Tourette’s Syndrome (TS)
Tourette’s syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder that occurs when there is a disturbance in the balance in neurotransmitters which are chemicals in the brain that carry nerve signals from cell to cell, where a person has both motor and vocal tics. Motor tics involve movement which includes making a face, blinking, mouth twitching, arm or head jerking, or shoulder shrugging. Vocal tics, on the other hand, include throat clearing, barking or yelping, shouting, grunting, occasional coughing, sniffing, repeating other people's words, or involuntary 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.
In stressful situations, tics can become more severe, more frequent, or longer. TS usually emerges in childhood or adolescence and is more common in boys. While there is no cure for TS, doctors sometimes prescribe medications to help control symptoms that can interfere with schoolwork or daily life. It is common for people with TS to have other conditions, too, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), learning disabilities, or sleep problems.
Just as TS is different for every person, the treatment for it varies, too. There is no cure for TS, and no medication can control the disease itself, although some medications