Trembling hands: Here are 6 surprising reasons behind the condition

Various factors like excessive caffeine consumption and medication side effects can be the trigger behind your trembling hands. Read on to know more.

Do you find your hands shaking when you try to hold a fork or pick up a book from the shelf? Well, this could be the result of situational stress on many occasions. However, if this is what you experience regularly, you must consult a neurologist. According to the NorthShore University Health System and Neurological Institute, US, trembling hands can be caused by different parts of the brain, depending on the condition. Damage to any one of these three parts of the brain frontal lobe, basal ganglia and brainstem could lead to uncontrollable shaking of hands. Frontal lobe is that part of the brain that holds the motor cortex, basal ganglia is a group nuclie responsible for the motor functioning of the body and brainstem is the connection between brain and spinal cord.

There are various reasons and conditions that can cause damage in these three different parts of the brain and lead to trembling hands. Here are six reasons behind the condition that you didn't know about.

Excessive caffeine intake

The most common cause of shaking hands is caffeine. High levels of caffeine in the body can affect your brain functioning, causing jitters insomnia, anxiousness, and an increased heart rate. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), US, a person should not consume more than 400 mg of caffeine in a day, beyond that it can affect your brain. Your hands can shake if there is an abnormality in any part of your brain.

Hyperthyroidism

When there is an over production of the hormone thyroid in your body, the condition is known as hyperthyroidism. Too much of this hormone pushes the body into an overdrive, which causes shaking of hands. Along with trembling in fingers and hands hyperthyroidism can also raise your heartbeat, cause chest pain and lead to severe weight loss.

Medication side effects

Trembling of hands is a common side effect of antidepressants, blood pressure drugs, and asthma medicines. These lead to a compromised nervous system, which, in turn, causes drug-induced tremour in your hand muscles. If you find this manifestation after taking any of the above-mentioned drugs talk to your doctor about the dosage and the medicine you are currently on. Ask him if the medicine or the dosage can be changed.

Alcohol withdrawal

Shaking of hands is a classic reaction of alcohol withdrawal. Excess consumption of alcohol can change your brain's chemistry. Trembling hands caused due to alcohol withdrawal are often worse for the first 48 hours from your last drink.

Mercury poisoning

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, US, exposure to mercury can compromise a person's nervous system causing hand tremors. Mercury poisoning can lead to long-term damage which is far beyond shaking of hands. Exposure to this metal can also progress to difficulty in walking, impaired memory, and blindness. However, shaking of hands due to mercury poisoning is very rare.

Low blood sugar

Low blood sugar level affects the brain, causing tremors in hands and feet. Brain controls our body's capacity to stay stable. Without nourishment, it can become dysfunctional and cause permanent damage.