What Is Tourette's Syndrome?

                                                                           

 Tourette's syndrome is a problem with the nervous system that causes people to make sudden movements or sounds, called tics, that they cannot control. For example, someone with Tourette's might blink or clear their throat repeatedly. Some people may blurt out words they do not intend to say.

Once in the 1980s I lived and worked in Buffalo, NY.  One Saturday afternoon we went to a movie.  Into the theatre came a group of young people. As they got settled one of the young men starting yelling and disrupting the audience. For me it was unbearable.  I went over to this group of young people and asked then to be quiet.  Within a few minutes they all got up and left.  An usher explained to me that the disruptive young man was suffering from Tourette’s Syndrome, and he simply could not help himself.   To this very day I am deeply ashamed.

Treatments can control tics, but some people do not need any unless their symptoms really bother them.

About 100,000 Americans have full-blown Tourette's syndrome, but more people have a milder form of the disease. It often starts in childhood, and more boys than girls get it. Symptoms often get better as children grow up. For some people, they go away completely.

Causes

Tourette's has been linked to distinct parts of the brain, including an area called the basal ganglia, which helps control body movements. Differences there may affect nerve cells and the chemicals that carry messages between them. Researchers think that trouble in this brain network may play a role in Tourette's.

Doctors do not know exactly what causes these problems in the brain, but genes probably play a role. It is likely that there is more than one cause.

People who have family members with Tourette's are more likely to get it themselves. But people in the same family may have different symptoms.

Symptoms

The main symptom is tics. Some are so mild they are not even noticeable. Others happen often and are obvious. Stress, excitement, or being sick or tired can make them worse. The more severe ones can be embarrassing and affect your social life or work.

There are two types of tics:

Motor tics involve movement. They include:

Arm or head jerking

Blinking

Making a face

Mouth twitching

Shoulder shrugging

Vocal tics include:

Barking or yelping

Clearing your throat

Coughing

Grunting

Repeating what someone else says

Shouting

Sniffing

Swearing

Tics can be simple or complex. A simple tic affects one or just a few parts of the body, like blinking the eyes or making a face.

A complex one involves many parts of the body or saying words. Jumping and swearing are examples.

This is a difficult disease for the individual, the whole family, and the entire community in which the patient resides.   I little bit of compassion goes a long way.

Jan Ricks Jennings, MHA, LFACHE

Senior Consultant

Senior Management Resources, LLC

 

Jan.Jennings@EagleTalons.net

JanJenningsBlog.Blogspot.com

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October 11, 2021