is caused by hormonal or neurological disorders, seek medical advice without delay.
Dr. Nazmul Haque Munna: Assistant Professor (Neurology), National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital, Dhaka.
