These tremors can affect any part of the body, making voluntary movements difficult.
Many people are aware of the most common symptoms of Parkinson's disease – involuntary shaking or tremor, the telltale sign.
Caused by the loss of certain nerve cells in the brain, the neurological condition can also cause slow movements and muscle stiffness. However, a tremor does not necessarily mean you have a disorder.
Essential tremor is a relatively common disorder thought to affect about one percent of the population and can easily be mistaken for Parkinson's disease.
Neurologist talks about how to distinguish one from the other.
“Parkinson's disease and essential tremor are two different neurological conditions that can cause tremors in affected people. While both conditions can include tremors, there are a few key differences that help distinguish them. Both Parkinson's disease and essential tremor primarily affect the hands, although tremors can also occur in other parts of the body, such as the head, voice, legs, or trunk. In both cases, the tremor may increase with stress or anxiety, and may improve or temporarily disappear during sleep. However, this similarity ends the coincidence,” says neurologist Alexandra Alyokhina, especially for Medikforum.
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder caused by the degeneration of brain cells that produce dopamine. It is more common in people over 60, but can occur at any age.
“The trembling associated with Parkinson's disease is often described as a 'pill-rolling tremor' characterized by the rhythmic reciprocating movement of the thumb and fingers. In addition to tremors, people with Parkinson's disease may also experience other movement symptoms such as stiffness, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), and postural instability.
The doctor also lists depression and anxiety, loss of smell, insomnia, and memory problems as symptoms of Parkinson's disease. .
Essential tremor
Essential tremor is a movement disorder that causes uncontrollable shaking of the hands, arms, and other parts of the body. Symptoms of essential tremor usually appear between the ages of 40 and 60, although it can affect people of all ages.
Essential tremor is usually characterized by postural or action tremor, which means that the tremor occurs when the affected person tries to maintain a certain posture or perform an arbitrary movement. These tremors can affect the hands, head, voice, or other parts of the body and can range in severity from mild to debilitating.
How to tell the difference
To be sure that your symptoms are related to Parkinson's disease or essential tremor, Alyokhina recommended that you consult your doctor.
In addition to age of onset, the presence of other motor symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease, such as stiffness and slowness of movement, can help distinguish between the two. conditions.
Furthermore, drug response can also provide valuable information, as tremor in Parkinson's disease tends to improve with dopaminergic drugs, while essential tremor may respond better to drugs that target other neurotransmitters, such as beta blockers or anticonvulsants.
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