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Shaking, Diabetic, Elderly. What Does It Mean?
Question: what doesn it mean when a eldery person gets the shakes and who is a diabetic?
Hello
Thanks for the query.
Although there can be various reasons for shakiness in an elderly person,but there are two specific conditions which result in shakes and unsteadiness and tremors.
1...Parkinsonism
2....essential tremors
1...Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that leads to various movement issues, among them shakiness, limited walking ability, and poor coordination.
The reason Parkinson's causes shaking is because nerve cells that control movement are slowly destroyed.
Sometimes only brain cells controlling one side of the body deteriorate, causing shakiness on one side of the body. But more often both sides of the body are affected. Parkinson's symptoms are managable if detected early, but there is no known cure for the disease.
2....Essential Tremor
Shakiness in elderly people is often thought to be a common aging process. This is far from true. In fact, what many elderly experience is a movement disorder called Essential tremor.
This problem affects so many individuals, approximately 0.3-5.6 percent of the general U.S. population, that when shakiness occurs, this is often what health care providers first diagnose as the problem.
For most people, the first sign is a tremor or shakiness in the hands. Essential tremor can start very gradually and progress to other areas of the body. Most of the time these tremors only occur when someone is trying to complete a voluntary movement like writing or holding a cup. Very fine motor movements such as the ones used to thread a needle or hammer a nail are the hardest for people with essential tremor. During rest periods the tremors can vanish completely.
Essential tremor is a far less debilitating condition than Parkinson's. This is because Parkinson's is always negatively progressive, whereas essential tremor is not a disease that always leads to serious complications, and is far more manageable.
Besides these two conditions shakes and tremors can also be the result of:
Alcohol abuse
Alcohol and other drug withdrawls, including prescription medication withdrawals or incorrect dosing
Elderly depression
I hope to have answered your query however you may revert to me for any further query.
Best of luck
Thanks
Thanks for the query.
Although there can be various reasons for shakiness in an elderly person,but there are two specific conditions which result in shakes and unsteadiness and tremors.
1...Parkinsonism
2....essential tremors
1...Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that leads to various movement issues, among them shakiness, limited walking ability, and poor coordination.
The reason Parkinson's causes shaking is because nerve cells that control movement are slowly destroyed.
Sometimes only brain cells controlling one side of the body deteriorate, causing shakiness on one side of the body. But more often both sides of the body are affected. Parkinson's symptoms are managable if detected early, but there is no known cure for the disease.
2....Essential Tremor
Shakiness in elderly people is often thought to be a common aging process. This is far from true. In fact, what many elderly experience is a movement disorder called Essential tremor.
This problem affects so many individuals, approximately 0.3-5.6 percent of the general U.S. population, that when shakiness occurs, this is often what health care providers first diagnose as the problem.
For most people, the first sign is a tremor or shakiness in the hands. Essential tremor can start very gradually and progress to other areas of the body. Most of the time these tremors only occur when someone is trying to complete a voluntary movement like writing or holding a cup. Very fine motor movements such as the ones used to thread a needle or hammer a nail are the hardest for people with essential tremor. During rest periods the tremors can vanish completely.
Essential tremor is a far less debilitating condition than Parkinson's. This is because Parkinson's is always negatively progressive, whereas essential tremor is not a disease that always leads to serious complications, and is far more manageable.
Besides these two conditions shakes and tremors can also be the result of:
Alcohol abuse
Alcohol and other drug withdrawls, including prescription medication withdrawals or incorrect dosing
Elderly depression
I hope to have answered your query however you may revert to me for any further query.
Best of luck
Thanks
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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