If you’re feeling nervous about a major presentation, you may experience symptoms such as an accelerated heart rate, dry throat, and trembling hands. While taking deep breaths can be helpful in calming your nerves, you may find it challenging to control the trembling in your hands.
According to Dr. Ryan Barmore, a movement disorders specialist at Banner Brain & Spine, it is normal for everyone’s hands to exhibit slight movements even when attempting to keep them perfectly still. This phenomenon is referred to as a physiologic tremor. While some individuals experience subtle movements, others may have slightly more noticeable tremors.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke defines a tremor as a rhythmic or involuntary muscle contraction that results in shaking in one or more parts of the body. Although it most commonly affects the hands, it can also manifest in the arms, head, vocal cords, torso, and legs.
8 Reasons Why Your Hands are Shaking?
Essential tremor, also referred to as “action” tremor, is the most common cause of tremor in adults. Although essential tremor is neurological, it is a distinct disorder and different than Parkinson’s disease.
“Noticeable shaking occurs when using your muscles to hold out your limbs up against gravity or moving them from Point A to Point B,” Dr. Barmore said. “Your hand might shake while holding up your hands or trying to do movements like eating, drinking, pouring and writing.”
You may first notice a tremor in one or both hands that then gradually progresses over time. It primarily causes tremors, usually just in the hands (though it can occur elsewhere) and have little to no other neurological symptoms.
Experts don’t know why essential tremor occurs, but there seems to be a strong genetic component and it often runs in families.
Other than essential tremor, there are many diseases that can cause your hands to shake. Parkinson’s disease is what often comes to mind when thinking of tremors. But unlike essential tremors, the shaking with Parkinson’s disease is often worse when you’re at rest and not while using your hands.
“This tremor is most prominent when your hands are completely at rest, such as when watching TV, while walking with your arms loose at your side and so on,” Dr. Barmore said. “This tremor usually stays on one side of the body for a few years, and the other side often begins a little later.”
There are other degenerative brain diseases, such as multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy or corticobasal degeneration, that may look like Parkinson’s disease at first but later progress differently. “These are generally much rarer than Parkinson’s disease,” Dr. Barmore said.
Other diseases of the brain, such as multiple sclerosis, stroke, traumatic brain injury and so on, may also cause tremor.
3. Your blood sugar is low (hypoglycemia).
When your blood sugar dips, it can leave you feeling hungry, lightheaded and shaky. When this occurs, it’s called hypoglycemia. It can happen to anyone who’s not eaten in a while but can be life-threatening for diabetics if it gets too low.
4. You’re consuming too much caffeine or alcohol.
If you’ve had a little bit too much coffee or other stimulants, they can leave you feeling jittery. Caffeine can stimulate your body, causing muscles to move out of sequence.
While occasional alcoholic beverages won’t make you develop a tremor, if you’re a heavy drinker, your body can become dependent on the effect of the alcohol. Because your body has adjusted to having it around much of the time, when the alcohol wears off the balance in the brain is thrown off.
“Think of it like having a balance of ‘gas’ and ‘brakes,’” Dr. Barmore said. “When the alcohol wears off there is too much gas and not enough brakes. Tremors can then occur and more dangerous things after, if the alcohol withdrawal is not treated appropriately.”
5. You might be taking a certain medication.
Many medications may cause your hands to shake as a side effect—from mild to severe.
“Some of the most common medications include those used for various aspects of mental health treatment, such as antidepressants of various types,” Dr. Barmore said. “As well, inhalers used for asthma and other lung diseases can also cause tremors.”
6. Your thyroid could be off.
Your shaky hands may be a sign of hyperthyroidism, an overactive thyroid gland. This means your thyroid is working overtime and kicking your heart rate into high gear. Along with shaky hands, you may also lose weight without trying, be sensitive to light and have trouble sleeping.
7. You have anxiety.
Uncontrollable shaking or trembling of the hands or other parts of the body can be a symptom of anxiety. Tremors caused by anxiety aren’t dangerous, but they can be uncomfortable.
When your body is under stress, it goes into fight-or-flight mode, causing stress hormones to flood your body and speed up your heart, blood pressure and breathing. This can cause your muscles to tense which can lead to a trembling sensation or shaking.
8. Insufficient Sleep: A Potential Cause of Tremors
Adequate sleep is crucial for your body to reset and repair its cells. When you don’t get the recommended hours of sleep, you subject your body to a stressful state. This can result in feelings of mental fogginess and physical shakiness, contributing to the occurrence of tremors.
In conclusion, if you are experiencing worrisome tremors, it is important to consult your healthcare provider. While some tremors may be linked to factors you can address independently, such as excessive caffeine consumption, hunger, or lack of sleep, making minor adjustments to your lifestyle may alleviate them.
Dr. Barmore advises, “However, it is always appropriate to discuss any new tremor with your healthcare provider, even if it appears to be intermittent.”
Before your appointment, make a conscious effort to observe and record when your tremors tend to occur throughout the day. Take note of your hand movements during the moments when the tremors are most severe or least pronounced. Additionally, monitor any recent changes in your medication regimen and observe whether the tremors improve or worsen after taking medication doses throughout the day.
