Essential tremor: treatment and symptoms

In principle, an essential tremor is capable of affecting all parts of the body, but most often it is the hands that are exposed( even when performing the simplest actions: writing, tying shoelaces, shaving).

For health, tremor is not dangerous, but over time it is able to greatly progress and bring great inconvenience. Essential tremor quite often can be confused with Parkinson's disease. Tremor often occurs in the elderly, although it can be observed at any age.

Symptoms of the essential tremor

The main symptoms are of course, involuntary trembling of the hands, feet, head or some other part of the patient's body.

It should be noted that:

• disease begins gradually;
• most often starts with hands;
• may be twitching the head( making nodal movements);
• manifestations of tremors are enhanced with fatigue, agitation, caffeine intake, with changing weather conditions and with the movements of the hands.

Essential tremor differs from Parkinson's disease in three key ways:

• , an essential tremor is always worse when making a move( for example, inserting a thread into a needle), and the tremor produced by Parkinson's disease is most noticeable at rest;
• essential tremor is manifested by one characteristic isolated symptom, Parkinson's disease reveals a variety of symptoms( changing facial expressions, bent posture, changing the pattern of gait);
• essential tremor is characteristic for all parts of the body, and for Parkinson's disease - only for the hands.

Almost half of all known cases of the onset of an essential tremor is a manifestation of a genetic mutation. Usually, such cases are called family tremors. It is still not clear why tremors occur in people with pure heredity.

There are two risk factors for the onset of tremor:

• age( the disease appears more often in middle and older age);
• genetic mutation( the recurrence of parental disease in children with a 50% probability).

The examination for the diagnosis of essential tremor usually includes:

• neurological examination;
• blood test( thyroid hormones, biochemistry);
• MRI examination;
• electroencephalography( EEG);
• electromyography( EMG).

Essential head tremor occurs in half of all patients. The most common is the so-called "no" -temor head. Significantly less often there is "yes" -temor, diagonal tremor, rotatory tremor.

Treating essential tremor

In the vast majority of cases, tremor has no strong manifestations and does not require treatment.

• drugs that block the action of tremor: beta-blockers( atenolol, propranolol, metoprolol).They are used for increased blood pressure and arrhythmias, but they also help with tremor;
• anticonvulsants( gabapentin, primidone, topiramate) contribute to a decrease in tremor;
• tranquilizers - alprazolam( xanax), diazepam( Relanium);
• Botox injections are used for voice and scalp tremors( up to six months).

Surgical treatment of essential tremor.

Surgical intervention is the deep stimulation of the brain. To do this, a special electrode is inserted into the thalamus( deep brain structure) connected to the stimulator located under the patient's skin. The stimulator is implanted under the skin on the chest of the patient, and the connecting wires also pass under the skin. The stimulator sends electrical pulses and blocks the signals coming from the thalamus. Thus, the action of the essential tremor ceases.

What actions can be taken with essential tremor itself:

• avoid taking stimulants( caffeine);
• as much as possible to limit alcohol intake;
• to avoid stressful situations;
• fully rest;
• to engage in sports and physical education;
• in parallel to carry out alternative treatment.

You can try( the effectiveness of the methods is not proven):

• hypnosis;
• acupuncture;
• massage.

Essential tremor and army.

The disease refers to the extrapyramidal system and is the basis for exempt from service in peacetime for a period of three years, with subsequent reassessment( category B).