Why does my hand shake involuntarily?

Have you ever been out in public, trying to hold a cup of coffee or sign your name on a piece of paper when all of a sudden your hand starts shaking like an earthquake? It can be embarrassing, frustrating and most importantly- concerning. Before you start googling ‘why does my hand shake involuntarily’ or checking WebMD, let’s dive into what could be causing this issue.

Your Body is Self Sustaining

With our trusty central nervous system (CNS), our body subconsciously controls most movements – including the ones that we don’t even think about. The CNS includes the brain and spinal cord which works together with peripheral nerves throughout the body to send messages between neurons so that each movement becomes involuntary reflexes. Cool right?

What Causes Tremors

Shaking hands or tremors can occur anywhere within the central nervous system. Let’s get into some possible causes:

Essential tremor

Essential Tremor is one of those fancy medical terms for “we have no idea why it happens” kind of disease. This type of tremor usually affects both sides equally such as arms and hands.

Overactive thyroid gland

Not only do you feel hot because you’re just that attractive but also because trembling hands could come from having too much thyroxine hormone produced by an overactive thyroid gland.

Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease mostly occurs around ages 60+ years old due to loss cells that produce dopamine in certain areas inside the brain stem called basal ganglia . Dopamine helps coordinate movement while also regulating mood levels! Isn’t your autonomic nervous system cool?

Multiple sclerosis(MS)

We often hear about MS surrounded in controversy online forums but really it is represented by nerve damage done around different parts throughout CNS- most commonly seen with optic neuron inflammation leading gradually towards loss of vision.

Stroke

Strokes are serious but they can also cause a tremor. Strokes occur when blood flow to the brain is cut off and cells start to die – which we all know isn’t fun. If you’ve had any of the symptoms of stroke like trouble speaking, loss of sensation or a sudden onset headache then you might want to have your DOC (doctor) run some appropriate tests!

And finally… Caffeine

That’s right- your beloved cappuccino could be part of

the cause! The caffeine in your favourite pick me up stimulate s both the nervous system and muscles which impacts hand jitteriness

How Are Tremors Diagnosed?

We got that out o f t he way now how do w e actua l ly ev aluate what exactly causing th ese involuntary movements?

Medical evaluations

The universal golden standard: Medical checkups are required if body twitches last for an extended period-anywhere from several seconds lasting over days. Make sure you’re getting adequate sleep (7+ hours per night). Talk about when/why symptoms worsen (ie with stress vs after consuming large quantities coffee)

CT Scan or MRI

CT scan visualizes internal bodily structures using high-intensity X-ray beams while MRIs utilize powerful magnetic forces so even small things can be identified.

Magnetic Resonance imaging helps detect subtle changes within nerve tissues in CNS by detecting variations between different protein & water levels found inside nerves themselves!

Alright so here are a couple TAKE HOME POINTS as always:

1) If it persists, don’t hesitate to book an appointment with your family physician.

2) Is it just due to momentary irritation related thoughts ie stress/anxiety?

                         —If not—

3) Random movement eruptions persisting across opposite/third areas on extremity may represent early MS signs.

From too much coffee to rare diseases-we’ve just touched the surface on a vast array of possibilities for when your hand shakes involuntarily. If you have concerns, don’t be afraid to bring them up with a professional/physician who can help guide you through possible treatment options or lifestyle changes.

Stay healthy and happy folks!

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