Head tremor - causes, symptoms, treatment

The trembling of any part of the body in medicine is called tremor. Pathology is classified into several types - postural and intentional involuntary muscle contractions are diagnosed. A similar vibration occurs during the development of many serious ailments. Head tremor can suddenly occur with severe emotional excitement, against the background of some neurological diseases, after a stroke.

Involuntary muscle contractions are more likely to occur in old age. The ailment can be accompanied by trembling of the tongue and impaired speech.

Reasons for the appearance

Tremor can in no way be associated with the disease and is just a hereditary factor. Most often, benign trembling is manifested in adolescence. The cause of postural tremor is thyroid disease. Hyperfunction of this important endocrine organ often develops due to alcoholism or drug addiction.

The most common causes of head shake:

• fear and stress;
• taking medication;
• cervical osteochondrosis;
• weakness;
• overwork of the body;
• cerebellar disease;
• taking drugs;
• alcohol abuse.

Strong emotional excitement is the main reason for the appearance of rhythmic vibrations. The head can swing from side to side until the body is calm. This physiological tremor is natural and is caused by severe anxiety, which cause certain biochemical reactions in the brain. Stress provokes an excess of norepinephrine in the blood.

Osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae often provokes involuntary shaking of the head. This happens due to pinching of the spinal nerve and insufficient blood supply to the neck and brain. In this situation, tremor is accompanied by swelling of the facial tissues, heart pain. Tremor indicates a serious disorder of the autonomic system.

The cause of trembling may be exposure to certain medications. Medications act on certain biochemical reactions in the human body and can cause tremors of the head or limbs.

In old age, head shake causes Parkinson's disease. Hypokinesia develops, damage to certain brain structures. Very often, differential diagnosis reveals damage to the structures of the cerebellum with tremor. For this, electromyography and tremography are used.

Essential tremor is manifested by synchronous contractions of the muscles of the face and neck. There is a prolonged trembling of the head. Multiple head nods can be diagnosed. This symptom accompanies many ailments of the brain and central nervous system.

Tremor development mechanism

With an increase in load, activation of antagonists develops. Defective motion correction and reverse control of the sensorimotor loop occur. Sensory information and movement correction are disturbed. Ultimately, this leads to reflex-mechanical oscillations. Intentional tremor causes dysmetria.

With essential tremor, the neurons of the sensorimotor structures become active. They affect the frequency of jitter. Tremor is often observed after limb ischemia. The defeat of the upper leg of the cerebellum inevitably leads to tremor of the head and trunk.

Head trembling in childhood

The causes of trembling of the baby’s head are oxygen starvation of the fetus during gestation. Violation of cerebral circulation in a child is the main reason for the appearance of trembling head. Convulsions of the cervical and facial muscles can appear in a child with the development of a serious neurological pathology. Parents should certainly react to the trembling of the baby’s head and show the baby to the pediatrician and neurologist.

The cause of tremor in a child is often various pathologies of the endocrine system and disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system. Trembling is the result of some intrauterine pathologies that occurred before the birth of the baby. Provoke involuntary contractions of the cervical and facial muscles:

• insufficient formation of nerve centers;
• high amount of norepinephrine in the blood;
• psycho-emotional anxiety;
• powerful emotions;
• pathology of the adrenal glands;
• entwining the umbilical cord before birth;
• cerebrovascular accident;
• fetal oxygen starvation in the prenatal period;
• oxygen deficiency after childbirth;
• drug syndrome in parents.

Physiological tremor is often diagnosed in children older than a year. It can occur if the child is very nervous, experiencing fear or stress. The muscles of the neck and face contract involuntarily. In addition to the head, the chin and lips can twitch. Such a tremor is associated with a strong nervous tension of the child.

If pathology is present, tremor is accompanied by insomnia or troubled sleep. Diagnosed with dysfunction of the central nervous system, expressed in increased arousal of the child, hyperactivity, excessive irritability. Often tremor accompanies a headache.

Treatment

Therapy of pathology should be comprehensive. The main effect of treatment is aimed at self-regulation of the symptom. Mild forms of tremor do not need intensive care. The use of various muscle relaxant techniques help calm the central nervous system and prevent the development of stress and nervousness. A good helper of drug therapy can be yoga, soothing meditation and alternative medicine.

Drug therapy
If the patient suffers from high blood pressure, the doctor may prescribe adrenoblockers. Recommended for head tremors:

• Primidon;
• Metoprolol;
• Clonazepam;
• Propranolol;
• Diazepine.

These medicines should be used with caution. Exceeding the dose can cause severe dizziness and an increase in adverse events. The optimal dose of B-blockers is not 35-100 mg. Otherwise, there may be problems with blood pressure, bronchospasm, hypoglycemia. A drug such as propranolol is taken 1 time per day. With tremor of the head in combination with diazepam, Anaprilin and Antelepsin are prescribed.

Vitamins of group B are also prescribed in the complex drug treatment. They have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the central nervous system, treat neurosis, stress, insomnia and excessive irritability. Vitamins improve metabolism and enhance the production of serotonin.

Tremor responds poorly to medical treatment, but in combination with other measures, a positive result can be achieved.

Phytotherapy
An alternative treatment for pathology has long been phytotherapy. Traditional medicine includes many recipes that favorably affect the functions of the central nervous system. From ancient times, the people took from decoction a decoction from the root of valerian, hawthorn and motherwort. Such a remedy has a sedative effect, strengthens and stabilizes the nervous system. It is recommended to prepare the tool as follows:

• mix equal parts of valerian root, motherwort and hawthorn;
• pour boiling water;
• insist 1 hour;
• strain and take 1/3 cup several times a day.

When the head and limbs tremble, tansy inflorescences help. They must be chewed, spitting out cake, and saliva saturated with useful substances must be swallowed. Tansy helps to quickly restore health.

For the treatment of tremor, peppermint, dried cinnamon and chamomile flowers are used. Vegetable raw materials are taken in equal quantities and brewed under a lid. Take 1/3 cup three times a day.

Since ancient times, Valerian has been used to treat tremors of the head, arms, and legs. The root of this herb contains a large number of biological substances that have a direct positive effect on the functioning of the nervous system. Valerian is recommended to take at least 1 month to establish the functions of the central nervous system. The root can be brewed with motherwort. The tool is insisted and filtered.

Effective from tremor is such a recipe:

• take collected lofant inflorescences;
• pour vegetable raw materials with boiling water;
• insist 1 hour and strain;
• take 0.5 cup three times a day.

In folk treatment, you can use any medicinal plants that have a sedative effect. The advisability of this therapy requires consultation with a specialist.

Psychotherapeutic treatment
Very often, simple visits to a psychotherapist help eliminate head shake. A large number of different psychotherapeutic paths helps relieve nervous tension, prevent the development of stress. In European clinics, psychotherapeutic care for patients is widely used.

Psychotherapy for tremors ensures mental balance of the patient and, as a result, reduces seizures and manifestations of tremor. A symptom is diagnosed against the background of a neurological disorder, so the help of a therapist can help to solve the problem. Tremor often occurs amid an emotional outburst, fear, or panic. It is also possible to eliminate physiological tremor with the help of some psychotherapeutic techniques.

Alternative methods
Treatment of tremor of the head and limbs may include yoga, breathing exercises and other methods that are aimed at calming the nervous system. Hypnosis treatment with a good specialist often becomes effective. You can use self-persuasion tactics, a variety of meditations that are aimed at relaxing the cervical and facial muscles. This approach will certainly give a positive result.

In eastern medicine, yoga and performing mudras are widely practiced with head tremors. Each mudra helps to relax the mind and is aimed at a complete focus on the desired result. Performing the necessary meditation is required in a calm environment. Yoga normalizes the functioning of the whole organism and has a beneficial effect on the central nervous system and psycho-emotional state.

Video: what to do with head tremor