5 conditions that cause shaky hands

If your day isn’t complete without caffeine, giving it up to stop your hands from shaking doesn’t sound ideal. The good (and bad) news is caffeine might not be the sole cause of these tremors.

In fact, there are five health conditions where shaky, trembling hands are common:

1. Essential tremors

Tremors that worsen with movement are called essential tremors. The neurological condition is the most common movement disorder, and it most often affects both hands.

“Essential tremors are usually not of clinical concern and often inherited. It can start at any age – adolescence or middle age,” explains Dr. Frank Tran, a family medicine physician at Advocate Health Care. “The cause of essential tremors is unknown, but researchers have proposed that the condition may coincide with slight cerebellar degeneration.”

While there isn’t a way to reverse cerebellar degeneration, there are treatments to reduce tremors and other related symptoms.

2. Parkinson’s disease

People who have Parkinson’s often experience tremors at rest, most often in their hands.

“There are many motor-related symptoms that people with Parkinson’s experience since the disease impacts the part of the brain’s basal ganglia that’s responsible for motor control,” Dr. Tran says. “Other motor-related symptoms include balance issues, slow movements and muscle cramps.”

3. Low blood sugar

Also known as hypoglycemia, low blood sugar is commonly caused by type 1 diabetes. However, it’s possible to experience low blood sugar without having the chronic condition. Usually this is the result of malnutrition, an underlying health condition or a medication side effect.

“Along with shakiness, you’ll often experience sweating and a fast heart rate when you have low blood sugar,” Dr. Tran says. “This is the result of your body’s fight-or-flight response to stabilize its blood sugar levels.”

Typically, eating or drinking fast-acting carbs can raise blood sugar levels to a normal range. Examples of fast-acting carbs include small hard candies and fruit juice.

4. Hyperthyroidism

A hyperactive thyroid causes you to produce excess thyroid hormones, causing your metabolism to speed up. This results in hand tremors, unexpected weight loss and an increased heart rate.

There are medications and surgeries to help manage thyroid hormone levels and hyperthyroidism symptoms.

5. Anxiety disorder

Anxiety causes the body to go into fight-or-flight mode when it perceives danger. When you have an anxiety disorder, your body is stuck in this state. This can cause physical health problems.

Practicing mindfulness, receiving therapy and taking prescription medications can help reduce anxiety and its corresponding symptoms.

What should you do if you have shaky hands?

If your symptoms persist, talk with your health care provider who can determine if you have an underlying health condition by looking at your health history and other symptoms. They may also recommend starting with lifestyle changes, like limiting caffeine and prioritizing sleep.

Want to learn more about your risk for diabetes? Take a free online quiz.