It’s a common misdiagnosis. Someone notices a tremor in their hands or body and automatically they think they have Parkinson’s disease. Some have said their doctor prescribed a Parkinson’s disease medication for them until they discovered the correct diagnosis was essential tremor (ET). And sometimes a person is diagnosed with ET when they are actually in the early stages of Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s disease and ET will always be connected because of their similar physical symptoms. There is more public awareness about Parkinson’s, but ET is eight times more common. At the International Essential Tremor Foundation, we hear from individuals who have both conditions.
So what are the differences? How can you learn more? One way is to take part in the IETF’s upcoming FREE teleconference, “ET vs. Parkinson’s: How Do They Differ?” Mark your calendar to join us:
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2018
12 p.m. pacific time
1 p.m. mountain time
2 p.m. central time
3 p.m. eastern time
Dr. Holly Shill
Dr. Holly Shill, chair of the IETF medical advisory board, will be the teleconference speaker. Dr. Shill is the director of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. Her expertise includes the diagnosis and treatment of involuntary movements, essential tremor, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, dystonia, and ataxia. IETF Executive Director Patrick McCartney will be the teleconference moderator.
How Can You Participate in the Teleconference?
If you’ve never participated in a teleconference before, don’t worry, it’s easy! The entire conference is conducted over the phone; no internet or computer is required. You can listen in by yourself, or host a teleconference party in your home and put us on speaker phone. (Then you can have your own group discussion afterward!)
But first, give us a call, 1-888-387-3667. Reservations are required because our capacity for callers is limited. When you register, you’ll receive a call in number and conference code. And, you’ll have the opportunity to give us a question or two that you would like to have answered during the teleconference. Here are a few questions that have already been submitted:
- Is Parkinson’s more in the feet and ET in the hands?
- Does ET and/or Parkinson’s affect your memory?
- What percentage of people with ET develop Parkinson’s?
Our Past Teleconferences Are Online
The IETF conducts several teleconferences each year as part of its educational offering to people with essential tremor. All teleconferences are recorded and posted on our website so anyone can log on anytime to listen to past ones.
We also host educational forums several times a year in cities throughout the U.S. Our next forum is scheduled for June 23, 2018 in Minneapolis.
The IETF’s goal is to provide hope to the essential tremor community through awareness, education, support, and research. These teleconferences are one way we carry out the “education” part of our mission.
We know that by providing educational programs, we can continue to communicate the latest information about essential tremor. Join us on April 18!