March is Essential Tremor Awareness Month
What is Essential Tremor?
Essential Tremor or ET is the uncontrollable shaking in different parts of the body due to a nerve disorder. The part of the body that is mostly affected by ET includes the arms, hands, head, larynx, tongue, and chin. In extreme cases, the lower part of the body is also affected.
Essential tremor can occur at any age. People with ET usually experience the first episodes of tremors during puberty. But the uncontrollable shaking of the body is mostly felt and experienced between ages 40 and 50. In North America alone, more than 10 million people suffer from essential tremor.
Even though it is not a life threatening condition, a person who suffers from essential tremor can be affected if the uncontrollable shaking prevents that person from doing his daily routine or from caring for himself. But for most people who are diagnosed with essential tremor, they can still function and live a normal life. Essential tremor will only be considered a disability if the tremors become so severe the person can no longer care for themselves.
Even with the advancement of medical technology, the true cause of essential tremor is not yet fully understood. What the experts on ET know at this time is that the shaking is caused by abnormal electric brain activity in the thalamus region.
Most people who have essential tremor also acquire the condition through genetics. If one or both of your parents have ET, you will have a 50 percent chance of inheriting the condition. While it is true that ET is more common in- the elderly and the symptoms usually manifest with age, essential tremor is not in any way related to the natural aging process of a person.
Symptoms of Essential Tremor:
-Balance problems
-Uncontrollable nodding of head
-Shaking voice
-Tremors that gets worse with purposeful movement
-Tremors that lessen with rest
-Tremors that worsen during periods of emotional stress
-Uncontrollable shaking that occurs for brief periods of time
Essential tremor cannot be diagnosed by blood, urine, and other regular test procedures like other medical conditions. The diagnosis is based on the symptoms and a complete neurological exam.
There is speech therapy available for individuals with a “shaky voice” called SPEAK OUT!® speech therapy, which typically consists of twelve individual speech therapy sessions, three sessions per week for four weeks, conducted “one on one” with a licensed speech-language pathologist. Together, the patient and the speech-language pathologist work their way through a series of speech, voice, and cognitive exercises. The goal of therapy is to strengthen the muscles used for speaking and swallowing and to teach patients how to speak with intent and deliberation. After completion of SPEAK OUT!®, a 6 week follow-up appointment will be scheduled with the speech-language pathologist. A refresher session will be scheduled every 3-6 months for maintenance. Attendance and home practice are critical for achieving optimal results. Speech therapy is offered in our Lake Mary, Orange City and DeLand office locations. For additional information contact our office at (386) 774-9880, option # 6 or www.ParkinsonVoiceProject.org
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I didn’t realize that tremors get worse with purposeful movement. Because it is important to be able to move to accomplish normal tasks like drinking from a cup, I think it would be important to look for treatments. I’ll have to see what is available for those with essential tremor and Parkinson’s.
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