It’s normal to have shaky hands every once in a while. If you have tremors regularly or they’re bad enough to disrupt your life, however, it may mean that things are more complicated than you think. Tremors can be caused by several neurological conditions or movement disorders but one likely culprit is Parkinson’s disease.
Common Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease
The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease can start out as being so mild you don’t even know they’re there. As the condition progresses, though, they will be harder to ignore. Most times, the symptoms affect one side of the body before the other. Persons who are dealing with Parkinson’s may realize that the issues on one side get far worse while the other side’s symptoms are mild.
With that said, these are a few of the symptoms that usually mean you could be dealing with Parkinson’s.
A persistent tremor – Parkinson’s disease has a particular type of tremor. It can start in the hand or fingers then affect the entire limb. Sometimes, there is a pill-rolling tremor which looks like you’re rolling something between your thumb and forefinger. The shaking will also happen while your hand is at rest.
Your movements are slowed – As the condition progresses, you may notice that your walk becomes more of a shuffle and your steps are shorter.
Stiffening muscles – The condition can cause the muscles throughout your body to become rigid. This symptom may be painful and tends to limit your range of motion.
Poor posture and balance – It’s typical for your posture to become stopped and to have trouble maintaining your balance.
Having trouble with involuntary movements – Movements such as blinking or swinging the arms while walking may occur with less frequency.
Speech problems – With Parkinson’s, you may develop a slur or speak more softly. It’s also possible to lose the inflections that usually come with your speech.
Having problems with writing – As might be expected, changes in your muscles and shaky hands can make it difficult to write.