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Since there was a recent question about essential tremor, and it is often confused with PD, I think this brief quote from our local hospital's Health News may be of interest: " Essential tremor (ET) is an involuntary trembling of unknown brain origin of the hands, head, face, or voice, especially during routine voluntary body movements" ( PD is chararcterized by a *resting* tremor, of course.) "The condition may become more pronounced over time and may be aggravated by stress or stimulants such as caffeine. Essential, meaning of unknown cause, tremor affects as many as 5 million Americans, most of them age 60 or older....and consists of only one symptom--the tremors themselves. UNLIKE PARKINSON'S DISEASE...ET DOES NOT CAUSE RIGID LIMBS AND FACIAL MUSCLES,DIFFICULTY WALKING,AND OTHER SYMPTOMS. While the tremors may cause a person to feel embarrassed or make certain activities difficult, they are not a sign of a more serious physical or mental illness...For many people, ET is a mild irritation, and requires no treatment--avoidance of stressful situations or stimulanmts may be all that is necessary. However, if tremors interfere with your lifestyle, sometimes they can be successfully treated with prescription medicines or surgery." (I guess, if "given our druthers" we'd choose ET over PD in a minute! Camilla Flintermann, CG for Peter 79/8 Oxford, OH [log in to unmask] * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Ask me about the CARE list for* * Parkinson's caregivers ! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *