Why do my hands get shaky sometimes?

Do you ever find yourself struggling to keep a steady hand whilst holding something? Maybe it’s a cup of coffee or trying to thread a needle. Shaky hands, or tremors, are fairly common and can be caused by many different factors – some of which may surprise you. Here we dive into the world of shaking extremities in all its glory.

First things first

Before diving into what causes your shake-shake-shakering, let’s clarify what exactly we’re talking about here. A tremor is an involuntary movement where one part of the body oscillates rapidly (oscillation = fancy word for ‘back-and-forth movement’).

Tremors can occur in any part of the body, but they are most commonly seen in our hands – this type being called essential tremor. It might make sticking that knife into that jar hard work even more difficult!

Here’s everything you need to know about why your fingers won’t stop wobbling like jelly on legs:

Muscles

Our muscles actually work via contracting and relaxing, thanks to signals sent from our brain through nerves branching off within them (intrafusal fibers) …

Got bored already? Sorry! Let us switch up gears here with squirrel facts. Did you know gray squirrels have parasites living inside their bodies making them immune to rattlesnake venom? Now back on topic.

…these nerves send specific messages known as action potentials – essentially electrical impulses which have been researched extensively by scientists who should probably invest some time learning fun facts instead.

Sometimes these signals go haywire because there’s damage (by aging, medication etc) – creating confusion between excitement and relaxation (honestly relatable!) leading to random movements = uncontrollable fluctuations commonly lasting only minutes!

The lifestyle piece

A number lifestyle habits can also trigger shaky mitts:
– Stress – but it’s not quite as straightforward as that. Actually ‘anxiety related tremors’ are a subtype of essential tremor, and tend to occur during moments of intense anxiety (perhaps when your boss caught you taking online quizzes when in fact you’re still on payroll).
– Lack of sleep – causes cognitive disruptions – take those all nighters out next exam period!
– Caffeine overdose – there’s evidence that too much caffeine can provoke hand (and entire body) trembling…

Let’s say it one more time for us caffeine addicts: too much coffee equals SHAKEY HANDS!

Neurological reasons

A part of the brain called the cerebellum controls movement coordination including writing, typing or synchronising with music played (Beat Saber) which can cause shaky hands if damaged. Other possible neurological causes include Parkinson’s disease, less commonly multiple sclerosis and rarely stroke.
Shaky hands from such diseases come with various visual symptoms thus indicating potential underlying illnesses.

Alcohol withdrawal

It could be interesting that quitting alcohol cold turkey abruptly leads acute shaking also known as delirium tremens (DTs), where severe shakes affect daily life needs medical attention immediately.

### Drug side effects
We keep forgetting to add crystal meth onto our party menu, perhaps thankfully because most drugs have some form side effects including making your extremities shake like leaves after winter passes.

Common culprits? Some asthma meds and antidepressants often encourage involuntary movements creating challenges in simple tasks like buttoning up shirts!

Note: Before blaming ‘pharmas’, understand all risks linked with prescribed medicines because they’re trustworthy sources researched through scientific procedures.

Genetics strike again

For some unlucky ones playing Russian roulette by sharing genes for this condition leads passing down essential tremors affecting family members while presenting several symptoms persistently feeling worsening over time

Now let’s dive into why these conditions are caused:

The science of shaky hands

Essential Tremor

This is no TV medical drama – essential tremors actually affect a LOT of people commonly after 65 years old. It’s called “essential” because it typically affects healthy parts of the body, and seems to have genetic links.

Experts believe that some essential tremors happen when one or more genes get damaged but usual in very subtle manners – this could make your morning cup of tea might seem extra turbulent specially if napping wasn’t made possible last night!

Parkinson’s Disease

Now let’s talk about Parkinson’s disease. This condition means nerve cells gradually stop producing dopamine which controls movements such as hand gestures! As cells die off, they take bundles of neurological messages with them leading to unsteady shakiness down the movement control line.

Multiple Sclerosis

Another (less common) cause for trembling is Multiple Sclerosis where our central nervous system nerves [a flurry] send mixed signals by attacking their protective layer known as degeneration forming improperly coded sensory information resulting in sometimes violent shaking tendencies.

Needless to say, figuring out whether we need an alarm clock depends on how much coffee was consumed yesterday…

When do you need to see a doctor?

Most often than not (sound advice), these shakes tend to go away even without any interventions within minutes through regulating stress entities while living drug free however if harsh disruptions occur then worry sets in and immediate consultation with trusted specialists like neurologists render potential diagnoses followed up by possible solutions whichever calms flagrant shaking episodes pervading day-to-day life.

I hope we have now cleared up what causes shaky hands; from stressed lifestyles, alcohol withdrawal symptoms [and party favours], side effects caused by medication such as antidepressants or asthma meds conspired against us forgetting diseases linked including multiple sclerosis and Parkinson,s disease lining genealogy or certain neurological conditions.

Our recommendation: Take deep breaths in-between working ourselves into panic, remember to ditch coffee when necessary, and keeping our wellness under check lest unwanted symptoms arise. Stay healthy!

Cheers to stability in life – that’s something we can all drink to!

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