In this blog, I would like to discuss briefly three main issues.typing on a smartphone

  1. Define tremor, types of tremor, and diseases that may cause it.
  2. What is the importance of smartphones in the lives of people with tremor?
  3. How software helps people overcome shaky hands.

The smart phone has become an important tool for people. They help us talk to our families and have fun. The following are some ways smart phones can improve the health and lives of people with disabilities.

Tremor is an uncontrolled movement of the body. Some people call it “shaky hands”. Here are two types.

  1. Resting Tremor (RT) is part of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). In 2004, there were about 5 million people with PD in the world. There will be 40 million in 2020. There tends to be less Resting Tremor when the body is moving. Resting Tremor is worse when the body is at rest.
  2. Essential tremor (ET) is another uncontrolled movement of the hands. ET is the most common tremor. The World Health Organization says 4% of people are affected by ET. Essential Tremor is worse when the body is moving, and better when the body is at rest.

Other causes of tremor:

  • brain tumors;
  • side effects of some medicines;
  • caffeine; and
  • stress

Smart phones have become a tool to transmit and store data from people with tremor. They are also used to learn about tremor and to see how good a treatment is.

Below are some free apps with brief explanations:

  1. Lift Pulse App is available for Android and IOS. It can identify your tremor and measure its degree. You can set your baseline readings (on a normal day) and compare them with results from other days. You can find this app at:
    1. Lift Pulse App download link / Android version
    2. Lift Pulse App download link / IOS Version.
  2. Parkinson’s Central App is available for Android and IOS. It is a great free app for people with Parkinson’s Disease. It answers general questions to improve the lives of people with shaky hands. It gives information on health insurance and local resources near you. You can find this app at:
    1. Parkinson’s Central App download link / Android Version
    2. Parkinson’s Central App download link / IOS Version.
  3. Essential Tremor App is available for Android and IOS. It is a great free app for people with Essential Tremor. It gives you general information about symptoms and treatments. It lets you know about ET events near you. You can find this app at:
    1. Essential Tremor App download link / Android Version
    2. Essential Tremor App download link / IOS version.

Touch screens on smart phones could be a challenge for people with tremor.

Below are some helpful solutions.

Change the sensitivity of the touchscreen. Find Accessibility Options in Settings. Now you can adjust such options as:

  • Assistive Touch
  • Touch Accommodations
  • Switch Control
  • Keyboard Size
  • Shake to Undo

Review the options and play around with them to find what is best for your needs.

There are other free apps that would be useful as well. Also, many users with tremor prefer to use voice to text to overcome the challenges of tremor.

I encourage you to enjoy your smart phone, and not to let tremor hold you back.