The most common cause of tremor in the body is cold, which causes muscles to contract to warm the body. However, there are several other causes of tremor, both triggered by times of anxiety, by the use of stimulants, as well as by neurological and muscle diseases, the main being Parkinson’s disease, essential tremors and exacerbated physiological tremors.
The main sites of the body affected by the tremor are the arms or legs, head, chin and face, and may be tremors of various types, such as at rest or in motion, unilateral or bilateral, and may or may not be related to other symptoms such as muscle imbalance, slowness and stiffness.
Therefore, the main causes of tremor include
When you’re anxious, stressed, or scared, your nervous system is activated so your body is more alert to react to any dangerous situation, this situation is known as attack theft. Therefore, a lot of stimulant hormones, such as adrenaline, are released into the bloodstream, causing all muscles to contract to prepare the body for any response. This contraction can result in several sensations, such as pain, tremors, spasms and cramps.
How to treat it: To decrease tremors and other reactions arising from anxiety, it is necessary to calm down, which can be done with deep breaths, meditation or away from the stressful situation. If this is not possible, or if the reaction is very intense, a medical evaluation is necessary, which may indicate anxiolytic medications, such as clonazepam, or medicinal plants, based on valerian or chamomile, for example, on a case-by-case basis.
In the case of chronic anxiety, psychotherapeutic follow-up is recommended to try to change the ideas and thoughts of situations that trigger anxiety and change responses through other strategies.
Sugar decline can occur in both people with diabetes and non-diabetics, being the leading cause in diabetics of poor administration of insulin doses or prolonged fasting. In people without diabetes, this can happen when a long period goes by without eating or after drinking large amounts of alcohol, for example. In addition, hypoglycaemic tremors may be accompanied by weakness, palpitations, blurred vision and seizures.
How to treat: You need to eat or drink sweet, easy-to-digest foods or drinks, such as orange juice or sweets, for example. However, hypoglycaemia should be avoided, and for this you should not go more than 3 hours without eating, in addition to avoiding carbohydrate-rich foods very fast digestion during meals, preferring foods with low glycemic index.
See what the diet should look like to prevent reactive hypoglycemia
The consumption of stimulants, such as caffeine in teas and coffees, or energy drinks containing taurine, glucuronolactone or theobromine, for example, also activates the nervous system and stimulates the body, as it mimics the action of adrenaline and causes various reactions, such as tremor.
How to treat it: It should reduce the consumption of these substances daily, since, in addition to the tremor, they can induce an increase in blood pressure and accelerate the heart rate, and natural alternatives should be chosen to increase energy and decrease sleep.
Check out our dietary tips for more energy
Some medications can cause tremors in several ways, the most common being nervous system stimulation, such as certain antidepressants, anticonvulsants, or bronchodilators for asthma, for example.
Other types of drugs, such as haloperidol and risperidone, for example, can cause tremors by poisoning the regions of the brain responsible for movement and inducing a disease similar to Parkinson’s disease, so it’s called parkinsonism, with tremors, muscle stiffness and imbalance.
How to treat it: When a medicine causes tremors, it is necessary to inform your doctor, to evaluate the possibility of changing the medicine used.
When tremors are not caused by any of the above situations, or when they become persistent and intense, they can be a sign of a neurological disease, being an important medical consultation for an adequate assessment. In these cases, the most common diseases are:
Physiological tremor is present in all people, but it is generally imperceptible, however, some people may have this situation in an exaggerated way, causing tremors during movements, such as writing, sewing or feeding.
Symptoms may worsen in situations of anxiety, tiredness, use of certain substances, such as coffee or alcoholic beverages, for example.
How to treat it: If it is not too uncomfortable, this tremor does not need to be treated and does not present any health risk, but in more severe cases, symptoms can be controlled with the use of a beta blocker drug, such as propranolol. . Treatment will have more effect if the causes that trigger exacerbated tremor, such as medication or anxiety, are observed and treated.
This type of tremor is also very common, especially in the arms and hands, but it can also occur on the face, voice, tongue and legs, and this occurs when making a movement or staying in a position, such as holding a heavy object for a long time, for example.
Essential tremor is known to be genetically related, but its cause has not yet been fully fully finished, and can occur in people of all ages, being more common in the elderly. Symptoms can also get worse in situations of stress, anxiety, and use of certain stimulants, such as alcoholic beverages.
How to treat: Milder cases do not need treatment, but if there is interference in daily activities, such as eating and writing, it should be treated with the use of medications such as Propranolol and Primidone, prescribed by the neurologist. In very severe or drug-enhancing cases, there are procedures such as the application of botulinum toxin or the installation of brain stimulators, which can help control symptoms.
Saiba mais detalhes sobre o que é e como tratar o tremor essencial
Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disease of the brain characterized by resting tremors that improve with movement, but are accompanied by muscle stiffness, slower movements and imbalance. Its cause, although little known, is due to the wear and tear of the brain regions responsible for the production of dopamine, an important brain neurotransmitter.
How to treat it: The main drug used is levodopa, which helps replenish the amount of brain dopamine, but other drugs that are also used to improve symptoms are biperdine, amantadine, seleginine, bromocriptine and pramipexole. Physical therapy and occupational therapy are also important for relieving symptoms and improving the quality of life of these people.
Learn more about identifying and treating Parkinson’s disease
Hyperthyroidism, heavy metal poisoning, such as lead and aluminum, and restless legs syndrome, which is a sleep disorder characterized by involuntary foot movement, are other diseases that stimulate the nervous system and can also trigger moments of tremor. and legs. Learn how to recognize restless leg syndrome.
There are also other rarer brain diseases that cause tremors or other movement disorders, in some cases that may be confused with Parkinson’s disease, and some examples are dementia caused by Lewy’s bodies, the aftermath of a stroke, Wilson’s disease, multiple dysfunction syndrome. . organs, for example.
The tremor should be a cause for concern, being necessary to go to the doctor, when it is so intense as to disturb daily activities and when it has a gradual worsening, becoming persistent.
In this case, it is important to make an appointment with your family doctor, neurologist or geriatrician for a symptom evaluation and physical exam and, if necessary, blood tests or CT scans of the brain or other parts of the body to determine the cause of the tremor.
It is important that you inform your doctor of your condition, as in the case of diabetics tremors may occur due to incorrect doses of insulin or by a bad application technique, and in other cases this may be due to the use of another medicine. Thus, this information becomes important for the doctor to evaluate the relationship between the drug, dose and tremor and can therefore indicate the change or suspension of the medication.