If your hands shake, you may worry that you have a movement disorder. You may be worried about Parkinson’s disease, but it’s also possible these symptoms are due to essential tremor.
Essential tremor is much less known than Parkinsons’ disease. Yet it is much more common — eight times more common. Often, people with essential tremor worry they have Parkinson’s disease.
Read on to learn more about these two movement disorders and their differences.
What Is Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disease of the nervous system.
It’s noticeable by symptoms that include:
- Shaking while at rest.
- Balance issues.
- Muscular rigidity.
- Slowed movements.
It typically affects middle-aged and older adults.
In addition to motor symptoms, people with Parkinson’s disease can also experience:
- Depression.
- Sleep disorders.
- Loss of smell.
- Constipation.
In Parkinson plus syndrome, people can also have:
- Autonomic dysfunction
- Cognitive impairment
- Hallucinations
About 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease every year. The cause of Parkinson’s disease is unknown.
What Is Essential Tremor?
Essential tremor is one of the most common movement disorders in the world. It seems to strike people over the age of 40. It is a progressive condition.
It often starts with an uncontrollable action tremor of the hands when trying to reach for something or perform a purposeful task.
Essential tremor can affect the following:
- Voice
- Hands
- Trunk
- Legs
Even in its early stages, essential tremor can make life difficult.
People with essential tremor may have trouble:
- Writing.
- Holding utensils.
- Inserting a key into a lock.
- Performing fine movement in their jobs.
Researchers think an inherited mutation causes essential tremor.
Parkinson’s Disease vs. Essential Tremor
The differences between Parkinson’s and essential tremor include:
- In Parkinson’s disease, shaking happens mostly when the body is at rest; In essential tremor, shaking mostly happens when trying to reach things.
- In Parkinson’s disease, handwritten letters get very small; In essential tremor, handwriting gets large and quivery.
- Shaking is typically faster in essential tremor.
- About half of people with essential tremor have other family members with it. It’s less common for multiple family members to have Parkinson’s disease.
- In Parkinson’s disease, stiffness, slowed movements, and balance and gait issues are common. In essential tremor, shaking of the head and voice are more common.
Both can start on one side of the body, commonly in the hands. Some Parkinson plus syndromes start on both hands.
Your neurologist will diagnose you based on your medical history and physical exam. Sometimes, they’ll also order lab and imaging tests. It is vital to write down your symptoms and be as specific as possible so you can share the details with your doctor.
Neither essential tremor nor Parkinson’s disease is curable. Treatments for both diseases focus on symptom control. Treatments, including medicines and physical therapy, can help if your symptoms interfere with daily life.
If your symptoms are not adequately controlled with medicine, a deep brain stimulator can help. This is effective for symptoms of both Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor.
Learn more about how UPMC experts treat movement disorders.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on , and was last reviewed on .