Symptoms Of Tourette Syndrome

Tourette syndrome is a type of nervous system disorder characterized by uncontrollable movements and sounds. Individuals who have this disorder tend to have strong urges to make sounds or movements, and trying to keep them from happening can be quite uncomfortable. The precise cause of Tourette syndrome is unknown, but it seems linked to imbalanced levels of certain neurotransmitters.

Though Tourette syndrome can cause some difficulties, it is not typically physically harmful. Individuals who find symptoms of Tourette syndrome impairing their daily lives find certain medications and therapies can help to provide some relief. Being able to diagnose Tourette syndrome will help patients get the appropriate treatments instead of suffering alone. Reveal common symptoms of Tourette syndrome now.

Simple Motor Tics

Simple motor tics are often one of the first symptoms that show up. They are categorized as motions involving one or two muscle movements. The muscles may just be moved from one position to another and then back to the first one. Some tics are so simple they may not even be very noticeable. For example, some individuals may just blink slowly, look to one side with their eyes, or tap a finger. Other motor tics in the simple category may involve larger motions such as jerking the head, shrugging a shoulder, or twitching a knee.

Tics involving the face are quite common, so some patients may raise an eyebrow, wiggle their nose, smile, or move their mouth in a certain position. Simple motor tics tend to be repeated at a rapid rate over a short period. This type of tic can typically be suppressed for a short time, but it causes tension to build up until the tic eventually emerges.

Complex Motor Tics

This style of tic is similar to the simple motor ones because it involves moving muscles around. However, instead of moving a single small cluster of muscles in a back and forth movement, it may involve more steps or larger amount of muscles. For example, a complex motor tic may involve tapping fingers in a specific pattern instead of simply moving one finger up and down. Complex motor tics may be repeated multiple times, or they may just occur once every few minutes or so.

Other examples of common complex tics include picking up an object, twisting the torso, hopping, or moving the feet in a pattern as a person steps. Because these tics are more involved than simple ones, consequences can be more challenging. They may be far more distracting and keep the patient from getting work done. In cases where a complex tic involves obscene gestures, it can greatly impair an individual's social interaction. Sadly, this style of tic can result in harmful behavior like banging the head against a surface.

Simple Vocal Tics

Vocal tics tend to appear later in life, after an individual already has a few motor tics. They are fairly similar to motor tics in that they are frequently compulsive and uncontrollable. However, instead of being a type of tic involving movement, they involve sound. Simple vocal tics tend to be a single fairly short sound. Some patients may make a noise like coughing or clearing their throat while others grunt or hum.

This category of tics can also include short sounds like barking, beeping, or squeaking. Vocal tics tend to be more common when an individual is feeling stressed, tired, or anxious. They may sometimes be a single tic that only occurs every few minutes, or may be repeated at a rapid rate for a short time. Vocal tics tend to be at their worst during teen years, and they may quiet down during the adult years.

Complex Vocal Tics

This is the most commonly portrayed Tourette syndrome symptom because individuals often associate the condition with the idea of a person yelling out crude things randomly. However, even though there is plenty of awareness about complex vocal tics, they are frequently misunderstood. Some individuals with Tourette syndrome do feel a compulsion to say obscene, inappropriate, or vulgar words at times when it would be worse to say them. However, not all complex vocal tics are inappropriate.

It may just be an individual repeating a random word, line from a song, or sentence over and over. These words may be something the person has recently read or heard, so they often repeat sentences back to others. Before a tic happens, a patient may feel an itch or a tingle that only relieves itself when they hold in the tic. Some patients may find they can relieve a tic by saying something similar sounding, which is helpful for dealing with inappropriate words.

Difficulty Focusing

Not all symptoms of Tourette syndrome express themselves as visible tics. They can also exhibit some other mental and behavioral issues due to the distractions of all their tics. In many cases, Tourette syndrome is misdiagnosed as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder because both conditions tend to result in difficulty focusing. This can sometimes manifest itself as an inability to pay attention to something an individual is discussing. It may also cause trouble completing lessons or work.

Trouble focusing may also present itself as inappropriate focusing on something else. A person with Tourette syndrome may spend a lot of time dealing with obsessive behaviors that keep them from thinking about whatever else they should be focusing on. This symptom tends to result in struggles with keeping grades up, making friends, or completing work tasks.