Essential tremor

Overview

Essential tremor is a type of uncontrollable shake or tremble of part of the body. It is a common movement disorder that for most people is a minor nuisance, but it does get gradually worse with time. At its most severe, essential tremor is disabling and makes it very difficult to perform daily activities.

Essential tremor usually affects the arms and hands, although it can also affect other body parts, including head, face, jaw, tongue and feet.

Sometimes, the voice can also sound shaky.

Symptoms

Everyone has a very minor tremor when carrying out daily activities. For example, your hands will shake slightly when you hold them out in front of you. This is normal.

Sometimes, the everyday level of tremor can become more noticeable, particularly in older people. Noticeable tremor is also normal and it is often caused by a raised level of adrenaline in the body, which can happen when a person is stressed, anxious or angry.

So, when does a tremor become a disorder? Essential tremor is more severe than normal tremor. It can be made worse by the same things that cause normal tremor, such as stress and anxiety.

Essential tremor gradually gets worse over the years. Eventually, the tremor may become so severe that carrying out normal, everyday activities can become difficult. For example, activities such as writing, drinking a glass of water or tying shoelaces may become particularly challenging.

It is important that you visit your licensed health practitioner if you experience frequent or severe tremors. They will carry out a physical examination to check for tremor when you move.

They will also ask about your medical history and that of your immediate family to find out whether essential tremor runs in your family. There is no specific test to diagnose essential tremor. The condition is usually diagnosed after clinical assessment.

Essential tremor affects men and women equally. It can affect people of any age, although it becomes more common with advancing age. Around 4 out of 100 adults over 40 years of age have the condition. Essential tremor can run in families. At least half of people with the condition have a family member who also has it. It can also occur when a person is taking certain types of medication, such as inhalers for asthma.

The only symptom of essential tremor is the characteristic shaking. About 9 out of 10 affected people experience a trembling, up-and-down movement of the hands.

Other body parts can also be affected, including the:

arms
head
jaw
lips
tongue
voice box (larynx)
legs

Essential tremor can begin at any age from childhood onwards. The later the condition starts, the milder it is likely to be. The tremor usually affects both sides of the body equally. It happens when you are trying to hold a position or do something with your hands, such as write. The tremor is not usually present in a body part if it’s completely at rest.

The following factors can make the tremor more severe:

stress
anxiety
anger
strenuous activity
caffeine (found in tea, coffee and cola)
some prescribed medicines

Some people have a mild tremor, although most will find that their tremor gets gradually more severe over the years.

Causes

Research suggests that essential tremor may be caused by a change (mutation) in one of your genes. Genes are inherited units of information (DNA) that determine how your body grows and functions.

It is thought that the gene mutation affects the areas of the brain known as the cerebellum and the inferior olive, altering the signals that are sent along the nerves to the muscles.

Inherited and non-inherited essential tremor:

At least half of essential tremor cases are inherited. This means that a faulty gene is responsible for the condition and is passed on to you from your parents. Conditions that are passed on in this way are known as autosomal dominant disorders.

If one of your parents has a faulty gene for essential tremor, you have up to a 50% chance of developing the disorder yourself. However, how old a person is when they first develop the condition and its severity can vary greatly between different family members.

Unfortunately, there is no simple test to determine whether your essential tremor is caused by one particular faulty gene. There may not always be a family history of essential tremor as not everyone with the mutated gene will develop symptoms. Similarly, some people may develop the mutation without inheriting it from either parent.

Tremor triggers:

Your tremor may be triggered or made worse by one or more of the following actions:

making controlled or small, detailed movements, such as drinking a glass of water or writing
eating
putting on make-up
shaving
Being tired, anxious, hot or cold is also likely to make your symptoms worse.

Other causes tremor:

There are a number of other conditions or factors that can cause a tremor. These include:

overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
Parkinson’s disease, a long-term condition that affects the way the brain co-ordinates body movements
multiple sclerosis, a condition of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) that affects the senses and the body’s actions
dystonia, a range of movement disorders that cause involuntary muscle spasms
stroke, which very rarely may result in tremor with few other symptoms
peripheral neuropathy, where the peripheral nervous system is damaged
withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking alcohol, which may affect people who were dependant on alcohol and have stopped or reduced their alcohol intake
amphetamines and other stimulants
medications, such as some antidepressants and some medicines that are taken for asthma
too much caffeine, in tea, coffee and some fizzy drinks

Do

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Diet

The emphasis should be on whole foods with lots of fluids, raw foods (50 per cent to 75 per cent of the diet) and sprouts. Green, leafy vegetables are recommended, along with rutabagas (swede or turnip), sesame seeds and sesame butter. If you are taking the drug Levodopa, it is recommended to decrease the foods that are rich in Vitamin B6 – whole grains (especially oats), raw nuts (especially peanuts), bananas, potatoes, liver and fish, as this can make Levodopa ineffective. Patients taking the drug Sinemet do not need to avoid B6-rich foods or B6 supplements.

It is recommended that you increase your intake of foods rich in antioxidants (chemicals that scavenge and eat-up so-called ‘free radicals’ –- tiny molecules that circulate in your tissues and damage those tissues.) Free radicals have a special affinity for cells that produce dopamine. So the greater the number of antioxidants in your system, the fewer the number of circulating free radicals. Theoretically this should reduce the rate of loss of dopamine cells over time.

Foods which are rich in antioxidants include spinach), broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, garlic, red kidney beans, pinto beans, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, plums and apples. Tea, especially green tea and black tea, contains a lot of antioxidants. Red wine and dark juices, such as pomegranate and blueberry are also rich in antioxidants.

Omega-3 fatty acids are an essential nutrient for most tissues in your body so make sure you consume adequate amounts. Fatty fish like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon are high in two kinds of omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

It is important to not add further toxicity to your system so try to adhere to the following:

Do not consume any artificial sweeteners, such as Splenda, NutraSweet or Aspartame

Do not consume high fructose corn syrup or mono-sodium glutamate.

Do not drink any carbonated beverages.

Avoid all fast food restaurants.

Avoid all canned food.

Eliminate conventional dairy products. The best dairy products are raw, unpasteurised and homogenised dairy from grass fed cows. If this is unavailable, then buy organic dairy.

Avoid conventional beef. The best beef is organic grass fed beef.

www.grasslandbeef.com The second best is organic meat; this includes beef, veal, lamb, chicken and turkey.

Supplements:

Assessment of individual amino acids is important. Consult an orthomolecular doctor. Other useful nutrients include GABA, calcium, and magnesium, vitamin B complex (but not to be taken with Levodopa), lecithin, vitamin C, vitamin E, evening primrose oil, multivitamin/mineral complex, and DHEA (a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands). Consult a licensed health practitioner first.

Researchers from Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, reported that monkeys suffering from neurological damage, regained their ability to walk and climb after receiving injections of GM1 ganglioside, a substance that occurs naturally in the nerve cells. The research found it stimulated dopamine production. The coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) (25-50 mg per) day administered intravenously has also been shown to produce a beneficial effect in patients with Parkinson’s. Selenium is also recommended for its ability to detoxify mercury poisoning.

A study revealed patients who were given injections of 100mg of neotrophin-1 (complex glycoproteins, in this case derived from snake venom), resulted in dramatic improvement after a period of six to eight weeks.

Take Vitamin D3 50,000-100,000 International Units a day for periods of 4 weeks at a time.
Wholefood supplements are the best way of ensuring your nutritional needs are met. The best we know on the market is Kevin Trudeau’s “KT Daily” product. You can find more details here.
Take an Omega 3 supplement:

Krill oil –

Fish oil

Cod liver oil

Vegetarian –

Vitamin B is essential – especially niacin

Prescription and non-prescription medication:

What non-prescription and prescription drugs are you taking? Your non-prescription and prescription are partially the reason that you have this illness or disease – you need to get off these medications but do so only under the guidance of a licensed health care practitioner.

Mind

We know that when the body is out of balance, energy doesn’t flow, leading blockages and eventually disease. Here are some things you can do to combat stress and restore balance:

Go to a Dr Morter BEST (Bio-Energetic Synchronisation Technique) Practitioner.

Stephen Lewis, founder of the Aim Program. Find out more by clicking here.

. Find out more by clicking here.

Consider using Mary Millers Iching System Products – ichingsystemsinstruments.com

Reiki healing is very powerful in releasing stress and emotional baggage. Find a practitioner here.
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) has had remarkable results in dissolving stress. Find a local practitioner here or go to www.thetappingsolution.com or www.tftrx.com