Do you often feel shaking or trembling hands? Can anxiety cause shaky hands? Read the article to know the causes, symptoms, and the full impact of this on your regular lifestyle.
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Everyone must feel anxiety at some point in their life. But fear can also cause some common disorders, like- shaky hands, panic, and specific phobias.
As per research, above 40% of adults in the US are facing anxiety disorders.[1] This anxiety and worry though not dangerous, is definitely uncomfortable. Excessive sweating and breathlessness are common symptoms of anxiety disorders.
In some of the cases, your shaking hand’s issue may increase noticeably. With the advancement of technology, there are several medical treatments to help your anxiety disorders.
Therefore, I have come with a detailed discussion regarding hand tremors and anxiety disorders to help you to lead a healthy life. Please go through to get ideas to treat your anxiety syndrome.
What is Essential Tremor or Shaky Hands?
Hand tremor or shaky hand is a prevalent symptom. These trembling hands may happen due to various reasons. Essential tremor is the most common reason for them all that affects not only the hands but also the other body parts.
Therefore, the neuromuscular syndrome is responsible for shaky hands. On the other hand, if you start or withdraw from taking certain specific drugs, like- alcohol, caffeine can cause trembling hands.
Moreover, according to the medical experts, various emotions like- anxiety, anger, fear, worry can stimulate the nervous system to result in your shaky hands. Low blood sugar is another reason for this syndrome.
But if you develop a sudden shakiness or numbness, or non-responsiveness on your fingers or one side of your body, you should consult your medical practitioner. These are the symptoms that can even lead you to stroke.
You can feel these hand tremors frequently or continuously. Therefore, you may often feel issues with drawing or writing, putting some makeup on, and holding utensils, like- cutlery products.
Types of Shaky Hands
Primarily, there are two kinds of shaky hands or hand tremors, they are-
Resting tremor
It occurs with the relaxing muscles, that is, when you rest your hands on your lap.
Action tremor
Most of the tremors are action types. It occurs when the muscle contraction occurs due to muscle movement.
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Causes of Shaky Hands Syndrome
There are many factors responsible for shaky hands. Inheritance is the most common factor in making your hands unstable. Moreover, neuromuscular diseases, movement disorders, and other health issues can also cause hand tremors.
Neuromuscular Diseases
Multiple sclerosis: Most people suffering from MS or Multiple sclerosis may get damaged their central nervous system. As it controls the movement of your entire body, it may cause your hand tremor.
Stroke: A blood clot present in your heart artery does not allow the blood to circulate in the brain. This neurological blockage causes shaky hands.
Traumatic brain injury: Some of the specific physical brain injuries can also cause hand tremors.
Parkinson’s disease: According to the survey, about 25% of people who have Parkinson’s disease may develop hand tremors in one or both of the hands.[2] Moreover, if you take much stress or feel intense emotion, it will also raise your hand tremor.
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Movement Disorders
Essential tremor: As per the medical status, genetics is the primary reason to cause above half of the critical tremor cases. It is possibly the most common disorder that you may develop not only in your hands but on both sides of your body. Whether you are moving or standing, you will develop this tremor.
Dystonic tremor: People with dystonia receive wrong messages to their brains. Therefore, they can develop overactive muscles and hand tremors. Usually, young adults, along with middle-aged persons, create a dystonic earthquake.
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Can Anxiety Cause Shaky Hands
There are many issues that can cause shaky hands, and this does include anxiety:
- Psychological situations, like- depression or stress
- Inherited disorders
- Both addition or withdrawal of alcohol
- Mercury poison
- Hyperthyroidism
- Kidney failure or liver cirrhosis
- Anxiety
Some of the drugs are also responsible for causing your hand tremor including-
- Some of the asthma drugs
- Amphetamines
- Corticosteroids
- Caffeine
- Medicines that treat psychiatric disorders
How Can You Stop Shaky Hands?
If you develop hand tremors due to some of the health issues, you need proper treatment to help your situation. If it is a side-effect, then it will go back when you start taking medicines.
Some of the other reasons to reduce handshaking-
Lifestyle change
If you limit consuming caffeine and amphetamines, it will help you to reduce your hand tremors.
Physical therapy
This process will enhance both the functions and controlling of the muscles to make them well-balanced. Therefore, the professional therapists suggest the persons suffering from hand tremors continue their regular activities.
Psychological techniques
If you consider anxiety to be responsible for your hands shaking, you can practice deep breathing exercises to make yourself relaxed. It will help you to reduce hand tremors.
Yoga practice
Regular practicing yoga will not make your mind calm but also help your breathing. As per the medical experts, regular yoga sessions work efficiently to reduce hand tremors.
Exercise
Regular exercise along with 5 to 10 minutes of meditations will make you feel relaxed and refreshed.[3]
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Possible Treatments
Though minor hand tremor does not require treatment, it certainly needs treatment if it is disturbing your regular life. There are various medical treatments available-
Essential tremor treatment
A doctor may prescribe an essential tremor patient beta-blockers and anti-seizures to help the tremor.
Parkinson’s disease treatment
Usually, doctors prescribe levodopa and carbidopa to help the chronic hand tremor.
MS treatments
People suffering from MS tremors can take beta-blockers or other anti-anxiety drugs to get relief.
Treatment for an unknown cause
When the physicians cannot detect the exact cause of hand tremors, they generally prescribe tranquilizers. Sometimes, they also suggest taking Botox injections to help their situation.
Some other alternative treatments
When the patient fails to respond to the medication, the doctors follow DBS or Deep Brain Stimulation to help them to help the situation. The doctors place a small generator under the skin in the chest to send signals to the brain.
People suffering from Perkinson’s disease, essential trauma, or dystonia usually receive DMS methods.
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How will you manage this syndrome?
If you want to manage hand tremors, you need to control your anxiety first. It will automatically help to reduce your handshaking.
It will be helpful for the persons to know the exact triggers of their anxiety. Therefore, it not only helps them to reduce the triggers but also manages this syndrome.
National Wellness comes with some of the essential tips to manage anxiety to upgrade the lifestyle.[4] They are-
- Adequate sleep
- Regular exercise
- Having a healthy diet
- Reducing stress
Yoga, along with meditation, and deep breathing, will work effectively to reduce your stress.
In case these methods are not working, you must consult your physician. They may suggest psychotherapy and medication to help you to do better.
CBT or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy will help the person reduce anxiety disorders and build a constructive response.
Else, you may get specific medications from your physician to get rid of this situation. Benzodiazepines, buspirone, and antidepressants are some of the anti-anxiety medications that a doctor may prescribe.
But remember, you should consume them only if your doctor advises you to. It is because they come with some adverse side effects.
Therefore, it would be better if you consult your physician to take the necessary steps. Maybe, he will prescribe you some medicines and a bit of yoga session and lifestyle change option to a better result.
When to visit a doctor
It is not that a person who experiences shaking due to anxiety syndrome always needs to visit a doctor. When you feel acute stress or anxiety, you may develop hand tremors. Even if your focus starts to reduce, your shaky hands will automatically begin to lower.
On the other hand, anxiety becomes so intense that it may affect your regular life in some cases. Then, you must consult with your physician. These are the following symptoms for which you need to consult a doctor-
- Having depression
- Various suicidal thoughts
- Sorrow or hopeless
- Other health condition
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What is panic disorder
Certain things are shared between panic disorder and anxiety, but they are not the same. Both of these conditions can cause your hands to tremor.
For those who have anxiety disorders, ordinary and straightforward situations may make them highly fearful. Even the feeling of fear and worry will occupy your mind to make you feel blank. Therefore, you cannot concentrate on your work and activities. Moreover, a slight headache or aching muscle may make you highly anxious.
On the other hand, there is no apparent reason for panic attacks. If you develop a panic attack due to a specific trigger, it is an expected panic attack. That indicates you can assume this panic disorder. So, the primary difference between these two is that you can see panic disorder symptoms, whereas anxiety disorder happens entirely in your mind.
When you become highly anxious, you may develop physical symptoms. Excessive stress and emotion are responsible for producing anxiety. Sometimes, fear leads you to panic attacks. But that does not mean that a person with a panic attack must have anxiety disorders also.
Relation between Adrenaline and Tremor
When you develop chronic or acute stress, your body will transform into fight-and-flight mode. When you are stressed, the Adrenaline hormone will increase in your body to make your heart rate fast, high blood pressure, and a fast respiratory system. Besides, another stress hormone, Norepinephrine, will also release to enhance these physical conditions.
When you are anxious, your muscles will also become tense to react to those specific environmental issues. As a result, your muscles will start to tremble. This type of tremor is known as psychogenic tremor.
It is also true that anxiety is not responsible for essential tremors. Anxiousness can only increase the severity of their earthquake.
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FAQ
Are shaky hands a sign of anxiety?
Your body will start to interpret the anxiousness as a sign that will help you escape from danger. As a result, your muscle will begin to develop trembling or shaking sensations. According to medical science, tremors responsible for anxiety is known as psychogenic tremor.
Are shaky hands a sign of Parkinson’s?
People with Perkinson’s disease must have severe shaking in both the hands or feet. These are known as tremors. As per the medical statistics, above 80% of people with Perkinson’s disease must have these issues.[5] These hands and feet tremors may be annoying but cannot make you disable them.
How to stop shaky hands when nervous?
These are the steps that you need to follow to make your shaky hands stop–
- Take 4 seconds to take a deep and slow breath
- After, hold your breath for 4 seconds
- Then, breathe out using your mouth for 4 seconds
- Again, hold it for 4 seconds
- If possible, repeat it twice
Is it normal if you have slightly shaky hands?
Though shaky hands is not a severe issue, it may have some impact on my regular life. If you try to hold your hand straight out of your body, most of you will experience a slight tremor. Unless you feel a severe earthquake or other chronic symptoms, you need not consult a doctor. You can follow some of the above expert’s tips to overcome the situation.
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Final words
Shaking or trembling hands may make you feel embarrassed in social interactions. It mainly develops due to severe anxiety. Though anxiety can sometimes become very challenging, there are several treatments or medications to help you come out of this situation.
Therefore, you must consult your doctor before making any final decision. You can get detailed information stating the reasons, impact, symptoms along with treatments from this article. Moreover, you can also follow the above tips and measures to control this situation. Have a wonderful life! Good day!
References:
[1] What to know about Anxiety Shaking
[3] Anxiety Shaking: What Causes It?