To choose the right essential tremor treatment, first you should be evaluated by a medical professional. A specialist, such as a neurologist, can help you determine the best course of treatment, such as drug therapy and lifestyle modification. Your essential tremor treatment should also include awareness. Try to determine which foods, over-the-counter medications, and activities seem to aggravate your symptoms, then do your best to avoid them.
Determining the best treatment for essential tremors may require a method of trial and error. What works best for some may not be the ideal solution for you. This condition is a benign form of tremor that affects the central nervous system. Often this condition may be hereditary, although not every case is considered to be. If you've been diagnosed with essential tremors, you probably can rule out more serious diseases, such as Parkinson's.
To control your symptoms and choose the best essential tremor treatment, eliminate any stimulating chemicals or medications. Caffeine could play a key factor in causing your episodes. This doesn't necessarily mean giving up coffee, tea, or colas, as you can try decaffeinated beverages. Keep in mind, however, that even decaffeinated products may contain trace amounts of caffeine. Eliminating caffeine may also mean cutting back or eliminating cocoa and chocolate from your diet as well, as these contain caffeine.
Stimulants such as decongestants may worsen your symptoms as well. Try to avoid using decongestants or other medications known to cause hyperactivity or raise the blood pressure. Any of these may cause a flare up of tremors.
To find your best essential tremor treatment contact the neurology department of your local medical facility or hospital where you were diagnosed. Often they have material or even support groups that may be of some help to you. Speaking with an experienced specialist in this field can help you ascertain which treatment options are available.
In many cases, certain drugs can help reduce the frequency or severity of essential tremors. Two such drugs, primidone and propranolol, have shown decent success rates when used for treating essential tremor patients. These are beta-blockers, which act to slow down the progression or help eliminate tremors to a significant degree. Many patients with epilepsy also receive these medications to control seizures. You may be given a low dose when you begin your therapy to see how your body reacts.
If you experience tremors of the head, the aforementioned drugs may not be sufficient for your essential tremor treatment. In such a case, your physician may recommend injections of another type of drug, administered directly into the neck region. Only your physician can determine if this is the best course of treatment for you. A surgical procedure known as deep brain stimulation (DBS) is performed on certain patients who suffer from disabling symptoms of essential tremor. DBS is generally reserved for more severe cases of this disorder, when all other options fail.
