• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Tremor

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment

Definition:

Tremors are a type of involuntary shaking movement.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Tremors are caused by problems with the nerves supplying certain muscles. They may affect the whole body or just certain areas, as with hand tremor ).

Disorders with tremor as the primary symptom include:

• Familial tremor (runs in families)
• Essential tremor (no known cause)
• Drug-induced tremor (drugs known to induce tremor include valproic acid, lithium, and cyclosporine)

Parkinson's disease and other illnesses may cause tremors in addition to other symptoms. Certain medical problems such as hyperthyroidism or Wilson's disease may cause tremors.

• Review Date: 8/26/2006
• Reviewed By: Gail A. Kang, M.D., San Francisco VA Parkinson's Disease Research, Education, & Clinical Center, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.