What are tics?
Tics are rapid, repeated muscle twitches, such as eye
blinking, facial grimacing, forehead wrinkling, head turning, or shoulder
shrugging. Most tics last only 1 second. Tics usually happen more often when a
child is under stress. When a child is relaxed, he will not have as many tics.
Also, tics do not occur when a child is sleeping. They are 3 times more common
in boys than girls.
What is the cause?
The cause of tics is not completely known. Genetics and
neurochemical differences may play the largest role. Tics can be made worse
through the spilling over of emotional tension. Children do not do them on
purpose. Children who have tics are usually normal, bright, and sensitive.
How long will they last?
If tics are ignored, they usually disappear in 2 months to 1
year. If extra effort is made to help your child relax, they usually improve
more quickly. Even if the tics are not ignored and a child continues to feel
stress or pressure, the tics usually improve or go away on their own during
adolescence. About 3% of children with tics develop tics that cause problems
during daily activities. In these cases, additional behavior therapy and
sometimes medicine is needed.
How can I help my child?
- Help your child relax in general
and maintain self-esteem.
Make sure your child has free time and fun time every day.
If your child is overscheduled with activities, try to lighten the
commitments. If your child is unduly self-critical, praise him more and
remind him to be a good friend to himself.
- Identify and remove specific
environmental stresses.
Whenever your child has a flurry of tics, write in a diary
the date, time, and preceding event. From this diary, you should be able to
identify when your child feels pressure. (Note: Your child should not know
that you are keeping this diary.)
In general, criticize your child less about grades, music
lessons, sports, keeping his room clean, table manners, and so forth. Avoid
stimulant medications (such as decongestants).
- Ignore tics when they occur.
When your child is having tics, don't call his attention to
them. Reminders imply that they are bothering you. If your child becomes
worried about the tics, then every time they occur, the child will react
with tension rather than acceptance. The tension in turn will trigger more
tics. Don't allow siblings or others to tease your child about the tics. Be
sure that relatives, friends, and teachers also ignore the tics. When tics
occur, people should focus on reducing any pressure they may be causing your
child.
- Don't talk about tics when they
are not occurring.
Stop all family conversation about tics. The less said about
them, the less your child will worry about them. If your child brings up the
subject, say something reassuring, such as "eventually your face muscles
will learn to relax and the tics will go away."
When should I call my child's
health care provider?
Call during office hours if:
- The tics interfere with friendships or studies at school.
- The tics involve sounds, words, or profanity.
- The tics involve coughing.
- The tics involve parts of the body other than the head,
face, or shoulders.
- The tics become frequent (more than 10 each day).
- The tics have lasted for more than a year.
- The tics are not better after trying this program for 1
month.
- You have other questions or concerns.
