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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Essential tremor is a disorder of the nervous system that causes a rhythmic shaking. Essential tremor can affect almost any part of your body, but the trembling occurs most often in your hands — especially when you try to do simple tasks, such as drinking from a glass, tying shoelaces, writing or shaving. Essential tremor also may affect your head, voice, arms or legs.
Although usually not a dangerous condition, essential tremor worsens over time and can be severe in some people. It isn't caused by other diseases, although it's sometimes confused with Parkinson's disease. Essential tremor can occur at any age but is most common in older adults.
- Essential tremor. Genetics Home Reference. http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/essential-tremor/show/print. Accessed June 12, 2010.
- Tarsy D. Overview of tremor. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 14, 2010.
- Eidelberg D, et al. Tremor. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec16/ch221/ch221i.html?qt=essential%20tremor&alt=sh. Accessed Aug. 8, 2010.
- Tarsy D. Pharmacologic treatment of essential tremor. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 14, 2010.
- Tarsy D. Surgical treatment of essential tremor. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 14, 2010.
- Tremor fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tremor/detail_tremor.htm?css=print. Accessed June 12, 2010.
- Louis ED. Essential tremors: A family of neurodegenerative disorders? Archives of Neurology. 2009;66:1202.
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