FEARS FOR MERKEL
Angela Merkel spotted mysteriously shaking for THIRD time in three weeks
GERMAN chancellor Angela Merkel was seen shaking uncontrollably again today amid growing fears for her health.
She appeared to tremble as she received the Finnish PM Antti Rinne in Berlin.
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It is the third time in as many weeks Merkel has looked unsteady at official engagements, sparking fears for her health.
On June 27 she gripped her trembling arms and pursed her lips at a ceremony in Berlin - nine days after footage emerged of her shaking for a whole minute.
On previous occasions she has blamed her unsteadiness on overheating or dehydration.
But the temperature in Berlin today only reached a mild 18C.
Mrs Merkel was last spotted shaking as she stood alongside President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at an indoor event where Germany's new justice minister was formally appointed.
She seemed to grimace as she clutched her arms, apparently in an effort to hide the shakes.
Mrs Merkel, 64, was handed a glass of water but rejected it, and appeared fine when she arrived in parliament half an hour later.
Her spokesman later said she was OK and would attend the G20 summit in Japan.
He said: "Everything is taking place as planned. The chancellor is well."
Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel seen shaking again as she met President Frank-Walter Steinmeier
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Aides blamed dehydration for her last bout of shakes and dismissed health worries - but the fresh video today is likely to renew speculation over her future as leader.
Mrs Merkel - the most powerful woman in the world - is Europe's most influential politician and is expected to play a pivotal role in Brexit negotiations with Britain's next PM.
On June 18, Mrs Merkel's whole body shook as she stood outside in 28C weather alongside Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky.
The chancellor said at a news conference 90 minutes later: "Since then I've drunk at least three glasses of water, which I apparently needed, and now I'm doing very well."
Mr Zelensky, 41, said he would have come to her rescue if necessary, insisting her health is not a matter of concern.
Reports in Germany say she has been seen shaking before, especially in the sun.
In 2014, she postponed a TV interview at the last minute because she felt weak.
How dehydration can cause muscle shaking
Muscle shaking or tremors are when you're not able to control a part of your body from trembling.
It's normal to have a slight tremor if your hands or arms are stretched out in front of you.
Sometimes it can become more noticeable as you get older, feel stressed, tired, anxious, angry, after drinking caffeine or if you're very hot or cold.
But muscle shaking could also be an early sign of dehydration.
Dehydration happens when you don't drink enough water or you lose too much water quickly from excessive urination, diarrhoea or blood loss.
That leads to loss of electrolytes such as potassium and sodium, which are salts of the body needed for normal muscle control and nerve function.
Dehydration can also cause muscle cramping, irregular heartbeat, fatigue and reduced brain function.
It can happen more easily if you have:
- diabetes
- vomiting or diarrhoea
- been in the sun too long
- drunk too much alcohol
- sweated too much after exercising
- a temperature of 38C or more
- been taking medicines that make you pee more
Involuntary shaking is also a sign of Parkinson's disease, in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years.
If you have a tremor that has become severe or is affecting your life, see your GP.
You may be offered medicine to help reduce the shaking or trembling.
Source: NHS
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Merkel has been chancellor since 2005, and presided over Germany's powerhouse economy that has propped up the Eurozone through a series of crises.
But in October she was forced to stand down as leader of her Christian Democrat party after disastrous local elections.
She has vowed to stay on as chancellor - the equivalent of PM - until 2021.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel was seen visibly shaking at a public engagement in Berlin
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