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How To Tell Difference Between Parkinson’s And Essential Tremor



Parkinson’s Disease Vs Essential Tremor: How Often Do The Tremors Come Along And How Bad Are They

9 Fundamental Differences Between Parkinson

People with Essential Tremor typically experience a higher tremor “frequency” than those with Parkinson’s disease — their tremor shows up more often and sticks around for a longer period of time.

The strength of the tremors seen in Essential Tremor are also more variable, ranging from “barely there” to “is my body experiencing an earthquake?”. Parkinson’s disease patients, on the other hand, are more likely to experience much stronger tremors that come along less frequently. 

What Are The Various Stages Of Parkinsons Disease And The Symptoms Associated With It

The progression of Parkinson’s disease is mostly divided into five stages-

Stage 1- This stage is characterized by the mildest form of Parkinson’s. The symptoms are not so severe to interfere with daily tasks and overall lifestyle. Friends and family members may notice some sort of changes in the way the patient walks, his posture and some facial expression. One of the distinct symptom of Parkinson’s is the tremors are other problems in movement and exclusive to one side of the body. If doctor is consulted at this stage, the prescribed medication can help ease out the symptoms at this stage.

Stage 2- This phase is considered to be the moderate form of Parkinson’s because the symptoms get distinctively noticed by people. Muscle stiffness is quite common at this stage. It must be remembered that although there may be an increase of tremors and irregular posture, stage 2 does not impair the balance of the patient.

Stage 3- The patient may experience a turning point in this stage as along with the symptoms he may not be able to maintain his balance and experience decreased reflexes. Movements become slower and falls become common. Medication along with occupational therapy may be advised.

Stage 4- It becomes impossible to even stand without assistance at stage 4. Living alone may make daily tasks impossible and dangerous. Thus the patient will need a caregiver from this stage.

Comparison Between Patients With And Without Et History Before And After Weighting

Before weighting, the standardized mean differences values were greater than 0.1 in Body Mass Index , sex distribution, age, age of onset of PD, LEDD, levodopa use, dopamine agonist use, UPDRS part III score, motor subtypes, Hoehn and Yahr stage, Frontal Assessment Battery score, Montreal Cognitive Assessment score, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score, and Non-Motor Symptoms Scale score between patients with and without ET history .

Table 1 Demographic and baseline clinical features between PD patients with and without a positive ET history.

What Is The Difference Between Essential Tremors And Parkinson’s Related Tremors

Essential tremor is a condition that causes uncontrollable shaking in different parts of the body, including the arms, hands, voice box , tongue, and chin. While an essential tremor often affect the voice and head, head tremors are uncommon in Parkinson’s. Additionally, essential tremor tends to worsen when a part of the body is in motion, while Parkinson’s-related tremors decrease when the body is in motion.

How Can You Tell The Difference Between Essential Tremor And Parkinsons Disease

9 Fundamental Differences Between Parkinson’s Disease and ...

Essential tremor is a neurological disorder that causes tremors, generally of both hands, but also the head and voice. It is often confused with Parkinson’s disease, but the tremor in essential tremor is an action tremor, which means that the tremor is most noticeable when the limb is in use or moving and improves when the limb is at rest. This is opposite of the tremor seen in Parkinson’s disease, which is most noticeable when the limbs are relaxed and at rest, and lessens when the affected limb is in use.

Essential Tremor Vs Parkinson’s Tremors: A Guide To The Major Differences

When people think of Parkinson’sdisease, they may picture the shaking hands commonly associated with thecondition. Persistent shaking of hands and limbs—also known as tremor—can makeit difficult to write a grocery list, hold a cup of tea, button a shirt andapply makeup, among other routine tasks. When tremors interfere with dailylife, it can be very disruptive. While tremors are a hallmark of Parkinson’spatients, there are other diseases similar to Parkinson’s that can causetremors.

What Is The Difference Between Essential Tremor And Parkinsons Disease

Essential tremor is a neurological disease with autosomal dominant inheritance, which is characterized by the development of bilateral, low amplitude tremor prominently seen in the upper limbs. On the other hand, Parkinson’s disease is a movement disorder characterized by a decline in the dopamine level of the brain.

Furthermore, essential tremors can affect patients of any age, but the peak incidence is in the early decades of life.  However, Parkinson’s usually occurs in the elderly people. Moreover, essential tremors have an autosomal dominant trait while Parkinson’s disease is not known to have a genetic trait. The below infographic presents more details on the difference between essential tremors and Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s Disease Vs Essential Tremor Early Symptoms How They Differ

Kelsey Drain@kelseydrain

As many as one million Americans currently live with Parkinson’s disease and approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed each year. Around the world, more than 10 million people worldwide are living with the disease, according to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation.

A new study published in the journal  Brain has shed new light on the genetics behind essential tremor, which is frequently misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s disease. Understanding the differences between both diseases is key to reducing the prevalence of medical mistakes. Here’s everything you need to know about both diseases.

Researchers are examining the genetics behind how essential tremor affects the body.Photo courtesy of Simon Gerard

Tremors In Parkinsons Disease: What They Are Types Of Tremors And More

Getting the trembling associated with Parkinson’s under control can be a challenge, but treatments can help.

Don RaufJustin Laube, MDNicole Rerk/Shutterstock

Tremors are a defining characteristic of Parkinson’s disease, affecting about 8 out of 10 people with this movement disorder. Many people think the involuntary shaking motion is the main problem for patients. While it is certainly an irritating symptom that individuals want to get under control, other characteristics of the disease can be more debilitating.

What Is The Difference Between Essential Tremor Vs Parkinson’s Disease

Essential tremor vs. Parkinson’s disease have several noticeable differences. Essential tremor symptoms are more pronounced during activity, whereas Parkinson’s tremors tend to occur more regularly at rest. Essential tremor is typically only associated with tremors, while Parkinson’s disease generally includes tremors along with rigidity, problems walking, and issues with balance.

The amplitude and frequency of tremors also differ between essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease. Essential tremor symptoms tend to be of a lower amplitude with a higher frequency, and Parkinson’s disease tremors are more often higher amplitude with lower frequency.

Essential tremor is most often tied to a family history, and Parkinson’s disease is rarely tied to family history. Essential tremor is roughly 10 times more common in the U.S. than Parkinson’s disease.

Another interesting difference is that alcohol may improve tremors for essential tremor patients but tends to have no effect on tremors of Parkinson’s patients.

A by the International Essential Tremor Foundation.

What Medications Are Typically Prescribed To Treat Essential Tremor

There are several medications available to help manage ET symptoms. It is important to work with your doctor to find a medication that is right for you. In addition, it is equally important to make sure that a high enough dose of medication is taken for it to be effective. Provided below is a list of common medications used for ET with upper limits of the dose by which we would expect an effect on tremor. If your physician has not prescribed doses of these medications similar to the ones listed, you may consider going back to your physician to try higher doses before considering other treatment options, such as deep brain stimulation. 

Doses of Essential Tremor Medications:

  • Primidone – Up to 350 milligrams daily
  • Propranolol  – Up to 320 milligrams daily
  • Topiramate – Up to 400 milligrams daily
  • Clonazepam – Up to 6 milligrams daily
  • Gabapentin – Up to 2700 milligrams daily
  • Mirtazepine – Up to 45 milligrams daily

Parkinson’s Disease Vs Essential Tremor: The Diagnostic Process

Besides:

  • Patient reports on their symptoms
  • Diagnostic checklists 
  • Physical examinations of various kinds, such as being asked to complete certain activities
  • A look at your family history

Your doctor may also:

  • Order a dopamine transporter imaging test — Parkinson’s disease patients gradually lose dopamine, so test results indicative of this suggest Parkinson’s disease.
  • Use techniques such as accelerometry to look at the severity and patterns of your tremors. 
  • Test your sense of smell, something that is often affected in people with Parkinson’s disease.

  • Fekete R, Jankovic J. Revisiting the relationship between essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease. Mov Disord 2011,26:391-398.
  • Photo courtesy of SteadyHealth.com

What Is The Difference Between Tremors And Parkinson’s Disease

Differences between Parkinsonian tremor and essential ...

While the majority of Parkinson’s patients experience tremors,not everyone who has tremors has Parkinson’s. Tremors are also asymptom of other conditions, such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, certainmedicines, alcohol poisoning or anxiety.

Tremor is an unintentional, rhythmic musclecontraction that leads to shaking in one or more parts of thebody. Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder that causes tremors,stiffness in limbs and loss of coordination.

The most significant difference between tremor associated withParkinson’s disease and tremor associated with other conditions is thatParkinson’s tremor is typically a “resting tremor,” meaning it ispresent when an individual is at rest and goes away when the individual isactive. Tremors in most other conditions are classified as “actiontremor,” meaning shaking increases when a person is active and decreaseswhen the person is at rest.

While Parkinson’s is typically the most widely-known disease associatedwith tremor, a condition called essential tremor is more common, affectingapproximately 5% of people aged 65 and older.

What Is The Difference Between Essential Tremor Andparkinson’s

The exact cause of essential tremor is unknown while Parkinson’sdisease is better understood.

In Parkinson’s disease, neurons located in the part of the brain thatcontrols movement become impaired or die. These neurons usually produce achemical called dopamine which enables regular body movements. When the neuronscan’t produce necessary levels of dopamine, tremors can occur, along withrigidity of limbs and decreased coordination.

Parkinsons Disease Vs Essential Tremor: The Diagnostic Process

Besides:

  • Physical examinations of various kinds, such as being asked to complete certain activities
  • A look at your family history

Your doctor may also:

  • Order a dopamine transporter imaging test — Parkinson’s disease patients gradually lose dopamine, so test results indicative of this suggest Parkinson’s disease.
  • Use techniques such as accelerometry to look at the severity and patterns of your tremors. 
  • Test your sense of smell, something that is often affected in people with Parkinson’s disease.
  • Fekete R, Jankovic J. Revisiting the relationship between essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease. Mov Disord 2011,26:391-398.
  • Photo courtesy of SteadyHealth.com

What Is The Difference Between Essential Tremor Andparkinsons

The exact cause of essential tremor is unknown while Parkinson’sdisease is better understood.

In Parkinson’s disease, neurons located in the part of the brain thatcontrols movement become impaired or die. These neurons usually produce achemical called dopamine which enables regular body movements. When the neuronscan’t produce necessary levels of dopamine, tremors can occur, along withrigidity of limbs and decreased coordination.

What Does Benign And Essential Mean In Benign Essential Tremor

The term “essential” is not meant to indicate the tremor’s value. The shaking is an annoyance and can even be debilitating in some cases. The word “essential” is intended to indicate that tremor is the only symptom involved — that it’s the “essence” of the entire problem. Similarly, the word “benign” signifies that the disorder, while annoying, is not inherently dangerous.

These views, while comforting and widely held, might be wrong.

For one thing, essential tremor is probably not actually just one disease, but rather a symptom caused by any one of a number of different processes.?? Some of these may indeed be “benign,” but others may be more serious.

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What Is The Difference Between Tremors And Parkinsons Disease

In order to medically diagnose Parkinson’s disease, a minimum of two to four symptoms must be present. The four main symptoms include-

What Is The Difference Between Tremors And Parkinsons Disease

Tremors are very different from Parkinson’s disease. Although, having tremors can be one of the primary symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, there are various other symptoms which accompany. Besides, the tremors in Parkinson’s occur when the limbs of the patients are at rest, unlike the usual tremors which may occur even when the patient is at move.

In order to medically diagnose Parkinson’s disease, a minimum of two to four symptoms must be present. The four main symptoms include-

  • Acute slowness of movement called Bradykinesia.
  • Stiffness or rigidity of the arms, legs and trunk.
  • Problems with maintaining body balance and posture which result in falls called postural instability.

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Next Steps: Getting Care For Parkinsons And Essential Tremor

If you believe you have Parkinson’s disease or essential tremor, don’t hesitate to seek professional care. Your doctor can help you diagnose your condition, find the right treatment plan for you, and manage your symptoms so you can enjoy the best quality of life possible. While suffering from a condition like essential tremor or Parkinson’s can be frightening, you don’t have to face it on your own.

Are There Ways To Treat Essential Tremor Without Medications

Some patients may benefit from the Liftware device, which helps patients to eat with less spillage. This device comes with a stabilizing handle and a utensil attachment and works by stabilizing the utensil so that less food is spilled. Stress management and physical therapy are helpful for those with mild to moderate ET, but are typically used in combination with medications and/or surgery. For those with symptoms not controlled satisfactorily by medications, deep brain stimulation or thalamotomy can be helpful in improving symptoms and may even help to reduce the amount of medications needed to improve symptoms. Your neurologist will be able to help you determine options that are right for you.

How Do I Know If I Am A Candidate For Deep Brain Stimulation

85 best Essential Tremor images on Pinterest

Deep brain stimulation works for people with PD who have responded to levodopa but now  have developed dyskinesias or other off symptoms like a return of tremors, rigidity and slowness of movement. DBS doesn’t seem to help people with atypical Parkinson’s syndromes that also don’t seem to improve with Parkinson’s meds. 

There are many important issues to be addressed when considering DBS to treat Parkinson’s disease. These issues should be discussed with a movement disorders expert or a specially trained neurologist. A movement disorders expert is someone who has trained specifically in movement disorders.

One of the most important criteria is that you try drug treatment first. Surgery is not recommended if medications can adequately control the disease. However, surgery should be considered if you do not achieve satisfactory control with medications. Talk to your doctor to see if deep brain stimulation is right for you.

What Is A Tremor And What Makes It Different With Parkinsons

Tremor is an uncontrollable, rhythmic muscle contraction that triggers quivering in one or more parts of the body. It often occurs in hands, arms, or legs but can also affect the head, neck, or torso. This shaking may appear in sporadic spells or continue constantly.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says that age is a risk factor — middle-aged and older adults are more likely to experience tremors.

Misperception #3: The Tremor Of Et Is Bilateral & Symmetric

Action tremor in patients with ET is usually, though not always, bilateral, and it is typically asymmetric . In a community-based study of 54 patients with ET, the use of clinical rating scales revealed on average a 1.32-fold side–side difference, and quantitative computerized tremor analysis revealed on average a 1.71-fold side–side difference in arm tremor severity . Unilateral arm tremor is less common, reportedly occurring in 2, 4.4 and 10% of ET cases, with values varying depending on the criteria used . One study evaluated unilateral arm tremor in 412 ET cases from 133 kindreds with presumed autosomal dominant ET . Inclusion criteria required unilateral kinetic or postural tremor for at least 5 years, without dystonic posturing or bradykinesia/rigidity . Only subjects with a first-degree relative with definite ET were included . Eighteen patients were identified as having isolated unilateral arm tremor without tremor affecting other body segments . Out of the 18 patients, 13 had a combination of postural and kinetic tremor and 5/18 had only unilateral postural tremor . Isolated unilateral postural tremor should raise the suspicion of PD, and the patient should be followed closely for the development of additional signs suggestive of PD.

Clinical pearl #3: Action tremor in ET is often but not necessarily bilateral. Small to moderate side–side differences are the rule rather than the exception.

Differences Between Essential Tremor And Parkinsons Disease

There are an estimated 10 million people with essential tremor in the United States. Essential tremor is a neurological condition characterized by involuntary, rhythmic shaking or “tremors”. These tremors interfere with important tasks like drinking, eating, or writing legibly. Tremors are also present in those with Parkinson’s disease, a disease affecting the nervous system that is also symptomized by muscle inflexibility and slowed movement. Because tremors are a symptom of both Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor, it’s often hard for people to tell the difference between the two conditions. Though Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor have a common symptom,  they are not equal.

For those with Parkinson’s disease, tremors typically occur during rest and are known as “resting tremors.” People with essential tremor mostly have tremors during times of activity. Because these tremors occur during activity or “action,” they are known as “action tremors.”

In addition to type, the tremors of Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor also differ in frequency and magnitude. Tremors related to Parkinson’s disease usually occur more frequently over time and are more forceful than those related to essential tremor. Individuals with essential tremor may see a fluctuation in the frequency of their tremors throughout the day, ranging from high to low.

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Parkinsonian Tremor: The Most Common Form Of Resting Tremor

Some patients have a predominant postural tremor in addition to their rest tremor. This form is uncommon and has been considered to be a combination of an ET with PD although the relation between postural tremor that is phenomenologically similar to ET and PD has not been well defined. Further studies are needed to define the relation between ET and other tremors, including PD and other task specific tremors.

Difference Between Essential Tremor And Parkinsons Disease

The key difference between essential tremors and Parkinson’s disease is that the essential tremor has an autosomal dominant trait whereas the Parkinson’s disease does not have such a pattern of inheritance. Also, the characteristic clinical feature of essential tremor is the bilateral, low amplitude tremor, prominently in the upper limbs, but Parkinson’s disease is a movement disorder, and in the late stage, the patient can develop cognitive impairments as well. 

Essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease are both neurological conditions. The presence of tremors is the characteristic feature of these conditions.

Box 3 Clinical Features Suggestive Of Psychogenic Tremor73

  • Abrupt onset

  • Presence of psychiatric disease

  • Reported functional disturbances in the past

Commonly, patients with psychogenic tremor often undergo a large number of diagnosis and therapeutic procedures before the final diagnosis is established. A review of medical history in these patients usually shows multiple functional somatic or psychosomatic illnesses. Once the diagnosis is made, most patients continue to have a fluctuating or constant course, followed by improving and progressive periods suggesting the prognosis is far from benign. The therapeutic success is also variable, but the treatment approach should include various combinations of psychotherapy as well as drugs, such as mild anxiolytics and antidepressants. While pharmacological treatment in organic tremor may reduce amplitude, but does not change the tremor frequency, the effect of treatment in psychogenic tremor usually varies from total suppression of tremor, especially when associated with the suggestion of a “cure” to no benefit. Interestingly, most of successfully treated patients were young.

Getting Treatment: Essential Tremor Vs Parkinsons Disease

There is currently no cure for essential tremor or Parkinson’s. However, that does not mean you have no control over your condition. As doctors learn more about these conditions, developments in treatment and disease management continue to help patients preserve their quality of life as much as possible.

Parkinson’s Vs Essential Tremor: The Timing Of The Tremor

10 SYMPTOMS THAT DISTINGUISH BETWEEN TREMOR FROM ESSENTIAL ...

Parkinson’s patients most commonly experience tremors when they’re “at rest”, meaning they’re not currently doing anything else with the part of the body in question. The tremor will come to an end when you start doing something else with your hand, leg, or wherever else the tremor is — like simply moving it. 

People with Essential Tremor, meanwhile, primarily experience tremors when they are active and moving — these are called action tremors. Somewhere between 20 and 30 percent of people with Essential Tremor also do experience rest tremors, however, so having those doesn’t necessarily mean you have Parkinson’s. Where ET patients do have rest tremors, they’re more likely to strike the arm. This isn’t true for people living with Parkinson’s disease, who can have rest tremors in varied body parts.

Misperception #4: Head Tremor Occurs In Et But Not In Pd

Head tremor is observed in patients with ET, with the reported prevalence being dependent on the ascertainment of the cases. One study noted head tremor in 12% of patients in the community, 37% in a tertiary referral center and 54% in a brain repository . Two studies evaluating factors associated with head tremor found that women with ET were four to six times more likely to have head tremor than men with ET . The head tremor of ET is typically a postural tremor that resolves at rest . Yet head tremor is not unique to ET. Head tremor has also been described in PD patients; one study reported head tremor in 17% of clinically diagnosed PD cases . Head tremor was described in detail in five clinically diagnosed PD cases . The head tremor was present at rest , had a frequency similar to the 4–6-Hz rest tremor of the limbs and responded to levodopa . None of the cases had voice tremor.

Clinical pearl #4: Head tremor often occurs in patients with ET but can on occasion also be seen in patients with PD. The head tremor of ET is typically one that resolves at rest , in contrast to what has been reported in PD.

How Tremors Impact Function And What You Can Do About It

When we are toddlers we are constantly problem-solving how to accomplish a task and creating neural pathways that become stronger with each repetition. As adults our brains are wired to accomplish the task without thinking about it. We put our jacket on in the same way everyday. When you experience tremors, suddenly the way you’ve always done something doesn’t work. It’s incredibly frustrating! But there are so many ways to accomplish a task; and learning to modify your movements, your environment, or the activity itself can provide great satisfaction and improved quality of life.

Begin to build the habit of asking yourself some questions:

What can I change about the actual task?What can I change about the environment?What can I change in myself to accomplish the task?

People who experience resting tremors might have difficulty with activities that require fine motor skills, such as handwriting, buttoning buttons, zipping zippers, handling money, etc.

Is there a pen that you can use to help write? Try something thicker, heavier, or a different ink. Does it help to support your arm on a surface or closer to your body? Does it help to sit or stand? Can you use voice recognition software? What accessibility options are available on my smartphone or computer?

Can you wear clothes that don’t have fasteners? Can you pull the fabric over a button instead of pinching the button? Can you use a key ring on a zipper to help pull it up?

How Are Tremors And Dyskinesia Experienced By Caregivers

People with Parkinson’s disease can experience their condition much differently than do their caregivers or spouses. “Sometimes being in the ‘off’ state looks more comfortable to the caregiver because the person is still, and can even seem kind of calm,” says Herrington. “But for the person with Parkinson’s, they experience that ‘off’ state as very uncomfortable. They may describe it as feeling trapped because they want to move but and they can’t.

“In this case,” he continues, “the person might say, ‘Look, I know I have dyskinesia, but I prefer being free to move than feeling stuck and trapped.” The caregiver, however, may feel bothered by the increased movement, he says, and think that the person is taking too much medication.

“There can be a real disconnect there between what the patient would want and what the caregiver might think is best,” says Herrington. “It’s not always the best thing to try to get rid of every last bit of dyskinesia, because the person might be less comfortable in that state.”

Parkinsons Vs Essential Tremor: The Timing Of The Tremor

Parkinson’s patients most commonly experience tremors when they’re “at rest”, meaning they’re not currently doing anything else with the part of the body in question. The tremor will come to an end when you start doing something else with your hand, leg, or wherever else the tremor is — like simply moving it. 

People with Essential Tremor, meanwhile, primarily experience tremors when they are active and moving — these are called action tremors. Somewhere between 20 and 30 percent of people with Essential Tremor also do experience rest tremors, however, so having those doesn’t necessarily mean you have Parkinson’s. Where ET patients do have rest tremors, they’re more likely to strike the arm. This isn’t true for people living with Parkinson’s disease, who can have rest tremors in varied body parts.

Defining The Condition: Parkinsons Vs Essential Tremor

Parkinson’s Disease: According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, Parkinson’s disease is a “neurodegenerative disorder that affects predominantly dopamine-producing neurons in a specific area of the brain called substantia nigra”. Parkinson’s itself is not a fatal disease, however, it can have serious complications that can be.

  • At what age does Parkinson’s usually manifest? Typically Parkinson’s typically manifests in individuals 50 years or older. However, Young Onset Parkinson’s , affects 2% to 10% of individuals in the U.S. with Parkinson’s.
  • What is the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease? According to Nih.gov, approximately 1.8% of adults 65 and older suffer from Parkinson’s disease.

Essential Tremor: As defined by John Hopkins Medicine, essential tremor disorder is a neurological condition that causes your hands, head, trunk, voice, or legs to shake rhythmically. Generally, these tremors are worse when moving than when at rest. However, tremors can be severe enough to interfere with regular daily activities such as eating, speaking, and even using the restroom independently. Essential tremor is considered benign, or non-life-threatening.

  • At what age does essential tremor usually manifest? Essential tremor typically affects individuals over the age of 65, however, it can develop at any age.
  • What is the prevalence of essential tremor? According to Nih.gov, approximately 4.67% of adults 65 and older suffer from essential tremor.

Signs & Symptoms: Is It Essential Tremor Or Parkinsons

In order to start managing your condition and receive the treatment you need, you should be aware of the most common signs and symptoms as well as the key differences between essential tremor and Parkinson’s. After all, the first step in getting care as early on as possible is self-awareness that you might be suffering from one of these conditions.

Distinguishing Essential Tremor And Parkinsons Disease

While most people are familiar with Parkinson’s Disease , Essential Tremor is much more common1.

If you are experiencing shaking of your hands, a neurologist specializing in movement disorders can perform testing to diagnose your condition. This may include holding your arms straight out in front of your body, touching your finger to your nose, and drawing spirals on a piece of paper. Additional testing or imaging scans may also be required as part of the diagnosis.

While only a qualified physician can provide a diagnosis, there are several key symptoms that differentiate Essential Tremor from other conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease.

What Does This Mean For Me If I Have Essential Tremor

(PDF) Motor and Non

There is compelling evidence that cognition differs between people with and without an essential tremor. Those differences, however, are slight, and the cause of those changes is unclear. If essential tremor is, in fact, a degenerative illness, it’s very slow.?? How this all relates, if at all, to patient care is unclear at this time. Perhaps identifying more serious causes of essential tremor could end up benefiting people who would otherwise be written off as having an entirely benign disorder.

DISCLAIMER: The information in this site is for educational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for personal care by a licensed physician. Please see your doctor for diagnosis and treatment of any concerning symptoms or medical condition.

How Can I Better Cope With Having Parkinson’s Disease

The most important step you can take is to seek help as soon as you feel less able to cope with Parkinson’s disease. Taking action early will enable you to understand and deal with the many effects of your condition. A mental health care provider can design a treatment plan to meet your specific needs. Strategies can be designed to help you regain a sense of control over your life and improve your quality of life.

Other steps you can take include the following.

Cognitive And Emotional Aspects Of Essential Tremor

Do I Have Parkinsons Disease Or An Essential Tremor

2 Minute Read

Medically Reviewed by UPMC Susquehanna

April 1, 2019


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