What kind of illness is it if your head is shaking and how to get rid of tremors

07/26/2020 Alena Masheva Health

Translated from Latin, “tremor” means shaking. Today, this term usually refers to involuntary rhythmic movements caused by muscle contraction. Everyone has probably experienced this condition. However, if a person constantly feels tremor, then most likely the cause is some kind of pathology. To get rid of this symptom, you must first figure out what caused it. In this review, we will look at why a child’s hands are shaking and how you can help your child cope with this condition.

Description of the problem

How to determine tremor? There are a number of characteristics that describe this phenomenon:

1. Time of manifestation: during movements and attempts to pick up a stationary object.
2. Amplitude: small tremors, subtle movements, in some cases a widespread tremor may be observed.
3. Origin: central or peripheral in nature.
4. Absence or presence of concomitant diseases: tremor can be both physiological and pathological.

Types of jitter

Let's look at this in more detail. The following types of tremor exist:

1. Rest: occurs in a calm state. This symptom clearly indicates the presence of health problems. It may be a manifestation of neurological problems, such as Parkinson's disease.
2. Postural: Occurs when trying to hold a limb in a certain position. Occurs in various diseases. Trembling can also be hereditary.
3. Intentional: has a characteristic pattern of movement. As a rule, it is large-scale, the frequency of movements does not exceed 5 Hz. The shaking becomes stronger if you stand with your eyes closed, arms outstretched and fingers spread. When performing precise efforts, it can intensify. This symptom usually signals a violation of the static-coordinating function of the brain.
4. Rubral: characteristic of lesions in the midbrain region. This symptom may be caused by a brain tumor, injury, or multiple sclerosis. The peculiarity is that the trembling is strongly expressed at rest and increases when postural movement occurs. Intention tremor is maximally expressed.
5. Psychogenic: the occurrence of tremor is directly related to emotional experience.

If your child's hands are shaking, he should definitely be seen by a doctor. This condition is not normal and may indicate the occurrence of serious diseases.

Causes of pathology

Head tremors occur due to stressful situations, when the body is overworked and exhausted.
This phenomenon occurs due to the use of medications. If the symptom is observed in adolescents and the elderly, then this deviation is usually benign in nature, and heredity in this case does not play any role. In exceptional cases, there is a possibility of tremors spreading completely over the entire body.

Spasmodic torticollis is a pathological abnormality associated with a nervous disease caused by a characteristic abnormal position of the head.

If an adult experiences this trouble, this may be a consequence of the following changes:

1. Multiple sclerosis.
2. Kidney and liver diseases.
3. Respiratory disorders.
4. Deviations in the functioning of the midbrain.
5. Poisoning with salts of heavy metals.
6. Hyperthyroidism, which occurs when the thyroid gland malfunctions.
7. If there is pathology of the central nervous system.
8. For osteochondrosis of the spine, namely the cervical region.
9. If a person has an alcohol, toxic or drug addiction.
10. With genetic predisposition.

Newborns may also experience involuntary head shaking due to injuries to the nervous system.

Causes of tremor in infants:

1. During development, fetal hypoxia was noted.
2. For birth injuries.
3. In case of stressful conditions of the mother while waiting for the baby.
4. With an increased content of norepinephrine, a hormone produced in the adrenal glands.

Fetal hypoxia can be caused by:

1. Wrapping the baby in the umbilical cord.
2. Fetoplacental insufficiency.
3. If a woman had polyhydramnios.
4. During rapid labor.
5. For infectious lesions of the uterine cavity.

Premature babies also have a shaky head quite often.

If teenagers have a shaking head, possible causes may include:

1. Information overload. For example, stress may be caused by upcoming exams.
2. Experiences on the personal front.

Such stress can be accompanied by impaired coordination of the motor system, aggressiveness and poor sleep.

Physiological tremor in children

Why are my child's hands shaking? Doctors distinguish two types of tremor: pathological and physiological. Moreover, not only the hands, but also other parts of the body can tremble. Twitching of the limbs can be observed both in children older than one year and in infants. This disease can be diagnosed by involuntary twitching of the limbs. For young children, tremor is a normal condition only if it is caused by hypertonicity. A baby who involuntarily shakes an arm or leg is completely normal. This condition will pass after reaching the age of 3 months. Therefore, there is no need to panic.

Why does a month-old baby's hands shake? Tremor at this age is most likely caused by immaturity of the nervous system. However, if over time you notice that the symptoms intensify and the child jerks his arms more strongly, then we are talking about a pathological form of the disease. In this case, the problem may lie in more serious diseases of the nervous system.

Necessary examinations

Diagnostic measures are prescribed by a specialist neurologist. The doctor performs the following actions:

1. Questions the patient about what is bothering him. Does he remember the circumstances when the head trembling began to be noted, the frequency of repetitions, what symptoms appeared in parallel.
2. Assesses the patient's reflexes and normal physiological reactions.
3. Orders a diagnostic test.

List of required studies:

1. Taking a general blood test. Allows you to determine the presence of infectious or autoimmune diseases.
2. Blood for biochemistry. With the help of this analysis, diseases of internal organs that negatively affect the state of the nervous system are identified. It is important to know the level of cholesterol (exceeding it provokes the formation of plaques in blood vessels), glucose (changes in blood vessels with high levels), bilirubin (decomposes hemoglobin and damages the kidneys).

Instrumental diagnostics:

1. A topographer and x-ray assess the structure of the brain, as well as the bones of the skull and spine.
2. EEG helps detect pathologically changed areas of the brain.

Along with basic research, the specialist may prescribe consultations with other doctors, namely a vertebrologist, traumatologist, oncologist, endocrinologist and psychiatrist.

Tremor in infants

For infants, the physiological appearance of the disease is quite normal. With it, the newborn shakes one or more parts of the body (arms, legs or chin). Similar signs can be observed during REM sleep or during overexertion. In newborns, physiological tremor is most pronounced. Then the parents are very worried about the child’s condition. Head shaking can occur even during feeding. This condition is normal only if the child’s age does not exceed three months. However, there are often cases when children under one year old experience it. So, if a child's head and hands are shaking, it is quite possible that these are still manifestations of physiological tremor.

This type of disease, compared to the pathological one, is characterized by a lower frequency, duration and amplitude of movements. If parents carefully observe changes in the baby’s condition, they can immediately understand when the baby is experiencing physiological tremor

Tremor in children after one year

What should you pay attention to first? What to do if a one-year-old child’s hands are shaking? After all, by this time the manifestations of physiological tremor should have already passed. Most likely, the disease is pathological in nature. In this case, trembling of the limbs can be observed at any age, up to adolescence.

How to identify pathological tremor in a child? Symptoms, in addition to twitching of the head, limbs and chin, also include sleep disturbances, nervousness and tearfulness. Frequent head twitching after sleep can be a sign of increased intracranial pressure, hyperglycemia, perinatal encephalopathy and other dangerous diseases. In this case, you can count on a positive outcome only if you contact a pediatric neurologist in a timely manner.

What to do?

First of all, it is necessary to uncover the cause of the tremor. A neurologist will help with this and will conduct the necessary examinations. It is also important to consider the duration of the shaking.

Consultation with a doctor is required if there is constant shaking of the head along with tremors of the hands, especially if spontaneous movements are difficult to control and interfere with the performance of everyday work.

Related factors

What can cause tremors in a child? There are a number of negative factors:

1. Fetal hypoxia: usually occurs when the baby becomes entangled in the umbilical cord during birth, but can also develop for other reasons. In any case, the newborn experiences severe stress, which can subsequently lead to involuntary twitching of the limbs.
2. Threat of miscarriage: if during pregnancy the mother often experienced increased uterine tone, this could have a serious impact on the fetus. In this case, even after the first year of life, the baby may continue to involuntarily twitch his arms and legs.
3. Infections suffered by the mother during pregnancy: doctors today recommend carefully planning conception. The expectant mother must undergo a course of treatment for infectious diseases. Otherwise, the baby may be born sick after passing through the birth canal.
4. Placental abruption: an extremely serious pathology that can lead to late miscarriage. Treatment in this case consists of urgent delivery, prevention of shock, inflammation and blood loss.
5. Prematurity: babies born between 28 and 37 weeks, weighing less than 2500 grams and height less than 45 cm are considered premature. Such babies are weaker than those born at term, and their psychomotor development may occur with a certain delay. However, at the age of 2-3 years they are already catching up with their peers in development.
6. Trauma during childbirth: usually occurs as a result of prolonged labor with constant pressure on the fetus.
7. Severe stress in the mother during pregnancy: norepinephrine in the blood has a negative effect on the child. A systematic lack of sleep can cause tremors in the baby in the future. For this reason, it is important that the pregnant woman gets enough sleep and does not experience constant stress.

How to treat?

Now that we know why a child’s hands are shaking, we can begin to consider the main treatment methods. As a rule, it consists of taking medications. In some cases, the doctor may prescribe the child a course of physical therapy, massage and electrophoresis. After such a comprehensive treatment, the baby’s legs, arms and chin will shake less.

What to do if your child’s hands shake after sleep? In this case, neurologists recommend:

• massage the legs and arms;
• perform gymnastic exercises;
• take baths with soothing herbs such as chamomile and lavender;
• take air baths.

Is such therapy recommended if the child is 4 months old? In this case, hands shake, most likely due to physiological tremor, and its treatment is not prescribed for up to a year.

Diagnostics

When carrying out diagnostics, the first step is an examination by a neurologist with a detailed interview of the patient. The patient will need to describe the symptoms of the tremor, remember the time when it first began and what it was associated with. It is important to establish the reason on which the tremor developed. It is necessary to carry out a number of diagnostic studies, which usually include:

• MRI;
• electroencephalography;
• angiography;
• electromyography;
• several types of blood tests;
• genetic examination.

Additional examinations and consultations with specialists may be prescribed. Based on the collected medical history and data obtained from research, the doctor prescribes treatment.

Therapy of pathological tremor

What is she like? If it has been revealed that the tremor experienced by the newborn is pathological, then it is necessary to provide the baby with a calm environment. If the child experiences stress and nervous tension, the treatment will take longer.

Children older than one year sometimes experience involuntary twitching of the arms. The child may feel as if a certain part of the body is jumping involuntarily. This condition is explained by increased muscle tone. Tremors can also appear when a child experiences an emotional outburst. Often, a child's hands shake when he cries or screams. Twitching can also occur in the lips, chin, muscles of the neck, torso, tongue and face.

The baby's arms and legs may shake even at rest. It has been found that children who are accustomed to falling asleep on their stomachs tremble less in their limbs than babies who sleep on their backs or sides. In addition to muscle tremors, the child may also experience irritability, headaches and insomnia. If the appropriate course of treatment is not completed in time, the child’s tremor will begin to progress. As a result, not one limb will be involved, but several muscle groups at once

In children over 1.5 years old, tremor appears only as a result of some pathology. The reason may also be an unfavorable pregnancy or difficult childbirth. This condition must be treated.

As a rule, the child is prescribed complex therapy, which includes:

Forecast

As a preventive measure and to prevent relapses, you need to:

• make your lifestyle more measured and calm;
• get rid of bad habits (alcohol, smoking, excessive drinking of strong tea and coffee);
• avoid stress and overwork;
• strictly adhere to the daily routine;
• sleep at least 9 hours a day;
• try to get the maximum amount of pleasant emotions.

If you contact a specialist in time and then follow all his recommendations, in most cases the prognosis for solving the problem will be favorable.

When predicting a disease, the following are taken into account:

1. Lifestyle.
2. Exposure to stressful situations.
3. Incorrect head position when working at the computer.
4. Taking medications without specialist prescriptions.

Head bobbing in adolescents or older adults is unexplained and may occur spontaneously.

The disease cannot be hidden and there is no need to do this, since it will not go away on its own, but will only progress. Therefore, it is recommended to contact a specialist in the first stages.

Timely detection and treatment help eliminate the unpleasant symptom.

Consequences

From an early age, a child may begin to experience the effects of tremors. This is tearfulness and nervousness. Over time, sleep may also be disrupted. Unreasonable shaking can lead to impaired motor function. If the baby gets older and the tremor does not go away, then most likely we are talking about a serious neurological disorder, damage to the cerebellum, or a high concentration of copper in the blood. In this case, the main danger is complete loss of ability to work. It is very important to treat not only the external manifestations of tremor, but also the cause that caused it.