ADVICE FROM OUR WOMAN’S WEEKLY DOCTOR
Tourette’s starts during childhood, more often in boys and in people with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or learning difficulties. The cause is unknown, but may be linked to the brain area that helps regulate body movements.
The main symptoms are tics and other symptoms, which usually improve after several years, sometimes going away completely. Physical tics include blinking, eye rolling, grimacing, shoulder shrugging, jerking of head or limbs, jumping, touching objects and other people. Vocal tics involve grunting/throat clearing, whistling, coughing, tongue clicking, animal sounds, saying random words or repeating a sound. Swearing is rarer,
