What is essential tremor?

Everyone has from trembling hands from time to time. When nervous, or when you are cold.

However, if you tremble constantly, many tasks become difficult or impossible. Imagine eating and drinking with trembling hands, or sending a text while you can’t keep your hands still.

Often this trembling is the result of essential tremor: 1% of the world’s population has this diagnosis.

But where does essential tremor come from? And how does essential tremor affect daily life? This page zooms in on this neurological condition and what you can do about it.

Essential tremor: what is it?

Tremor is the medical name for trembling. Tremors can occur in the hands, arms, legs, head and even in the vocal cords.

Essential means that the trembling is not a symptom of another disease. So essential tremor is not an effect of Parkinson’s disease but is a separate disorder. The tremors usually get stronger with age and are most common in the arms and hands.

Symptoms

Essential tremor is not life-threatening, but severe tremor makes it difficult to perform daily tasks. This is the case for 75% of people with essential tremor.

Think of tasks such as eating, drinking, and cooking. But even holding a book, writing, or using a mobile phone are often difficult. Besides affecting daily tasks at home, essential tremor influences people’s social lives as well.

People with essential tremor are sometimes embarrassed by the trembling. As a result, dinner at a restaurant or a birthday can be uncomfortable and such situations are sometimes even avoided altogether.

Where does essential tremor come from?

The origin of essential tremor is unknown. However, the cause is often hereditary. This means that parents can pass it on to their children. Generally, essential tremor occurs in old age, although younger people can suffer from it too. Almost 1% of the total world population has essential tremor. Certain factors, such as caffeine, smoking, stress, and fatigue, can worsen tremors.

Treatment of essential tremor

There are several possible treatments for essential tremor. As there is no known cure, all current treatments are focused on reducing the symptoms. Their goal is to make the tremor less severe. The available treatment options are discussed below.

Medication

If the tremor limits daily life too much, medication can sometimes help. The most commonly prescribed drugs are high blood pressure medication, anti-epileptic drugs, and sedatives. The success of these treatments vary from person to person, and it is difficult to predict whether they will be effective. Around 70% of people with essential tremor discontinue medication because of a lack of effect, or because of undesirable side effects.

Pros

Ease of use

Use it for occasions only

Example 3

Cons

Fatigue

Dizziness

Shortness of breath

Botox injections

Sometimes injections of Botox can help. They are mainly used for tremor of the head. For trembling hands and arms, these injections generally do not work.

Possible side effects

Weakened muscles at the injection site

Pain at the injection site

Surgery

The most well-known surgery for people with essential tremor is deep brain stimulation, also known as DBS. Electrodes that stimulate a particular part of the brain are placed in the brain. This stimulation suppresses the tremor and reduces tremors in most cases. However, the operation is not without risks, and not everyone is eligible for the operation. People with certain brain diseases such as dementia cannot be operated on.

Risks

Infection

Brain hemorrhages

Epileptic seizures

Alternative treatments

Over 88% of people with essential tremor are not satisfied with their treatment. There are options besides medication and surgery, mainly in the form of medical devices. Special cups and weighted cutlery can make life a bit easier for someone with essential tremor. Keyboards with large keys and automatic can openers are also available. For a list of commonly used aids, visit this page.

Stability without side effects

Another option is an orthosis that dampens tremor. An orthosis is an aid that supports a part of the body. For essential tremor, these are aids that stop the tremor’s rapid vibrations. The advantage of an orthosis is that the trembling can be reduced without the side effects of medication or the risks of surgery.

One such orthosis is the STIL Orthosis. A user-friendly device that brings instant relief. The STIL Orthosis does not use electricity, which sets it apart from other orthoses. By using dampers, your tremor is dampened but you are still free to move around. The STIL Orthosis helps you perform daily tasks and makes hobbies possible again.