Essential Tremor: Tips for Eating and Drinking

Over the  twenty-four years I’ve lived with essential tremor, I’ve found ways to deal with the annoying eating and drinking problems caused by tremors. I’d like to share them with you.

Tall drinking glasses are like me:  top-heavy.  They are easy to tip over.  Using wide, bottom-weighted drinking glasses has saved me from spilling drinks more times than I can count.  You can ask a waiter for a low ball glass like the one on the left below at a restaurant.

Two drinking glasses

 

Heavy knives, forks and spoons are easier to handle.  Their weight means they don’t respond as much to hand tremors.  There is no need to reinvent the wheel.  I found what I needed advertised to help arthritis sufferers.  The utensils in the picture below, Oxo Good Grips, with broad slightly weighted handles, have helped counteract my tremor and made eating easier.  I found them online under “aids for arthritis.”   I wonder if a wrist weight would help as well.

Three spoons, one knife

Please add your tips on this or other issues.  Help with handwriting for a person with hand tremors is something I’d like to read.  Post it on this blog.

Thank you.

Joyce Letzler
ET Support Group Member and Volunteer

8 thoughts on “Essential Tremor: Tips for Eating and Drinking”

  1. I laughed out loud when I saw the picture of the low-ball glass. It’s exactly the one I use!

    Other suggestions:

    I have tried the wrist weights. They didn’t help me at all.
    For cooking, I prefer cooking utensils with short handles. They are easier for me to control (and HARD to find!). I love my heavy iron skillet too.
    I love my Sonicare toothbrush and Airfloss.

  2. I laughed out loud when I saw the picture of the low-ball glass. It’s exactly the one I use!

    Other suggestions:

    I have tried the wrist weights. They didn’t help me at all.
    For cooking, I prefer cooking utensils with short handles. They are easier for me to control (and HARD to find!). I love my heavy iron skillet too.
    I love my Sonicare toothbrush and Airfloss.

  3. I laughed out loud when I saw the picture of the low-ball glass. It’s exactly the one I use!

    Other suggestions:

    I have tried the wrist weights. They didn’t help me at all.
    For cooking, I prefer cooking utensils with short handles. They are easier for me to control – and HARD to find! I love my heavy iron skillet too.
    I love my Sonicare toothbrush and Airfloss.
    I use a computer instead of handwriting whenever possible. Only I can read my handwriting at this point.

  4. I laughed out loud when I saw the picture of the low-ball glass. It’s exactly the one I use!

    Other suggestions:

    I have tried the wrist weights. They didn’t help me at all.
    For cooking, I prefer cooking utensils with short handles. They are easier for me to control – and HARD to find! I love my heavy iron skillet too.
    I love my Sonicare toothbrush and Airfloss.
    I use a computer instead of handwriting whenever possible. Only I can read my handwriting at this point.

  5. Hi, My name is Liam Kenny and I am in my final year in The University of Limerick, Ireland doing Product design. These days we are trying to finalise on a final year project to do and I am looking into Hand tremors control/ reduction using a product. I am looking in to this area as my uncle was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and is developing a hand tremor. I have seen that essential tremors is a big area witht he same problem. And I was wondering if I could get in contact with you maybe by email to get a little insight from your perspective. My college email is 09006782@studentmail.ul.ie I look forward to your reply, Thanks.

  6. Hi, My name is Liam Kenny and I am in my final year in The University of Limerick, Ireland doing Product design. These days we are trying to finalise on a final year project to do and I am looking into Hand tremors control/ reduction using a product. I am looking in to this area as my uncle was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and is developing a hand tremor. I have seen that essential tremors is a big area witht he same problem. And I was wondering if I could get in contact with you maybe by email to get a little insight from your perspective. My college email is 09006782@studentmail.ul.ie I look forward to your reply, Thanks.

  7. I would like to share one incidence, once I visited a restaurant http://www.cornstorerestaurantslimerick.ie/ with my daughter but as she was small she was not able to drink water in heavy glass so I without hesitation asked the waiter to give a light glass as I think it would be a great embarrassment if the glass would have broken by her.

  8. I would like to share one incidence, once I visited a restaurant http://www.cornstorerestaurantslimerick.ie/ with my daughter but as she was small she was not able to drink water in heavy glass so I without hesitation asked the waiter to give a light glass as I think it would be a great embarrassment if the glass would have broken by her.

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