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Tremor refers to involuntary, rhythmic shaking, most commonly affecting the hands. It can be a normal response to factors like caffeine, stress, fatigue, or low blood sugar, or it can be linked to conditions such as essential tremor, an overactive thyroid, or, less commonly, Parkinson's disease.
Evidence checked against current HSE guidance for Tremor or shaking hands, covering the article's core clinical information and relevant assessment, management or safety considerations.
Public health education article
Self-care advice — See your GP if tremor is new, persistent, or affecting your daily activities, so the cause can be properly assessed.
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Tremor refers to involuntary, rhythmic shaking, most commonly affecting the hands. It can be a normal response to factors like caffeine, stress, fatigue, or low blood sugar, or it can be linked to conditions such as essential tremor, an overactive thyroid, or, less commonly, Parkinson's disease.
Topic-specific prevention and risk reduction will be added during the article-specific evidence audit.
Tremor is new, persistent, or worsening over time
Tremor refers to involuntary, rhythmic shaking, most commonly affecting the hands. It can be a normal response to factors like caffeine, stress, fatigue, or low blood sugar, or it can be linked to conditions such as essential tremor, an overactive thyroid, or, less commonly, Parkinson's disease.
The pattern of tremor — whether it happens at rest or during movement, and whether it affects one side or both — often helps identify the likely cause.
See your GP if tremor is new, persistent, or affecting your daily activities, so the cause can be properly assessed.
These measures can help ease symptoms, support recovery, and reduce the chance of things worsening — but they don't replace medical advice if symptoms are severe or persistent.
BarnMD Health Intelligence uses authoritative and clinically relevant sources appropriate to the topic. References are shown so readers can inspect the evidence directly.
BarnMD Health Library provides general health education for public health literacy. Reading this article does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and this information is not a diagnosis, prescription, or personalised treatment plan. If you have symptoms or concerns about your health, seek appropriate advice from a qualified healthcare professional. If you develop emergency warning signs, seek urgent or emergency medical attention.
Tremor has many possible causes, most of them harmless, though persistent or worsening tremor benefits from a proper assessment to identify the cause.
Whether tremor happens mainly at rest or during movement is one of the most useful clues in identifying its underlying cause.