Shake Off The Shakes

You don't have to be Michael Jackson to experi¬ence tremors or shaking hands. Most people have them at one time or another and their causes are as varied as the moves Jackson can make.

If your hands tremble, it could be the result of fatigue or tension. Mine usually does after long hours of writing. Others get the shakes after ironing clothes or doing heavy manual labor.

Some shake when they are anxious or enraged. Try holding up a flower to your favorite movie star or cover girl and you'll see what I mean. In those instances, however, the tremors are transient and should not concern you a bit. Those that do need a doctor's atten¬tion are the tremors that won't go away or involve other parts of the body such as the tongue and head. This could signal serious diseases.

Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder that produces uncontrollable shaking of the limbs in addi¬tion to stiff muscles, drooling, and a mask-like face. The tremor it brings is worst at rest and least with movement or during sleep.

No one knows what causes Parkinson's disease but people who have it usually lack a brain chemical called dopamine. Medical treatments with levodopa help the brain to manufacture its own dopamine and control symptoms.

Tremors can also follow the toxic action of certain chemicals or drugs. This is true with the excessive intake of coffee or alcohol. The use of non-prescription drugs containing caffeine produces a similar effect as do certain medicines your doctor dishes out.

"Medications taken by asthmatics to relax their constricted air passages (theophylline) and by epilep¬tics to control their seizures (Dilantin) may also induce tremors. Compazine, an excellent tranquilizer and antinauseant, will every now and then produce tremor and head-bobbing, especially in older people - symp¬toms frighteningly similar to Parkinson's disease. Sim¬ple withdrawal of the drug eliminates the shaking," according to Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld of the New York Hospital - Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in “Symptoms.”

In other people, the presence of tremors is an inher¬ited tendency. Such a condition is called a benign or essential tremor and is common in old people. Unlike Parkinson's disease, an essential tremor is almost absent when the hand is at rest and becomes apparent when you do something. People who have this problem are not sick but they should learn to deal with stress.

“The condition is often present in several family members. It can start early in life and then clear up, or it can get worse with age. It does not reflect an under¬lying disease," Rosenfeld said.

Tremor can accompany a variety of diseases, in¬cluding advanced liver trouble, kidney malfunction and an overactive thyroid. Any brain disorder, whether it's Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, a head injury with concussion or a stroke, can also cause the shakes. But in these conditions, the tremor is usually the least of the problem and not the singular telltale or clinching symptom.

“For example, in the case of an overactive thyroid, there's usually a constellation of other symptoms: nervousness, palpitations, warm skin, rapid pulse, bulging eyes, fine hair and quivering of the extended tongue. If you suspect that's what you have, extend your hands palm down, spread the fingers and put a piece of thin tissue paper over the backs of the hands. A fine vibration is typical of hyperthyroidism," Rosenfeld explained.

In summary, taming the tremor lies in correcting any underlying disorder. Bo sure to see a doctor to deter¬mine if you’re shaking is a real problem or simply stress-related.

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