Can tremors be treated or minimized?
Maria: You ask if tremors can be treated or minimized. Not being able to eat without dropping his food must be very frustrating and discouraging for your father. Tremors are involuntary muscle movements and the hands are the most commonly affected. What you describe are most commonly referred to as "action" tremors and occur when a person is performing a voluntary action, such as gripping a piece of silverware to eat. There are a couple of reasons for why he may experiencing these tremors.
Some medications can cause tremors as a side-effect. Your pharmacist can review any medications your father is taking to see if this might be the cause. It might be possible to stop the drug, reduce the dosage, or switch to another drug.
Alcohol or tobacco withdrawal can also cause tremors as can excessive caffeine intake.
Since the tremors are interfering with his daily activities you might want to consider consulting a neurologist to see if s/he could help treat or control the tremors your father is having. Individuals with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) can also experience the kind of shaking or tremors that are characteristic of Parkinson's disease, so a neurological consultation could be helpful. Lewy Bodies are small, round protein lumps that accumulate in the outer layer of the brain (the cerebral cortex) and deep inside the midbrain and brainstem and can cause tremors, muscle stiffness and movement disorders. They are often found in those diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Down syndrome and other disorders.
Although tremors cannot usually be cured there is something you can do to make eating easier. Weighted dining utensils could help with his eating difficulties. They look like regular silverware and can cut down on the problems associated with tremors. The added weight helps stabilize the hands and makes eating easier. There are a number of online sources for weighted utensils. One online source is The Elder Store (www.elderstore.com). Your local medical supply company will also likely carry them.
If he has trouble holding a glass he could try using a straw to sip from the glass instead of trying to hold it up to his mouth.
I hope these suggestions will help your father. Best of luck to both. of you.
