Medical advice

In My Humble Opinion
1

No, I’m not asking for advice from strangers on the internet for myself or someone else, but rather should I advise someone else to seek medical attention, hence IMHO.

A couple months ago I went on a trip with my brother three years younger than I (64 to be precise). I noticed during meals that his head would “hunt” – that is wobble a bit from side to side – about a cm or so when he was reading the menu or conversing with me. I put if off to stress and/or fatigue; you know how hard it is to get a consistent good night’s sleep on a road trip. Last Friday, though, I had lunch with him in town and noticed it had persisted.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I’m recalling that the phenomenon could be a sign of something serious and consultation is recommended, but damned if I can recall what it might be indicating. Or it is entirely possible that my own head wobbles too, and I’m just unaware of it.

So, should I suggest my brother see a doc or just dismiss it as not significant?

2

IANAD etc.
Head “wobbling” could be benign essential tremor AKA familial tremor. It could also signal the onset of Parkinson’s disease. Or it could be something else entirely. If it was happening to me, I would go to my GP and if he/she was unable to confirm a diagnosis, I would see a neurologist.

3

I would ask my brother if he gets semi-annual check-ups with his doctor. If he says yes, I would mention what you noticed and leave it that. If he says no, you might want to suggest a check-up to see if the doctor thinks it’s an issue. That’s what a caring brother does.

If your brother says I never see a doctor I would explain your concern to him and don’t make a big deal about it. I would simply say “it’s probably nothing, but at our age you can’t be too careful about this kind of stuff…” and leave it at that.

4

Thank you for your inputs (insput?). I wanted to check to see if there was any cause for concern at all before I brought it up. Looks like it’s slight but not zero.