Tourette Syndrome
Its more than swearing
Body System Affected
Tourettes affects the nervous system. Normally the nervous system sends signals to your body so you can move and talk. But with tourettes, a chemical imbalance in the brain causes random signals to be sent that causes you to make a movement or noise. These "tics" cannot be controlled and are extremely uncomfortable to hold in, kind of like not itching an itch.
Target Population
Tourettes is a rare condition, only about 3 out of 1,000 teens have it. Although its not just teens, anyone of any race, of any age can have it.
How do you get Tourettes
You cannot get Tourettes from a germ, or bacteria. In some cases the condition is inherited. Sometimes you can have the gene and not develop symptoms, boys with the gene are more likely to get Tourettes.
Diagnosis
If a patient has had Tics for more than a year, than they will be diagnosed with Tourettes. Sometimes a MRI is needed to rule out other conditions that might be confused with Tourettes. The actual tics can be either simple or complex. Tourettes is often tied in with ADHD and OCD.
"Brain." Neural Correlates of Tic Generation in Tourette Syndrome: An Event-related Functional MRI Study. Web. 21 Jan. 2015. <http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/129/8/2029>.
Signs and Symptoms
These are some Common Tics.
- Nose twitching
- Eye blinking
- Jumping
- Shrugging
- Grunting
- Hissing
- Coughing
Treatments
Unfortunately there is no cure to completely rid patients of symptoms. But medication can help lessen them. Although most Medication have side effects, such as making you drowsy. Some people find that relaxation techniques help there tics. Other times, Cognitive and Behavioral therapy can help control the outbursts.
Prognosis
People with Tourettes can live a full and happy life, in no way can there condition make them live a shorter life.
Connection-Why did I chose this condtion?
I chose Tourette syndrome because my brother has it, and I wanted people to know more about it so they can understand his condition a little better.