Introduction

Tics are fast, repetitive muscle movements that result in sudden and difficult to control body jolts or sounds.

They're fairly common in childhood and typically first appear at around five years of age. Very occasionally they can start in adulthood.

Tics aren't usually serious and normally improve over time. But they can be frustrating and interfere with everyday activities.

This page covers:

Types of tics

When to see your GP

Treatments

How longdo they last?

Causes

Tourette's syndrome , a term that's used when tics have lasted for more thana year, is covered separately.

Types of tics

There are many types of tic. Some affect body movement (motor tics) and others result in a sound (vocal or phonic tics).

Examples of tics include:

• blinking, wrinkling the nose or grimacing
• jerking or banging the head
• clicking the fingers
• touching other people or things
• coughing, grunting or sniffing
• repeating a sound or phrasein a small number of cases, this may be somethingobscene or offensive

Tics can happen randomly and they may be associated with something such as stress , anxiety , tiredness , excitement or happiness. They tend to get worse if they're talked about or focused on.

They often start with an unpleasant sensation that builds up in the body until relieved by the tic known as an urge although they can sometimes be partly suppressed.

Sometimes they can disappear as quickly as they appear.

See your GP if you're concerned about your or your child's tics, you need support or advice, or the tics:

• occurvery regularly, or become more frequent or severe
• causeemotional or social problems, such as embarrassment, bullying or social isolation
• cause pain or discomfort (some tics can cause the person to accidentally hurt themselves)
• interfere with daily activities, school or work
• are accompanied by other worrying moods or behaviours, such as anger, depression or self-harm

Your GP should be able to diagnose a tic from a description of it and, if possible, seeing it. Recording a short video can be helpful, but be careful not to draw too much attention to the tic while filming as this can make it worse.

Treatments for tics

Treatment isn't always needed if a tic is mild and isn't causing any other problems. Self-help tips , such as avoiding stress or tiredness, are often very helpful for the majority of people.

If a tic is more severe and is affecting everyday activities, therapies that aim to reduce how often tics occur may be recommended.

The main therapies for tics are:

• Habit reversal therapy this aims to help you or your child learn intentional movementsthat "compete" with tics, so the tic can't happen at the same time.
• Exposure with response prevention (ERP)this aims to help you or your child get used to the unpleasantsensations that are often felt just before a tic, which can stop the tic occurring.

There are also medicines that can help reduce tics. These may be used alongside psychological therapies or after trying these therapies unsuccessfully.

They're thought to be due to changes in the parts of the brain that control movement.

They often seem to run in families, and there's likely to be a genetic cause in many cases. They also often occur alongside other conditions, such as:

• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

Tics can sometimes be triggered by taking illegal drugs , such as cocaine or amphetamines, and are occasionally caused by more serious health conditions such as cerebral palsy or Huntington's disease .