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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffThe following actions may reduce or relieve tremors:
- Avoid caffeine. Avoid caffeine and other stimulants because they can increase your tremors.
- Use alcohol sparingly or not at all. Some people notice that their tremors improve slightly after they drink alcohol, but drinking isn't a good solution for people with essential tremor. Tremors tend to worsen once the effects of alcohol wear off. Also, larger amounts of alcohol eventually are needed to relieve tremors, which can lead to chronic alcoholism.
- Learn to relax. Stress and anxiety tend to make tremors worse, and being relaxed may improve tremors. Although you can't eliminate all stress from your life, you can change how you react to stressful situations using a range of relaxation techniques, such as massage or meditation.
- Make lifestyle changes. Use the hand less affected by tremor more often. Find ways to avoid writing with the hand affected by tremor, such as using online banking and debit cards instead of writing checks. Try using voice-activated dialing on your cellphone and speech-recognition software on your computer. Therapists may offer you other suggestions to adapt to essential tremor in your daily life.
References
- NINDS essential tremor information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/essential_tremor/essential_tremor.htm. Accessed Nov. 15, 2012.
- Essential tremor. Genetics Home Reference. http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/essential-tremor/. Accessed Nov. 15, 2012.
- Tremor fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tremor/detail_tremor.htm. Accessed Nov. 15, 2012.
- Tarsy D. Overview of tremor. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Nov. 15, 2012.
- Tremor. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/neurologic_disorders/movement_and_cerebellar_disorders/tremor.html?qt=essential%20tremor&sc=&alt=sh#top. Accessed Nov. 15, 2012.
- Parkinson's disease: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/parkinsons_disease/detail_parkinsons_disease.htm. Accessed Nov. 19, 2012.
- Tarsy D. Pharmacologic treatment of essential tremor. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Nov. 15, 2012.
- Tarsy D. Surgical treatment of essential tremor. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Nov. 15, 2012.
- Zesiewicz TA, et al. Evidence-based guideline update: Treatment of Essential Tremor: Report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. 2011;77:1752.
- Coping tips. International Essential Tremor Foundation. http://www.essentialtremor.org/Coping-Tips. Accessed Nov. 20, 2012.
- Support groups. International Essential Tremor Foundation. http://www.essentialtremor.org/siteresources/apps/supportgroups/. Accessed Nov. 20, 2012.
- NINDS essential tremor information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/essential_tremor/essential_tremor.htm. Accessed Nov. 15, 2012.
- Essential tremor. Genetics Home Reference. http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/essential-tremor/. Accessed Nov. 15, 2012.
- Tremor fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tremor/tremor.htm. Accessed Nov. 15, 2012.
- U.S. News best hospitals 2012-2013. U.S. News & World Report. http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings. Accessed Nov. 15, 2012.
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