Trembling
Alternate Names : Tremor, Involuntary Shaking
The term trembling is generally used to describe involuntary or unintentional shaking.
What is going on in the body?
Many people have experienced trembling before. It can happen when a person is cold or nervous. However, trembling has many causes, and some of those causes can be quite serious.
What are the causes and risks of the condition?
There are many possible causes of trembling. These include:
strong emotion, such as fear, anger, or anxiety
stress or fatigue
being cold. This can simply be due to feeling chilled or a more serious condition such as hypothermia, or low body temperature.
benign essential tremor, sometimes called senile tremor. This is often an inherited condition that causes mild trembling with no other symptoms.
hyperthyroidism, or a level of thyroid hormone in the body that is too high
certain drugs or medications. Examples include:
prednisone, commonly used to reduce inflammation
caffeine
albuterol, used in the treatment of asthma
some medications used for psychatric conditions, such as haldol
withdrawal from alcohol
damage to the central nervous system. Damage to areas of the brain called the cerebellum and basal ganglia are most likely to cause trembling. Basal ganglia disorders include Parkinson's disease and Huntington disease. Strokes, or brain attacks, can also cause brain damage that may result in trembling.
kidney or liver failure, which can cause a type of trembling called asterixis
seizures, or epilepsy, which occur due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain
myoclonus, a condition that results in brief, quick movements of one or more muscles. This can be due to Alzheimer disease, kidney failure, or a head injury, among other causes.
tics, a type of quick, repeated movement. This may be the result of condition called Tourette syndrome or other conditions.
hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar
a tumor or cancer, such as a brain tumor
Other causes are also possible. Sometimes, no cause can be found.
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