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Tourette Syndrome

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KEY POINTS

  • Tourette syndrome is a disorder that causes motor and vocal tics. Tics are muscle movements or sounds that you make without meaning to do so.
  • Tourette syndrome can be treated with different therapies to learn how to control the tics. It is also sometimes treated with medicine.

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What is Tourette syndrome?

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a disorder that causes both motor and vocal tics. Motor tics are brief, rapid movements of the face, hands, or legs that happen over and over. Vocal tics can be words, throat clearing, or other sounds that are not made on purpose.

If tics are severe, or happen often, they can affect your life in many ways.

Tourette syndrome is usually lifelong, though symptoms may improve for weeks or even years at a time. In most cases, the symptoms get better in adulthood.

What is the cause?

The exact cause of this disorder is not known.

  • The brain makes chemicals that affect thoughts, emotions, and actions. Without the right balance of these chemicals, there may be problems with the way you think, feel, or act. People with this disorder may have too little or too much of some of these chemicals.
  • People with this disorder may have physical changes in their brain. These changes may mean that some parts of the brain are more active or less active than in other people.
  • Stress also plays a part.
  • TS tends to run in families.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms may include:

  • Eye twitches or eye blinks
  • Facial grimaces
  • Head jerks
  • Kicking, jumping, bending, or twisting
  • Touching objects
  • Grunting, throat clearing, or sniffling
  • Yelping, making up words, or repeating words over and over. The words may be swear words or other unacceptable words, which can be very embarrassing at work or at school.

You may have one type of tic or many different tics. The tic may start in one body part and spread to other body parts. Sometimes tics disappear for minutes or hours.

Many people with TS also have:

  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which causes problems paying attention, trouble sitting still, and doing things without thinking first
  • Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), in which you constantly think about something that causes anxiety, or do certain actions over and over to help control anxiety, such as checking, counting, or repeating words
  • Depression, which is feeling sad, hopeless, and uninterested in daily life
  • Anxiety, which is feel tense and nervous much of the time

How is it diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and medical history and examine you. You may have tests or scans to check for possible causes of your symptoms.

How is it treated?

TS may be treated with several kinds of medicine. Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), which includes habit reversal training and other therapies, may also help. With habit reversal training, you do something instead of the tic. The new action should use muscles in a way that makes it impossible to do the old habit. For example, instead of an eye blink tic, you could very gently close your eyelids and hold them closed for 10 seconds.

Usually you will have more tics when you are tense or stressed and fewer tics when you are asleep, relaxed, or focused on an absorbing task. The use of relaxation techniques or biofeedback may help relieve stress and reduce tics.

How can I take care of myself?

Follow the full course of treatment prescribed by your healthcare provider. In addition:

  • Learn to manage stress. Ask for help at home and work when the load is too great to handle. Find ways to relax. For example, take up a hobby, listen to music, watch movies, or take walks. Try yoga, meditation, or deep breathing exercises when you feel stressed.
  • Get support. Talk with family and friends. Consider joining a support group in your area.
  • Take care of your physical health. Try to get at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Eat a healthy diet. Limit caffeine. If you smoke, quit. If you want to drink alcohol, ask your provider how much is safe for you to drink. Exercise according to your healthcare provider's instructions.

Ask your provider:

  • How and when you will get your test results
  • If there are activities you should avoid and when you can return to your normal activities
  • How to take care of yourself at home

Make sure you know when you should come back for a checkup. Keep all appointments for provider visits or tests.

You can get more information from:

Developed by RelayHealth.
Adult Advisor 2016.4 published by RelayHealth.
Last modified: 2016-10-18
Last reviewed: 2016-02-26
This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information is intended to inform and educate and is not a replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.
Copyright © 2016 RelayHealth, a division of McKesson Technologies Inc. All rights reserved.
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