Does trembling necessarily mean Parkinson’s disease?

  With the popularization of medical treatment and the increase of scientific propaganda, people’s awareness of Parkinson’s disease is getting deeper and deeper. Most people have heard of Parkinson’s disease, and some people will say “‘shaking disease’ is Parkinson’s disease”. Therefore, as neurologists, we often encounter patients who mistakenly think they have Parkinson’s disease because of hand tremors or head tremors in outpatient clinics. In fact, there are various causes of tremors in the limbs or head, and it is not necessarily Parkinson’s disease. In neurological diseases, in addition to Parkinson’s disease, the most common “shaking disease” is primary tremor. Primary tremor is one of the more common disorders of the nervous system, also known as idiopathic tremor and benign tremor.  Tremor is often the only symptom of the disease and is characterized clinically by motor tremor of the distal upper extremities, which may be accompanied by tremor of the head, mouth, face, and jaw. Many factors can affect tremor, such as hunger, fatigue emotional excitement and temperature (high heat hot bath) can aggravate tremor, which can be relieved during sleep. The principle of treatment for primary tremor is that no treatment is needed for mild symptoms, but medication is given only when it affects daily life and work, and it is more effective. Therefore, when you or your family members experience involuntary limb tremors, there is no need to be overly alarmed or anxious, nor should you arbitrarily assume that you have Parkinson’s disease and take medication. The only way to improve your symptoms and quality of life is to visit a neurologist at a regular hospital, get a clear diagnosis, and let the specialist develop an individualized treatment plan.