Understand what can cause tremors in the body

The main cause of tremor in the body is obviously the cold, a situation that causes the muscles to contract to warm up the body. However, there are several other causes of shaking, both triggered by moments of anxiety, consumption of stimulating substances, or caused by neurological and muscular diseases, the main ones being Parkinson's disease, essential tremor and exacerbated physiological tremor.

The main sites of the body affected by the tremor are the arms or legs, the head, the chin and the face, and they can be tremors of various types, such as at rest or in motion, unilateral or bilateral, and may or may not be related to others symptoms such as imbalance, slowness and stiffness of the muscles.

Thus, the main causes of tremor include:

1. Anxiety crisis

When one is anxious, stressed or afraid, the nervous system is activated so that the body is more alert to react to any dangerous situation, which is known as an attack-flight. Thus, a large amount of stimulating hormones, such as adrenaline, are released into the bloodstream, causing all the muscles to contract in order to prepare the body for any response. This contraction can be translated into several sensations, such as pain, tremors, spasms and cramps.

How to treat it: in order to reduce tremors and other reactions derived from anxiety, it is necessary to calm down, which can be done with deep breaths, meditation or moving away from the stressful situation. If this is not possible, or the reaction is very intense, a medical evaluation is necessary, which may indicate anxiolytic drugs, such as Clonazepam, or herbal medicines, based on valerian or chamomile, for example, depending on each case.

In the case of anxiety being chronic, psychotherapeutic monitoring is recommended to try to change the ideas and thoughts of the situations that trigger the anxiety and to change the responses through other strategies.

2. Decrease in blood sugar

The decrease in sugar can happen both in diabetic people and in people without diabetes, being the main cause in diabetics the wrong administration of the insulin dose or inadequate technique for the application. In people without diabetes, it can happen when a long time goes by without eating or after drinking large amounts of alcohol, for example. In addition, tremors of hypoglycemia may be accompanied by a feeling of weakness, palpitations, blurred vision and seizures.

How to treat: it is necessary to eat or drink some sugary and easily digestible food or drink, such as orange juice or candy, for example. However, hypoglycemia should be avoided, and for this, it is necessary not to spend more than 3 hours without eating, in addition to avoiding foods rich in carbohydrates with very rapid digestion in meals, preferring foods with a low glycemic index.

See what the diet should be like to avoid reactive hypoglycemia.

3. Excessive consumption of energy drinks

The consumption of stimulating substances, such as caffeine in teas and coffees, or energy drinks that contain taurine, glucuronolactone or theobromine, for example, also activates the nervous system and stimulates the body, as it mimics the action of adrenaline and causes several reactions, like the tremor.

How to treat it: the consumption of these substances must be reduced on a daily basis, because, in addition to the tremor, they can induce an increase in blood pressure and speed up the heartbeat, and natural alternatives should be chosen to increase energy and decrease sleep.

See our food tips for more energy.

4. Use of antidepressants and other medicines

Some medications can cause tremors in several different ways, the most common being that they cause stimulation of the nervous system, as with some antidepressants, anticonvulsants or bronchodilators for asthma, for example.

Other types of medication, such as haloperidol and risperidone, for example, can cause tremor by intoxicating brain regions responsible for movements, and induce a condition similar to Parkinson's, which is why it is called parkinsonism, with tremor, muscle stiffness and imbalance.

How to treat it: when a medication causes tremor, it is necessary to inform the doctor, to evaluate the possibility of changing the medication used.

Diseases that can cause tremor

When the tremors are not caused by any of the previous situations, or when they become persistent and intense, they can be a sign of neurological disease, being important a medical consultation for correct evaluation. In these cases, the most common diseases are:

1. Exacerbated physiological tremor

The physiological tremor is present in all people, but it is usually imperceptible, however, some people may have this situation in an exaggerated way, which causes tremors during movements, such as writing, sewing or eating.

Symptoms may worsen in situations of anxiety, tiredness, use of some substances, such as coffee or alcoholic beverages, for example.

How to treat it: if it is not very uncomfortable, this tremor does not need to be treated and does not cause health risks, but in more severe cases, the symptoms can be controlled with the use of a beta-blocking medication, such as Propranolol. The treatment will have more effect if the causes that trigger the exacerbated tremor, such as medication or anxiety, are observed and treated.

2. Essential tremor

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 it occurs during the performance of some movement or when staying in a position, such as when holding a heavy object for a while. a long time, for example.

It is known that the essential tremor is related to genetics, but its cause has not yet been fully clarified, and it can happen in people of any age, being more common in the elderly. Symptoms can also get worse in situations of stress, anxiety and use of some stimulating substances, 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 medicines such as Propranolol and Primidona, prescribed by the neurologist. In very severe cases or that do not improve with drugs, there are procedures such as the application of botulinum toxin or the installation of brain stimulators, which can help control symptoms.

Find out more details about what it is and how to treat essential tremor.

3. Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative condition of the brain, characterized by causing tremor at rest, which improves with movement, but which is accompanied by muscle stiffness, slower movement and imbalance. Its cause, although not fully known, is due to a wear on regions of the brain responsible for the production of dopamine, an important brain neurotransmitter.

How to treat it: the main medication used is Levodopa, which helps replenish the amount of brain dopamine, but other drugs that are also used to improve symptoms are Biperiden, Amantadine, Seleginine, Bromocriptine and Pramipexole. It is also important to perform physical and occupational therapy to relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life of these people.

Learn more about how to identify and treat Parkinson's disease.

Other diseases

Other diseases that stimulate the nervous system, and can also trigger moments of tremor, are hyperthyroidism, heavy metal poisoning, such as lead and aluminum, and restless legs syndrome, which is a sleep disorder characterized by involuntary movement of the feet and of the legs. Know how to recognize restless legs syndrome.

There are also other rarer brain diseases that cause tremor or other movement disorders, in some cases that can be confused with Parkinson's, and some examples are dementia by Lewy bodies, stroke sequels, Wilson's disease, multiple dysfunction syndrome. organs, for example.

How to diagnose the cause of the tremor

The tremor should be worrying, being necessary to go to the doctor, when it is intense to the point of disrupting day-to-day activities and when it presents progressive worsening, becoming persistent.

In this case, it is important to schedule an appointment with the general practitioner, neurologist or geriatrician, to assess the symptoms and perform a physical examination, and, if necessary, blood or CT scans of the brain and / or other parts of the body to determine the cause of the tremor.

It is important to inform the doctor about your condition, because in the case of diabetics the tremors can happen due to incorrect doses of insulin or the wrong application technique, and in other cases it may be due to the use of some other medication. Thus, this information becomes important for the physician to assess the relationship between the medication, the dose and the tremor and, thus, may indicate the change or suspension of the medication.