Do you have things like eye twitching and neck twitching? Let's talk about these Tic Disorders!

Sometimes you may have noticed, without even realizing it, that your eyes are blinking, your shoulders are shrugging, or you just have a sore throat. Maybe you have even been scared to see your child do this. These are what we call 'tics'. These are conditions related to our nervous system . Most of the time, this is nothing to worry about, but it is very important for you and your child to be aware of this.

What are these Tic Disorders?

Simply put, a tic disorder is a condition in our nervous system that causes us to have sudden, repetitive physical movements or sounds that are difficult to control. Imagine, one in five children will experience this condition at some point in their lives.

These usually begin between the ages of 4 and 6. However, these symptoms are most common between the ages of 10 and 12. Tic disorders can sometimes be accompanied by other mental health problems. For example, conditions such as depression, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), and anxiety.

What are the main types of tic disorders?

The book that doctors use to diagnose these conditions, the DSM-5-TR, lists three types of tic disorders. Let's take a look at what they are.

1. Provisional Tic Disorder: This is the most common type of tic disorder. It affects about 20% of school-age children. If your child has one or more motor or vocal tics for more than a month but less than a year, your doctor may diagnose him with Provisional Tic Disorder.

2. Persistent (Chronic) Motor or Vocal tic disorder : While temporary tics usually go away within a year, this type of tics persists for more than a year. In this case, the child may have only motor tics or only vocal tics. However, both types do not occur together. This affects about 1 in 100 children.

3. Tourette Syndrome: This is the most severe and complex of the tic disorders. Although it may seem like a chronic tic, it can be a symptom of Tourette syndrome. A child with this condition will experience both motor tics and vocal tics . These symptoms usually begin between the ages of 5 and 10.

The relationship between anxiety and tics

Often, these tics increase when we are under stress or anxiety. The reason for this may be that our ability to control our body decreases when we are under stress. Also, anxiety can increase the frequency of tics.

Why do these tic disorders occur?

The exact cause of this has not yet been found, but researchers believe that several factors contribute to this.

• Genetics: These tend to run in families, meaning that if a parent or close relative has them, a child is more likely to have them.
• Other behavioral problems: These can be related to conditions like ADHD and OCD, which we discussed earlier.
• Problems during pregnancy: It is thought that this risk may also be increased by factors such as the mother's smoking during pregnancy and the baby being born with a low birth weight.

The risk of developing this condition in boys is three to four times higher than in girls.

What could be the symptoms of this?

These symptoms can be divided into two main categories: Motor Tics and Vocal Tics. Each category has simple and complex components. Let's look at these in a table.

How does a doctor diagnose this as a disease?

When you go to see a doctor, he will decide whether this is a tic disorder based on several factors.

• What type of tics do you have? (Physical, vocal, or both?)
• How long have these been around ?
• At what age did these start ?
• Does anyone in your family have/had this condition?
• Are you taking medication for another illness ?

Usually, blood tests or scans are not needed to diagnose this. However, very rarely, if there is a suspicion that these symptoms are caused by another medical condition, your doctor may order blood tests, an MRI, CT scan, or an EEG.

What are the treatments for this condition?

There is no cure for tic disorders. However, there are many treatments that can help control and reduce symptoms, and help you live a normal life. Treatment is usually only considered if tics cause pain, injury, interfere with daily activities, or cause significant psychological distress.

Medications

Your doctor may prescribe medications to control severe symptoms. However, these medications will not completely eliminate tics, only control them.

• Alpha-adrenergic agonists: These are the first ones to be given. Examples: `Clonidine`, `Guanfacine`.
• Antipsychotics: These are given if symptoms are difficult to control. Examples: `Haloperidol`, `Risperidone`.
• Antiseizure medications: Some medications used to treat epilepsy, such as Topiramate (Topamax), have been found to help some people with Tourette syndrome.
• Botox injections: A painful tic can be relieved by injecting a `Botox` injection into a muscle.

Behavioral Therapy

This is a very important treatment method. What happens here is that you practice various methods to reduce the frequency and severity of tics.

• Habit Reversal Therapy: In this, you identify the feeling you feel before the tic comes and practice doing something else (a competing response) to replace the tic at that time. For example, if you have a head-rubbing tic, it's like placing your hands on your knees as soon as the feeling comes.
• CBIT (Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics): This is a comprehensive treatment method that combines Habit Reversal therapy, education about tics, and relaxation techniques.

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

This is a treatment that is still in the research stage and is only considered for those with very severe cases that have not responded to other treatments. In this treatment, a small device is implanted in the brain and sends electrical signals.

How do we help a child with tic disorder?

If your child has this condition, there are many things you can do as a parent.

• Inform the school: Inform the teachers and principal about your child's condition so they can provide the necessary support in class and ensure that there are no problems with other children.
• Build self-confidence: Help your child do things they enjoy, develop their talents, and encourage them to make friends.
• Don't blame your child: This is very important. The child is not doing these things on purpose. So don't hurt your child by saying things like "Why are you doing this?" or "Stop it." Instead, understand and support them.
• Follow medical advice: Follow your doctor's instructions and attend therapy appointments.

Tic disorders, Tourette syndrome, children's diseases, mental health, body twitching, neurological diseases, tic treatment