Tourette syndrome: symptoms, causes, treatment

There are various neurological disorders or disorders that can occur in newborns, one of which is Tourette's syndrome. Tourette syndrome is a congenital disorder that attacks the nervous system. Why can this be experienced by your little one? The following is the full explanation.

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What is Tourette's syndrome?

As previously explained, Tourette's syndrome is a neurological disorder that is carried by children from birth.

Tourette's syndrome is characterized by a child who is unable to control body movements and speech that comes out of his mouth (tics).

Children with this congenital disorder can develop movement patterns in any part of the body, starting from the face, hands, or feet.

In other cases, children who have Tourette syndrome can also suddenly make abnormal sounds, repeat words, or even swear at others.

Tics attacks due to Tourette syndrome are conditions that occur suddenly, involuntarily, repeatedly, and cannot be controlled.

Tourette syndrome attacks can occur seriously and affect the life of sufferers and those around them.

How common is Tourette syndrome?

Tourette's syndrome can affect anyone of any age group or ethnicity.

However, in most cases, this syndrome is more common in boys than girls and always starts before the age of 18.

Launching from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, generally Tourette syndrome starts in the age range 3-9 years.

What are the signs and symptoms of Tourette syndrome?

Quoted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the typical symptoms of Tourette syndrome are motor tics and vocal tics.

Attacks of tics can appear suddenly and are recurrent.

Usually the symptoms of Tourette syndrome appear in children between the ages of 3-9 years. Here are the symptoms of Tourette's syndrome that you need to know:

Motor tics

Motor tics are uncontrollable muscle movements.

Babies and children with this syndrome can develop sudden, sudden jerky movements, such as:

• Eyes blink
• Nose twitching
• Shoulders heaving
• Nod or shake your head
• Mouth twitching

There are also some people who have to bend down or turn their bodies many times when their tics recur.

Vocal tics

Meanwhile, vocal tics are a symptom of Tourette syndrome when a child unconsciously makes an abnormal sound or word.

When the attack of vocal tics recurs, a child with Tourette's syndrome will usually:

• Swearing
• Cursing
• Spontaneously and repeatedly utter obscene words
• Sucking
• Whistling
• Coughs
• Grunts
• Spit
• Make a shrill sound

There may be some symptoms which are not mentioned here. If you have any questions regarding certain symptoms related to the condition of the baby and child, please consult a doctor.

The triggers for tics attack in Tourette's syndrome

In general, the form and frequency of occurrence of tics attacks can vary from person to person, depending on the triggering factors.

However, tics attacks often occur when children are under pressure (stress) or when they are very excited to do something.

Conversely, tics attacks are less likely to appear when a child with this syndrome does quiet and focused activities.

Activities that make him focus, such as listening to music or typing on a computer screen.

The attacks of tics did not go away during sleep but often significantly reduced.

The spontaneous and repetitive patterns of movement or speech experienced by children with Tourette's condition are also generally difficult to avoid.

Supposing, tics are like hiccups. The sufferer does not plan, let alone want his presence, but he suddenly comes and makes him uncomfortable.

Children with this syndrome tend to have difficulty controlling or preventing tics attacks.

Although people with this syndrome can withstand the tics for a while, they must eventually let the tics get out.

In some cases, a child with Tourette's syndrome may have other conditions, such as:

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Difficulty learning

Reducing, controlling, or preventing tics can actually trigger severe stress, which in turn can exacerbate tics attacks.

When to see a doctor

Tourette syndrome or Tourette syndrome is a condition that often occurs in children.

However, the symptoms will disappear as the child grows and their mechanisms of control over their body develop.

Even so, you should contact your doctor if there are things related to Tourette's syndrome, such as:

• The medicine prescribed by the doctor is not suitable for the child's condition (the opposite effect occurs from the use of the drug).
• The symptoms did not improve or they got worse.
• Experiencing fever, muscle stiffness, or behavior changes after taking drugs used to treat Tourette's syndrome.

Your doctor can help prescribe certain medications to relieve the symptoms of Tourette's syndrome.

What causes Tourette syndrome?

In a way, Tourette syndrome is a complex condition. Therefore, until now the cause of Tourette's syndrome is not known with certainty.

However, experts suspect that this disease is most likely caused by a combination of genetic factors with environmental factors.

Genetic

Quoting from the Mayo Clinic, Tourette syndrome is a genetic condition which means it is passed from parents to children.

Even so, the specific genes associated with Tourette syndrome or Tourette syndrome have not been determined with certainty.

Brain structure abnormalities

There are several abnormalities in the brain that can cause Tourette's syndrome, namely:

• Abnormalities in certain parts of the brain (including the basal ganglia, frontal lobes, and cortex).
• Neurotransmitter disorders (dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine).

Tourette's syndrome is not contagious. So, interacting with a child who has Tourette syndrome will not make other people experience it.

What increases the risk of developing Tourette syndrome?

Some of the factors that can increase your risk of developing Tourette syndrome or Tourette's syndrome are as follows:

Family history

If your family has a history of Tourette syndrome or another disease that causes seizures, your child is at risk of experiencing it at a later date too.

In essence, this syndrome can run in families.

Gender

Quoted from Kids Health, boys are at risk of developing Tourette syndrome 3-4 times higher than women.

The absence of risk factors does not mean girls cannot develop Tourette syndrome.

These factors are for reference only. Please consult a specialist for more detailed information.

What are the possible complications of Tourette syndrome?

Children with Tourette's syndrome generally experience one or more certain conditions.

Some of the conditions that are often associated with Tourette's syndrome are:

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Sleep disturbance
• Depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Learning disorders
• Pain associated with tics, especially child headaches
• Mood disturbances, such as irritability

Pay attention if your child has any of the above health conditions.

How do you diagnose Tourette syndrome?

All children with Tourette syndrome must have tics, but children who have tics do not necessarily have this syndrome.

So, if your child presents various symptoms as mentioned above, immediately consult a pediatric neurologist.

A pediatric neurologist is a doctor who specializes in neurological problems in children.

Doctors will make a diagnosis based on medical history, physical examination results and laboratory tests, such as blood tests.

First of all, the doctor may ask your child to sit still. This aims to see whether the tics attack will appear or not.

After that, the doctor may also ask your child to do an electroencephalography (EEG), a test to measure brain waves.

An EEG can perform a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.

The MRI process is similar to an x-ray, but it uses a magnetic field without using X-rays to see the inside of the body.

What are the treatment options for Tourette syndrome?

The information provided above is not a substitute for medical treatment. Always consult your doctor.

Tourette's syndrome is a chronic, incurable condition.

The existing treatment aims to control the attack of tics that interfere with daily activities. Meanwhile, if the tics are not severe, treatment is usually not needed.

In general, here are the treatment options that doctors usually use to treat Tourette's syndrome, quoted from the Mayo Clinic:

Take certain medications

Doctors will usually prescribe several drugs to reduce symptoms and make it easier for children to carry out daily activities.

Some of the medications your doctor may prescribe for Tourette syndrome or Tourette syndrome are the following:

Antipsychotic drugs

This group of drugs can help control tics attacks.

However, there are some possible side effects, namely weight gain and involuntary repetitive movements.

Botulinum injections (Botox)

This is a method of treatment using injections.

The part of the body that is given the injection is a muscle problem that can help relieve motor and vocal tics attacks.

ADHD medication

Stimulants such as methylphenidate and drugs containing dextroamphetamine can help increase concentration.

Unfortunately, these drugs can actually make tics worse in some children.

High blood medication

Medicines, such as clonidine and guanfacine, are usually prescribed for sufferers who also have high blood pressure.

This medication can help control symptoms of behavioral disorders, such as anger.

Children who have a relapse of Tourette's syndrome and tics may experience emotional imbalance.

Antidepressant drugs

Fluoxetine is a drug that can help control symptoms of sadness, anxiety, and OCD.

There are several forms of this drug, such as capsules, tablets, and liquid.

Anti-seizure drugs

Some people with Tourette's syndrome get better after using the drug topiramate (Topamax).

Topamax is a drug used to treat epilepsy.

All these drugs should not be consumed carelessly. Make sure you consult your doctor first to determine the most suitable drug for your child's condition.

Behavioral therapy

Parents can also consult a psychologist or professional to help control the symptoms of Tourette's syndrome.

Actually Tourette's syndrome is not a problem in mental health.

However, a psychologist and psychiatrist can provide behavioral therapy to help calm your child when a sudden attack of tics occurs.

A psychologist or psychiatrist can also help relieve the symptoms of other diseases that are often associated with Tourette syndrome

One form of behavioral therapy to treat Tourette's syndrome is Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics, or CBIT.

This therapy helps children with Tourette's syndrome control their attacks of tics in a very careful and systematic manner.

Not only sufferers, the therapist will also provide tips to families on how to deal with recurrence of tics attacks so they don't get worse.

Whether it's taking a walk, listening to soothing music, or doing breathing exercises.

Everything is done solely to reduce the severity of the tics attack or even prevent it from happening at all.

Typically, this behavioral therapy requires eight sessions, each of which takes about an hour.

In certain cases, CBIT therapy may take longer.

What can parents do?

This syndrome often appears in children. If your child has this syndrome, as a parent there are several things you need to do.

Some efforts to support growth and development of children with Tourette syndrome or Tourette syndrome are as follows:

Find information

Try to find as much information about this disease as possible.

You can search the internet, read books, consult a doctor or psychologist, or ask questions directly with other people who also have the same problem.

If necessary, join a group or community to make it easier for you to get information about Tourette's syndrome.

Give moral support

Attacks of tics that appear suddenly and out of control can make a child feel insecure.

Especially when they are in public places or interacting with other people.

Therefore, moral support from the closest people, especially parents, is very important to increase children's self-confidence.

One way to increase the confidence of a child with Tourette's syndrome is to support activities that they enjoy or attract their attention.

For example, you could take your child private lessons on music, ball, or any other sport they enjoy.

Remember, tics attacks may get better as the child gets older.

However, in certain cases tics attacks can actually get worse and require further treatment.

So, children with Tourette syndrome need positive support from those around them.

This allows them to carry out various activities like normal people in general.

If you have any questions, consult your doctor further.