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What is ET
​In medicine, the word "essential" means there's no known underlying cause for a symptom, which is the case for essential tremor. 
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Essential Tremors is when you have uncontrolled shaking movements in parts of your body - most commonly the arms and hands. It is more common with increasing age. It tends to occur in families. It is mild in some people but can become severe and disruptive to daily activities in others. There is good treatment available in the form of medication and occasionally surgery.

What is tremor?
A tremor is a repetitive movement of a part of the body. It is involuntary. This means that it is generally not controllable and happens without you deciding to move that body part. It is often felt as a trembling or shaking sensation.
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Despite its prevalence, it wasn't until 2013 that essential tremor was given its own specific diagnostic code, one that's distinct from other tremors, in the 10th edition of the World Health Organization's International Statistical Classification of Disease and Related Health Problems (ICD) code book. ICD-10-CM Code for Essential tremor G25.0
ICD-10 code G25.0 for Essential tremor is a medical classification as listed by WHO under the range - Diseases of the nervous system.  
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Other names over the years for Essential Tremor 
  • Familial tremor
  • Benign essential tremor
  • Hereditary essential tremor
  • ​Palsy
What Are the Symptoms of Essential Tremor?
The primary symptoms associated with essential tremor include:

  • Uncontrollable shaking in your hands that occurs over time
  • Shaking voice
  • Nodding or shaking head
  • Tremors that worsen during periods of emotional stress
  • Tremors that get worse with purposeful movement
  • Tremors that lessen with rest
  • Balance problems 
  • Not able to write your name
What is Essential Tremor?

Tremor is an unintentional, somewhat rhythmic, muscle movement involving to-and-fro movements (oscillations) of one or more parts of the body.

Essential tremor (previously called benign essential tremor) is the most common form of abnormal tremor. (In some people, tremor is a symptom of a neurological disorder or appears as a side effect of certain drugs.)  

Although it may be mild and nonprogressive in some people, in others the tremor is slowly progressive, starting on one side of the body but eventually affecting both sides.

Hand tremor is most common but the head, arms, voice, tongue, legs, and trunk may also be involved. Hand tremor may cause problems with purposeful movements such as eating, writing, sewing, or shaving.

Head tremor may be seen as a "yes-yes" or "no-no" motion. ET may be accompanied by mild gait disturbance. Heightened emotion, stress, fever, physical exhaustion, or low blood sugar may trigger tremors or increase their severity.

There may be mild degeneration in the certain parts of the cerebellum in persons with essential tremor.  

Onset is most common after age 40, although symptoms can appear at any age. Children of a parent who has essential tremor have up to a 50 percent chance of inheriting the condition. 
What is tremor?
A tremor is a repetitive movement of a part of the body. It is involuntary. This means that it is generally not controllable and happens without you deciding to move that body part. It is often felt as a trembling or shaking sensation.

Action tremor:
A voluntary movement such as lifting a cup to one's mouth.
Postural tremor: A voluntary holding of a position against gravity such as reaching or extending one's hand or arm. Most people with ET experience both postural and action tremor.

What causes essential tremor?
Essential tremor is known to be familial condition, meaning that it runs in families. At least 5-7 out of 10 people with essential tremor have other members of the family with the same condition. Genes are passed on to a child from each parent and determine what we look like, how our body functions, and even what diseases we get. Particular genes have been shown to have certain changes present in families with essential tremor. 

How is essential tremor diagnosed?
​There is no test to diagnose essential tremor. Your doctor can usually diagnose essential tremor based on your explanation of the tremor and an examination. It is important for the doctor to make sure that there are no other conditions present that are causing tremor. 

What is the treatment for essential tremor?
Essential tremor cannot be cured. Treatment reduces the severity of the tremor, sometimes greatly. There are various treatments that are used.

Medication
There are two medicines used initially for essential tremor - propranolol and primidone. These medicines have been shown to ease the tremor in up to 8 in 10 affected people.

Surgery
If medicine treatment is not effective, and the tremor is severe, then a surgical procedure may be an option. There are two main surgical procedures that may be considered - thalamotomy and thalamic deep brain stimulation. They both involve the thalamus. This is a deep part of the brain that organizes messages travelling between the body and brain.

What is the outlook?
Essential tremor is called a progressive disease. This means that it tends to gets worse over time.  
There is no definitive cure for essential tremor.

Diann Shaddox Foundation for Essential Tremor