Coping with...TOURETTE'S SYNDROME

This condition causes a person to make involuntary sounds and movements called tics

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Tourette's starts during childhood, more often in boys and in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or learning difficulties. The cause is unknown but may be linked to the brain area that helps regulate body movements.

The main symptoms are tics and other symptoms, which usually improve after several years, sometimes going away completely. Physical tics include blinking, eye-rolling, grimacing, shoulder shrugging, jerking of head or limbs, jumping, touching objects and other people. Vocal tics involve grunting/throat clearing, whistling, coughing, tongue clicking, animal sounds, saying random words or repeating a sound. Swearing is rarer, affecting one in 10 with Tourette's.

Symptoms may worsen with stress, anxiety, tiredness or general illness. Tics aren't usually harmful but physical tics, such as head jerking, can be painful. Depression and anxiety are commoner in people with Tourette's, and bullying can be an issue, especially for children.