Vocal nervous tic in a child. Nervous tic in a child - treatment and symptoms. Drug therapy

Every mother dreams of her little miracle growing up as a strong and healthy child. Alas, no matter how hard she tries, sooner or later the baby gets sick. While many are prepared for viral infections and various acute respiratory infections, a nervous tic in a child can frighten even the most experienced parents. To provide timely assistance, avoid complications and simply save your own nerves, it is enough to know basic information about the disease: symptoms, causes, types and treatment.

Nervous tics can occur not only in adults, but also in children - parents should pay special attention to the symptom

What is a nervous tic and how to distinguish it from other similar disorders?

A nervous tic can be described as a sudden and involuntary brief movement of the face or limbs caused by muscle contraction. In certain cases it is accompanied by sounds. Externally you can observe in a child:

blinking;
twitching of the corners of the mouth or cheeks;
wincing and shrugging;
raising eyebrows;
head throwing and more.

Tics can appear in children between the ages of 2 and 18, but most often they can be found in children aged 3 and 7-11 years. According to statistics, 20% of children under 10 years of age suffer from a tic disorder - this is every fifth child.

It is important to be able to distinguish a nervous tic from convulsive muscle contractions that may accompany another disease. These signs include:

A child's ability to produce, partially control, and temporarily suppress tics.
The dependence of the frequency of tics on the child’s mood, activity, time of year and even time of day.
Absence of tics during voluntary movements (drinking from a cup, eating with a spoon, etc.).
Change of localization. For example, twitching of the corners of the mouth over time can turn into a shrug or blinking. You need to understand: most likely, this is a new attack of an old disease, and not another disease.

When a child is focused and highly engaged in an interesting activity, nervous tics may weaken and sometimes stop completely. After finishing playing, drawing, reading or other activity, the symptoms return with renewed vigor. Also, the child’s prolonged stay in the same position can intensify the manifestation of tics.

Children susceptible to this disorder have noticeable impairments in attention and perception. Their movements cease to be smooth and coordinated; difficulty in performing habitual motor acts can be noted. In particularly severe cases, the child may suffer from impaired spatial perception.

When a child draws or does something else that interests him, the tic often temporarily recedes

Classification of nervous tics

Firstly, there are two types of tics:

simple;
complex.

The first type includes tics that affect only one specific muscle group: the eyes or head, arms or legs. Complex tics are a combined contraction of several different muscle groups at once.

Secondly, tics are divided based on their external manifestation:

motor;
vocal;
rituals;
generalized forms.

The first type includes: blinking, shrugging shoulders, throwing back the head, twitching the corners of the mouth or cheeks and other involuntary body movements. Vocal tics get their name from the sound they produce - sniffing, sniffling or coughing. Constantly repeating actions of the same type - walking back and forth or in a circle - are referred to as so-called rituals. With the latter form of tics, the child exhibits several variants of them at once.

The literature describes the classic path of symptoms: first blinking, then sniffling, coughing, then shoulder movements and complex repetitive movements of the arms and legs, plus speech stereotypes that arise several years after the disease (“say no” - “no, no, no”) "). However, in practice such a picture is rare. So, if the onset of a tic coincides with a cold, then during this period overstimulation of the nasopharynx will lead to coughing or sniffling, and blinking will join later. In this case, one symptom can transform into another, single signs are replaced by their combinations. In the absence of qualified help and delay in treatment, a severe form of tic disorder may develop - de la Tourette's syndrome - a combination of voice and multiple movement disorders, plus hyperactivity with attention deficit and obsessive fears.

From a medical point of view, the following forms of nervous tics are distinguished:

transient, in other words transitional;
chronic.

In the first case, the child develops complex or simple varieties of tics, which are repeated every day for a month, but not longer than a year. It is very difficult for a child to control such mannered and rapidly repeating movements. The chronic form of the disorder can last more than a year with almost daily, but not simultaneous, repetition of different types of nervous tics.

Causes of the disease

Before you begin to treat a disorder in your baby, you need to find out its cause. These could be:

Hereditary predisposition. The likelihood of the disorder occurring in children increases in a family where one of the close relatives suffers from a similar disease.
Parental behavior and family atmosphere. Of course, genetics and the environment play an important role in the formation of a child’s personality, his character traits and the ability to adequately respond to external stimuli, but the family and its internal state play a primary role in this. A pronounced violation in the ratio of verbal and nonverbal communication between parents and children and among themselves provokes unnatural behavior and anomalies in the child’s character. Constant prohibitions and comments, strict control and tension, endless screams can lead to inhibition of physiological activity, which, in turn, can result in one of the forms of nervous tics in the future. The situation with permissiveness and connivance can end in a similar way, so in raising children it is necessary to find a middle ground, which is individual for each child, depending on his temperament and personal qualities.

The causes of tics refute the widespread myth that only restless and excitable children are susceptible to this nervous disorder, because at a certain period of their lives absolutely all children are nervous, capricious and uncontrollable.

Factors that provoke tics

What exactly can trigger the appearance of tics? The answer is obvious - psychological stress caused by the child’s inability to independently cope with a problem or a difficult situation for him.

Quarrels or strained relationships between parents are acutely felt by the child, even if he does not see confirmation of his guesses. This may be one of the causes of tic condition

For parents, the situation may remain mundane and they may well not notice that their child has suffered psychological trauma. As a result, the baby begins to demand more attention, does not want to stay and play alone, then facial expressions change, unconscious movements and gestures begin to appear, which are especially noticeable when the baby is emotionally excited or worried. It is they who subsequently turn into nervous tics. Also, severe long-term ENT diseases such as tonsillitis, ARVI or eye diseases can also cause tics.

Diagnosis of the disease

You should start treatment immediately after your doctor makes a diagnosis. This will require an examination by a neurologist and a mandatory examination of the mental and emotional state of the little patient. The latter will help to find out the causes and factors that caused the appearance of tics, find out their nature and adjust future treatment.

Sometimes additional measures may be required to make a diagnosis: consultation with a psychiatrist, magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography. They should only be prescribed by a doctor.

Stages of treatment

First, you need to eliminate the influence of factors that cause tics. At the same time, it is important to follow sleep and nutritional schedules and ensure that the baby’s physical activity is adequate. There are several stages of treatment for such a nervous disorder:

Family psychotherapy. First of all, it is necessary for families in which the internal tense situation directly affects the psychological state of the child. This practice would also be useful for families in which the child grows up in a favorable and harmonious atmosphere - this will only bring benefits to relationships within the family and prevent possible mistakes in the future.
Correction with a psychologist. In individual lessons, using a variety of psychological techniques, the child is helped to cope with internal feelings of anxiety and discomfort and increase self-esteem. With the help of conversations and games, they stimulate the development of lagging areas of mental activity: memory, self-control, attention (see also:). Group classes include children with similar diseases or disabilities, and the main idea of the classes is to create conflict situations in a playful way. Thus, the child learns to behave in conflicts, look for possible solutions and draw conclusions. Additionally, the sphere of communication and communication with others is developing.
Drug treatment. You should resort to the last method of treatment only if all the previous ones did not have the desired effect. A pediatric neurologist prescribes medications based on data from all examinations.

You should be seriously concerned about this disease if symptoms appear before the age of three - this may indicate the presence of another mental illness. If tics appear later, then you should not panic ahead of time, as Dr. Komarovsky often recommends. Tics that appear at the age of 3-6 years decrease over time, and those that appear at the age of 6-8 years can be completely cured without consequences.

– sudden, repetitive movements that occur due to involuntary contraction of various muscle groups. They are manifested by obsessive facial, motor and vocal actions: blinking, closing their eyes, twitching the nose, mouth, shoulders, fingers, hands, turning the head, squats, jumping, shuddering, coughing, noisy breathing, pronouncing sounds and words. Comprehensive diagnostics includes examination by a neurologist, consultation with a psychiatrist, and psychodiagnostic examination. Treatment is based on adherence to a daily regimen, psychotherapy, psychocorrection, and medication.

General information

Synonymous names for tics are tic hyperkinesis, nervous tics. The prevalence is 13% in boys, 11% in girls. Tics in children occur between the ages of 2 and 18 years. Peak periods are 3 years and 7-10 years, the epidemiological indicator reaches 20%. The onset of the disease is least likely after the age of 15; the highest risk of development is observed in first-graders - the seven-year crisis and the beginning of schooling become provoking factors for “September 1st tics.” In boys, the disease is more severe and less responsive to treatment. A significant proportion of patients experience seasonal and daily exacerbations of symptoms, hyperkinesis intensifies in the evening, autumn and winter.

Causes of tics in children

Hyperkinesis develops as a result of the complex influence of biological and external factors. From birth, a child has a certain predisposition (biological basis) to this pathology, which is realized under the influence of diseases, stress and other negative influences. The causes of hyperkinesis in children can be divided into the following groups:

Disorders of intrauterine development. The result of hypoxia, infection, and birth trauma is an imbalance of cortical-subcortical connections. When exposed to unfavorable factors, it manifests itself as tics.
Burdened heredity. The disease is transmitted in an autosomal dominant manner. Since boys get sick more often, a dependence on the gender of patients is assumed.
Stressful situations. A provoking factor may be school maladjustment, increased study load, passion for computer games, family conflicts, parental divorce, hospitalization. The incidence increases during age crises.
Traumatic brain injuries. Tics can be long-term consequences of traumatic injury to the central nervous system. The most typical are hyperkinesis of the motor type.
Some diseases. Often, long-term illnesses with symptoms that include a motor component lead to the formation of tics. For example, after respiratory infections, coughing, sniffing, and throat sounds are observed.
Psychoneurological pathologies. Tics develop in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, cerebrasthenic syndrome, and anxiety disorders. Hyperkinesis debuts against the background of exacerbations of the underlying disease.

Pathogenesis

The pathogenetic basis of tics continues to be investigated. The central place is given to the functions of the basal ganglia. The main ones are the caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, subthalamic nucleus, and substantia nigra. Normally, they are in close interaction with the frontal lobes of the cerebral cortex, limbic structures, visual thalamus and reticular formation. The connection between the subcortical nuclei and the frontal regions responsible for controlling actions is provided by the dopaminergic system. A decrease in the level of dopamine and disturbances in neural transmission in the subcortical nuclei are manifested by a deficit of active attention, insufficient self-regulation of motor acts, and a disorder of voluntary motor skills. The functioning of the dopaminergic system is disrupted as a result of intrauterine damage to the central nervous system, hereditary changes in dopamine metabolism, stress, and head injury.

Classification

Tics in children are classified based on several factors. According to etiology, hyperkinesis is divided into primary (hereditary), secondary (organic) and cryptogenic (occurring in healthy children). According to symptoms – local, widespread, vocal, generalized. Depending on the severity of the disease, single and serial tics and tic status are distinguished. In accordance with the International Classification of Diseases, according to the nature of their course, the following are distinguished:

Transient tics. They are in the nature of local and widespread hyperkinesis. Manifest as winks, facial twitches. Completely disappear within a year.
Chronic tics. Represented by motor hyperkinesis. They are divided into three subtypes: remitting - exacerbations are replaced by complete regression or local single tics during exercise; stationary – persistent hyperkinesis for 2-4 years; progressive – absence of remissions, formation of tic status.
Tourette's syndrome. Another name is combined vocal and multiple motor tics. The disease begins in childhood, and the severity of symptoms decreases towards the end of adolescence. In mild form, tics continue into adults.

Symptoms of tics in children

Local (facial) tics are hyperkinesis that involve one muscle group. Among the manifestations, frequent blinking is observed in 69% of cases. Less common are squinting, twitching of the shoulder, wings of the nose, corners of the mouth, and tilting of the head. Blinking is persistent and periodically combined with other facial tics. In squinting, the dystonic component (tone) predominates. A distinctive feature of facial tics is that they are practically unnoticed by children and do not interfere with their daily activities. According to the severity of the clinical picture, local tics are often isolated.

With widespread hyperkinesis, pathological movement involves several muscle groups: facial, muscles of the head and neck, shoulder girdle, upper limbs, abdomen, back. Typically, tics debut with blinking, later followed by opening the gaze, twitching the mouth, closing the eyes, tilting and turning the head, and raising the shoulders. The course and severity of symptoms vary - from single transient to chronic with the development of tic status in exacerbation. Children experience difficulties performing tasks that require increased concentration and cause emotional stress (anxiety, fear). Problems arise when writing, assembling small parts of a construction set, or reading for a long time.

Simple vocal tics often involve coughing, sniffing, or noisy inhalation and exhalation. Less common are squeals, whistling, and pronouncing simple high-pitched sounds - “a”, “u”, “ay”. During periods of exacerbation of nervous tics, vocal symptoms may change, which is mistakenly regarded as a new debut. Example: a child coughed, no vocal symptoms were observed in remission, but later noisy breathing appeared. Complex vocalisms occur in 6% of patients with Tourette's disease. Represent the involuntary pronunciation of individual words.

Voicing swear words is called coprolalia. Continuous repetition of whole words and fragments is called echolalia. Vocalisms are manifested as single, serial and status tics. They intensify with fatigue, after emotional and mental stress, and negatively affect the child’s social adaptation - uttering words that do not correspond to the situation, swearing, limits activity in communication, and prevents the establishment of new contacts. In severe cases, the patient is unable to attend school or public places.

In Tourette's disease, the clinical picture is determined by the age of the child. The disease debuts between the ages of 3 and 7 years. Facial tics and shoulder twitching occur primarily. Hyperkinesis spreads to the upper and lower extremities, turning and throwing back the head, extension/flexion of the hands and fingers, tonic contractions of the muscles of the back, abdomen, squats, and jumping are noted. After 1-2 years, vocalisms join. Rarely do vocal tics precede motor tics. The peak of symptoms is observed from 8 to 11 years. Serial, status hyperkinesis develops. During exacerbations, children cannot go to school and need help and household services. By the age of 12-15 years, the disease enters the residual stage with local and widespread tics.

Complications

Severe forms of hyperkinesis lead to complications - serial tics, tic status, chronic progressive course. Children develop perceptual disturbances, a decrease in the functions of voluntary attention, and difficulty coordinating movements and developing motor skills. School failure develops - patients have difficulty mastering writing, do not perceive new material well, and have problems with memorization. The educational lag is complemented by social maladaptation - muscle twitching, involuntary movements, vocalisms become the cause of ridicule and detachment from peers.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of tics in children is carried out by a group of specialists - a neurologist, psychiatrist, psychologist. The scope of diagnostic measures is determined individually at the first medical consultation. The data obtained is used for differential diagnosis, prognosis of the course of the disease, and selection of the most effective treatment methods. A comprehensive examination includes:

Questioning, examination by a neurologist. The doctor clarifies the medical history (complications of pregnancy, childbirth, hereditary burden), asks about the onset of the disease, the progression, frequency, severity of symptoms, and the presence of concomitant neurological pathologies. During examination, assesses general condition, motor functions, reflexes, sensitivity.
A conversation with a psychiatrist. The specialist focuses on the mental development and psychological characteristics of the child. Determines the connection between the onset of hyperkinesis and a stressful situation, excessive emotional stress, educational methods, and family conflicts.
Psychodiagnostic study. A psychologist conducts a study of the child’s emotional, personal and cognitive sphere using projective methods (drawing tests), questionnaires, tests of intelligence, attention, memory, and thinking. The results allow us to predict the course of the disease and identify provoking factors.
Instrumental research. Additionally, a neurologist may prescribe an EEG and MRI of the brain. The resulting data are necessary for differential diagnosis.

Experts differentiate tics from dyskinesias, stereotypies, and compulsive actions. Distinctive signs of tic hyperkinesis: the child is able to repeat, partially control movements, symptoms rarely occur with voluntary, purposeful action, their severity intensifies in the evening, with fatigue, exhaustion, emotional stress. When the patient is engaged, the tics almost completely disappear.

Treatment of tics in children

Therapy of hyperkinesis is implemented within the framework of a comprehensive differential approach. The selection of treatment methods is determined by the form of the disease, the severity of symptoms, and the age of the patient. The main goals are to reduce the frequency and severity of symptoms, improve the child’s social adaptation, and correct cognitive functions. The following methods are used:

Maintaining a daily routine. Provides for the prevention of hunger, fatigue, mental and emotional exhaustion, physical and intellectual activity, adherence to the schedule of eating, going to bed and waking up. The time spent watching TV shows and computer games is reduced to a minimum.
Family psychotherapy. The cause of tics may be a chronic traumatic situation or parenting style. Psychotherapy sessions include analysis of family relationships and elaboration of negative attitudes towards tics. Participants are taught methods to help cope with anxiety, tension, and child problems.
Individual and group psychotherapy. Alone with the psychotherapist, the patient talks about his experiences, fears, and attitude towards the disease. Using the methods of cognitive behavioral therapy, complexes are worked out, methods of relaxation and self-regulation are mastered, allowing one to partially control hyperkinesis. At group meetings, communication and conflict resolution skills are trained.
Psychocorrection. aimed at developing lagging cognitive functions. Exercises are performed to correct spatial perception, attention, memory, and self-control. As a result, the child experiences fewer difficulties in school.
Drug treatment. Medicines are prescribed by a neurologist. The selection of funds, duration of treatment, dosage are determined individually. Basic therapy is based on the use of anti-anxiety medications (anxiolytics, antidepressants) and medications that reduce the severity of motor symptoms (antipsychotics). Additionally, nootropics, vascular drugs, and vitamins are indicated.
Physiotherapy. The sessions have a calming effect, normalize the processes of excitation and inhibition in the nervous system, and reduce the symptoms of the disease. Electrosleep, galvanization of segmental zones, therapeutic massage, electrophoresis of the collar zone, ozokerite applications to the cervical-collar zone, aerophytotherapy, and pine baths are used.
Biofeedback therapy. The biofeedback method is represented by a set of procedures that allow the patient to feel and master the control of a certain physiological function. With hyperkinesis, the child receives information about the state of the muscles through a computer program, and during the training process masters voluntary relaxation and contraction.

Prognosis and prevention

The prognosis of tics is determined by the severity of the disease and the age of onset. A favorable outcome is more likely in children who become ill at 6-8 years of age; with proper treatment, hyperkinesis disappears within 1 year. Early onset with the first symptoms at 3-6 years is typical for the course of the pathology until the end of adolescence. Prevention consists of organizing the correct regimen, alternating rest and work, reducing the time spent playing on the computer, watching movies, and TV shows. It is important to prevent situations of stress, to treat somatic diseases in a timely manner, preventing them from becoming chronic.

Contents of the article: classList.toggle()">toggle

Often parents, especially young ones, cannot understand what in their children’s behavior is a symptom of a disorder and what is considered normal, and this not only frightens them, but also causes a lot of anxiety. If a child suddenly begins to lick his lips or blink frequently, many parents begin to panic, but in fact, nervous tics in children are a fairly common problem, but it cannot be ignored.

What is a nervous tic and how does it manifest itself externally in children?

A nervous tic is an involuntary spasm of muscles in which they make movements of an irregular, but stereotypical nature. Such spasmodic movements often occur in stressful situations and may intensify.. As a rule, in children there are several types of this condition, differing in severity, as well as in the need for therapy.

Among the types of ticks there are 2: primary and secondary, while primary can be:

Chronic motor problems;
Transitory;
Tics that occur with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome.

Transient tics

They arise under the influence of central nervous system impulses of an electrochemical nature and are muscle spasms. Most often, such tics occur on the face, in the eye area, on the arms, torso or neck. Tics are temporary and do not pose a health hazard. This condition can last for about a year, with tics appearing periodically without warning symptoms, but in most cases the problem completely disappears after a few weeks.

Externally, transient type tics appear:

Private grimace.
Constant licking of the lips, as well as sticking out the tongue from the mouth.
Frequent coughing.
Blinking of the eyes and frequent blinking, twitching of the outer corners of the eyes.

Such manifestations are considered motor and simple. In rare cases, complex signs may also be observed, for example, involuntary feeling of objects, as well as constant throwing (stroking the head from the forehead to the back of the head) of hair back when twitching the eye.

The main properties of transient tics in children can be called:

Lack of a certain rhythm.
Short duration of spasms.
Their spontaneity or manifestation in stressful situations.
High frequency of spasms, as a rule, they come one after another.
A change in the intensity and nature of muscle movements, which usually occurs with age.

Children are able to suppress such manifestations, but for a short period of time.

Chronic tics

This category includes tics, the manifestations of which persist for longer than a year, but they are quite rare, especially in children. Gradually, such manifestations may weaken and become more smoothed out., but often persist for life, intensifying under stress.

Some scientists call chronic tics a mild form of a condition called Tourette's syndrome, but most often they are classified as a separate group.

As a rule, the first manifestations of Tourette's syndrome are observed in children under 15 years of age., while tics can be not only motor, but also vocal, manifested by peculiar vocal phenomena in the form of grunting or barking, meowing and other sounds against the background of twitching of the periocular muscles. Motor phenomena may also manifest themselves in the form of falls, jumps, hopping on one leg, or imitating any movements.

The disease has a hereditary etiology and occurs 5 times more often in boys than in girls.

Manifestations of secondary tics are usually associated with disruption of the functioning of certain organs. In this case, muscle twitching of the eyes and face is observed in the presence of encephalitis, meningitis, schizophrenia, autism, and Huntington's disease. In this case, external signs are often similar to the manifestations of tics of the primary category, but various symptoms of the underlying disease are added to this.

Causes of nervous tics in children

As a rule, the triggering factor for the appearance of tics in children is a stressful situation associated with changes in life, in the very way of existence. For example, when moving, changing the usual composition of the family (when younger children appear in the family, parents divorce, the appearance of a stepmother or stepfather), when usual conditions change.

The reason for the appearance of a nervous tic can even be the first trip to kindergarten or the transition from kindergarten to school.

Moreover, if parents had similar manifestations in childhood (or persisted into adulthood), then the risk of developing a nervous tic in children increases significantly. Almost anything can be a trigger for the disease, including uncontrolled TV watching, as well as constant playing on the computer.

Doctors often forget that that the cause of tics is many diseases of the eyes themselves, and not a hereditary or psychological factor. For example, dust gets into the baby's eye or an eyelash falls, which causes discomfort, pain and irritation of the mucous membrane, as well as a natural desire to rub the eye. At the same time, the baby begins to blink intensely, and if the situation is repeated often, then in the process the usual spasmodic movement is formed.

Later, when the foreign body is removed, muscle contractions can continue for a long time. Some diseases also lead to this, so if any eye twitching occurs, it is important to first consult an ophthalmologist.

Epilepsy attacks are accompanied by convulsions, while the motor activity of all muscles of the body changes under the influence of signals coming from the brain. Epileptic seizures and outbursts can have varying degrees of severity, and various situations can lead to their occurrence, in particular, stress, certain diseases, a state of suffocation caused, for example, by strong stuffiness around, as well as an increase in body temperature, including cause of the heat.

Chorea is an uncontrolled stereotypical movement of any part of the body, which occurs in various situations, for example, in case of carbon monoxide poisoning or any medications, as well as in the presence of hereditary nervous diseases, injuries and certain types of infections. Such movements are involuntary and cannot be controlled.

Medical diagnostics

If nervous tics are not related to eye disease, then their diagnosis, as well as further treatment, will be dealt with by a neurologist, in this case, a pediatric one. You should contact your doctor immediately if:

A child's tic is very pronounced.
Tick has a multiple character.
The condition causes serious physical discomfort to the baby.
The condition provokes difficulties in the child’s social adaptation.
Tick is observed for more than one year.

At the appointment, the doctor may ask several questions to clarify the situation and clarify the whole picture of the condition. For example, about when the tic appeared for the first time, in what situation it happened, about the existing medical history, about possible heredity. As diagnostic measures, the doctor can assess not only the general condition of the child, but also his motor activity, as well as sensory functions and reflexes.

As additional studies, general blood tests, helminth tests, ionograms, as well as electroencephalography and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) are often prescribed.

In some cases, additional consultations with other specialists may be required, in particular: infectious disease specialist, geneticist, psychotherapist, oncologist, toxicologist.

What to do if your child has a nervous tic

If a tic that appears causes the child emotional or physical suffering, you should help him using several simple techniques to quickly eliminate the resulting muscle spasm.

It is important to distract the child from the problem. This method is very effective and allows you to eliminate tic for a while. You can involve your child in a game or come up with any interesting activity for him, but you cannot distract him with a cartoon or computer game.

Any activity that is interesting for the baby creates a zone of special activity in the brain, emitting special impulses, thanks to which the nervous tic quickly disappears. But, unfortunately, such a measure gives only a temporary result, and when the lesson is completed, the tic can very quickly begin again.

To quickly eliminate a nervous tic, you should:

Press lightly on the area of the brow ridge with your thumb or index finger, approximately in the middle. This is where the nerve that controls the upper eyelids passes. The finger should be held for about 10 seconds.
Then, with the same force, you need to press on the corners of the eyes, preferably simultaneously, holding for 10 seconds.
After this, you should ask the baby to close his eyes tightly for about 5 seconds, while the eyelids should be as tense as possible. After a minute's rest, closing your eyes must be repeated twice.

Such activities allow you to quickly relieve muscle tension, but the effect will be temporary and can last from a few minutes to 2 – 3 hours.

Treatment of nervous tics in a child

As a rule, most of the nervous tics of the primary group go away on their own after a certain time, without having any particular effect on the health of the baby and without creating serious problems. But if the severity of tics is strong, if they cause discomfort and affect the condition and life of the baby, it is important to carry out treatment, and it should start as early as possible.

Treatment can be carried out using 3 methods:

Methods of non-drug therapy.
With the help of medications and medical procedures.
Using traditional medicine methods.

The priority direction of therapy is always considered a non-drug approach, which is used independently to eliminate the primary type of tics, as well as as part of complex therapy in the treatment of secondary category tics.

Directions for non-drug therapy in this case may be different.:

Individual psychotherapy, since most tics manifest themselves precisely as a result of stressful situations.
Changing the family situation, creating favorable conditions for the baby. Parents must understand that the manifestation of a nervous tic is not a whim or self-indulgence. This is a disease that requires appropriate treatment, so you cannot scold him for this and demand control over yourself. The baby will not be able to cope with this on his own.
Changing parental behavior, if necessary. It is important that relatives do not try to focus attention on the existing problem, but treat the baby as an ordinary healthy and completely normal child. It is important to protect the baby from various stresses, provide a calm environment, support him and promptly consult a doctor if the need arises.

The daily routine, or more precisely, its proper organization, is also of great importance.. It is important that your child gets plenty of rest, especially at night. Time during the day must be properly distributed. The child should wake up no later than 7 o'clock, and should be put to bed no later than 21-00.

After waking up, you need to do exercises and carry out morning water procedures, then be sure to eat a nutritious and healthy breakfast and go to school (kindergarten). When returning home, you should not rush; it is better to walk at a walking pace so that you can be in the air for about half an hour.

After lunch, the child should rest, or better yet, sleep for about 1.5 hours, then walk outside again for about half an hour, eat an afternoon snack and sit down to do his homework if he attends school. After this, he must complete his duties around the house, have dinner, take a walk for half an hour, rest and begin to get ready for bed.

Adequate sleep is an important point, since during this period all systems, including the nervous one, are restored. If the sleep pattern is disturbed, if the child is constantly lacking sleep, this causes unnecessary nervous tension and can worsen the situation. On average, children under 14 years of age should sleep about 10 hours, including daytime rest.

Adequate nutrition is also of particular importance for a child’s health. You should provide your baby with healthy and natural food, from which he will receive all the necessary elements every day. It is important to enrich the diet with foods containing large amounts of calcium, since insufficient amounts of this element contribute to increased muscle spasms.

To drug treatment This includes the use of certain drugs, mainly sedatives, as well as antipsychotics. But, in addition, medications are also used that improve brain activity, its metabolic processes and blood circulation. It is important that the drugs are mild and do not have a serious effect, and the doses of these drugs are minimal.

Most often, when treating nervous tics, children are prescribed Novo-Passit, Cinnarizine, Thioridazine (Sonopax), Phenibut, Calcium Gluconate (or Glycerophosphate), Haloperidol, Diazepam (which can be replaced with Relanium, Sibazon or Seduxen).

Treatment of nervous tics in children with folk remedies

Of course, to treat children, it is best to use folk remedies that have a beneficial effect on the nervous system of children. The use of soothing herbal mixtures, infusions and herbal decoctions helps reduce the intensity of nervous tics to a significant extent.

Most often used:

Motherwort infusion. To prepare it, take dry crushed herb raw materials (2 tablespoons), pour a glass of boiling water over it and leave for about 2 hours until it cools completely. Strain the finished infusion thoroughly and put it in a cool, dark place outside the refrigerator. The child should be given this infusion three times a day, half an hour before meals.. For children under 14 years of age, the dosage is 1 teaspoon per dose; for those over 14 years of age, it is necessary to give the product a dessert spoon.
Valerian root infusion. Pour the crushed raw material (1 tablespoon) into a glass of boiling water and heat in a water bath for 15 minutes in a closed container. Leave until completely cooled (about 2 hours), strain and store outside the refrigerator, but in a cool and dark place. The child should be given the infusion 4 times a day, half an hour before meals., and also before going to bed, 1 teaspoon. But you should not take this infusion for more than 6 weeks.

Hawthorn infusion. Dry crushed berries (1 tbsp) pour a glass of boiling water, leave for 2 hours, strain. Give the child a tablespoon three times a day, half an hour before meals.
Camomile tea. Dried flowers (1 tbsp) pour a glass of boiling water, leave for about 3 hours, strain. Give your child ¼ of a glass half an hour before meals three times a day.

Nervous tic of the face and eyes

Most often, according to statistics, tics occur in children of different ages in the eye and face area. In most cases, for some specific reason, tics appear in children of various ages, ranging from 2 years to adulthood.

On average, the first manifestation of a tic is observed between 6 and 7 years of age, which is associated with a change in the environment and usual life of the child, with his entry into school, into a new children's group, into the company of strangers and strangers (teachers and classmates).

In the preschool period, tics of the face and eyes are much less common than in the group of younger schoolchildren, mainly in overly emotional children. In almost 96% of cases, a tic occurs for the first time before the age of 11, while the problem is externally manifested by twitching of the facial muscles or very frequent blinking.

The intensity of manifestations varies. The peak of the disease, as a rule, occurs between 10 and 11 years of age, after which the intensity of manifestations (with benign development of the disease) decreases and the manifestations gradually disappear. In some cases, the child may need treatment.

Prevention of recurrence of nervous tics

It is impossible to predict the occurrence of such a disorder in a child. Today, this disorder occurs quite often among children, since the very environment of modern life creates many stressful situations and nervous strain, especially among children living in big cities.

This is due to the fact that in children the nervous system does not yet have sufficient maturity and cannot function fully, so the risk of developing tics in childhood is very high, especially in cases where there is a genetic predisposition to them. But today this problem is curable.

It is important after therapy to prevent recurrence of the disease, for which it is necessary:

Ensure that a normal psychological environment is maintained in the family.
Develop stress resistance in your child, do not isolate yourself from him when problems arise, but, on the contrary, discuss them with him, together look for a solution, so that the child gets used to adult life and perceives difficult situations correctly.
Ensure your child gets enough sleep and a healthy diet.
Make sure that he takes daily walks totaling at least an hour a day.
Do meditation or yoga with your baby.
Ventilate the home, especially the child’s room (be sure to do this before bedtime).
Protect your baby from anything that could trigger the recurrence of tics.

Have you noticed that your child has begun to blink involuntarily or twitch his shoulders frequently? Perhaps he has a nervous tic. What caused it? Maybe the child recently suffered from a cold or something scared him? Let's turn to a specialist...

Tics are lightning-fast involuntary contractions of muscles, most often of the face and limbs (blinking, raising eyebrows, twitching the cheek, corner of the mouth, shrugging, shuddering, etc.).

In terms of frequency, tics occupy one of the leading places among neurological diseases of childhood. Tics occur in 11% of girls and 13% of boys. Under the age of 10 years, tics occur in 20% of children (i.e., every fifth child). Tics appear in children aged 2 to 18 years, but there are 2 peaks - 3 years and 7-11 years.

A distinctive feature of tics from convulsive muscle contractions in other diseases: a child can reproduce and partially control tics; tics do not occur with voluntary movements (for example, when picking up a cup and drinking from it).

The severity of tics may vary depending on the time of year, day, mood, and nature of activities. Their localization also changes (for example, a child experienced involuntary blinking, which after some time was replaced by an involuntary shrug), and this does not indicate a new disease, but a relapse (repetition) of an existing disorder. Typically, tics intensify when a child watches TV or stays in one position for a long time (for example, while sitting in class or in public transport). Tics weaken and even disappear completely during play; when performing an interesting task that requires full concentration (for example, when reading an exciting story), the child loses interest in his activity, tics appear again with increasing force. The child can suppress tics for a short time, but this requires great self-control and subsequent release.

Psychologically, children with tics are characterized by:

attention disorders;
disturbance of perception;

In children with tics, the development of motor skills and coordinated movements is difficult, the smoothness of movements is impaired, and the execution of motor acts is slowed down.

Children with severe tics have significant disturbances in spatial perception.

Classification of ticks

motor tics (blinking, cheek twitching, shrugging, tense nose, etc.);
vocal tics (coughing, snoring, grunting, sniffling);
rituals (walking in a circle);
generalized forms of tics (when one child has not one tic, but several).

In addition, there are simple tics that involve only the muscles of the eyelids or arms or legs, and complex tics - movements that simultaneously occur in different muscle groups.

Tick flow

The disease can last from several hours to many years.
The severity of tics can range from almost imperceptible to severe (leading to the inability to go outside).
The frequency of tics varies throughout the day.
Treatment: from complete cure to ineffectiveness.
Associated behavioral disturbances may be subtle or severe.

Causes of tics

There is a widespread view among parents and teachers that “nervous” children suffer from tics. However, it is known that all children are “nervous,” especially during periods of the so-called crisis (periods of active struggle for independence), for example, at 3 years old and 6-7 years old, and tics appear only in some children.

Tics are often combined with hyperactive behavior and attention disorders (ADHD - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), low mood (depression), anxiety, ritualistic and obsessive behavior (pulling out hair or wrapping it around a finger, biting nails, etc.). In addition, a child with tics usually cannot tolerate transport and stuffy rooms, gets tired quickly, gets tired of sights and activities, sleeps restlessly or has trouble falling asleep.

The role of heredity

Tics appear in children with a hereditary predisposition: parents or relatives of children with tics may themselves suffer from obsessive movements or thoughts. It has been scientifically proven that tics:

are more easily provoked in males;
boys suffer from tics more severely than girls;
Children develop tics at an earlier age than their parents;
If a child has tics, it is often discovered that his male relatives also suffer from tics, and his female relatives suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Parental behavior

Despite the important role of heredity, developmental characteristics and emotional and personal traits of the child, his character and ability to withstand the influence of the outside world are formed within the family. An unfavorable ratio of verbal (speech) and nonverbal (non-speech) communications in the family contributes to the development of anomalies of behavior and character. For example, constant shouting and countless remarks lead to inhibition of the child’s free physiological activity (and this is different for each child and depends on temperament), which can be replaced by a pathological form in the form of tics and obsessions.

At the same time, children from mothers who raise children in an atmosphere of permissiveness remain infantile, which predisposes them to the development of tics.

Tic provocation: psychological stress

If a child with a hereditary predisposition and an unfavorable type of upbringing suddenly encounters a problem that is too much for him (psychotraumatic factor), tics develop. As a rule, the adults around the child do not know what triggered the appearance of tics. That is, for everyone except the child himself, the external situation seems normal. As a rule, he does not talk about his experiences. But at such moments, the child becomes more demanding of loved ones, seeks close contact with them, and requires constant attention. Nonverbal types of communication are activated: gestures and facial expressions. Laryngeal coughing becomes more frequent, which is similar to sounds such as grunting, smacking, sniffling, etc., that occur during thoughtfulness or embarrassment. Laryngeal coughing always increases with anxiety or danger. Movements in the hands arise or intensify - fingering the folds of clothing, twirling hair on a finger. These movements are involuntary and unconscious (the child may sincerely not remember what he just did), intensify with excitement and tension, clearly reflecting the emotional state. Teeth grinding may also occur during sleep, often in combination with nightmares and nightmares.

All these movements, having arisen once, can gradually disappear on their own. But if the child does not find support from others, they become fixed in the form of a pathological habit and then transform into tics.

Often the appearance of tics is preceded by acute viral or other serious illnesses. Parents often say that, for example, after a severe illness their child became nervous, capricious, did not want to play alone, and only then tics appeared. Inflammatory eye diseases are often complicated by subsequent tics in the form of blinking; Long-term ENT diseases contribute to the appearance of obsessive coughing, snoring, and grunting.

Thus, for tics to appear, three factors must coincide.

Hereditary predisposition.
Miseducation(presence of intra-family conflict; increased demands and control (overprotection); increased adherence to principles, uncompromising parents; formal attitude towards the child (hypoprotection), lack of communication.
Acute stress, provoking the appearance of tics.

The mechanism of development of tics

If a child constantly has internal anxiety or, as people say, “an uneasy soul,” stress becomes chronic. Anxiety itself is a necessary protective mechanism that allows you to prepare for it in advance of a dangerous event, speed up reflex activity, increase the speed of reaction and the acuity of the senses, and use all the body’s reserves for survival in extreme conditions. In a child who often experiences stress, the brain is constantly in a state of anxiety and anticipation of danger. The ability to voluntarily suppress (inhibit) unnecessary activity of brain cells is lost. The child's brain does not rest; Even in his sleep he is haunted by terrible images and nightmares. As a result, the body's adaptation systems are gradually depleted. Irritability and aggressiveness appear, and academic performance decreases. And in children who have an initial predisposition to a deficiency in inhibition of pathological reactions in the brain, harmful psychotraumatic factors cause the development of tics.

Tics and behavioral disorders

Children with tics always exhibit neurotic disorders in the form of low mood, internal anxiety, and a tendency to internal “self-examination.” Characterized by irritability, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and sleep disturbances, which requires consultation with a qualified psychiatrist.

It should be noted that in some cases, tics are the first symptom of a more severe neurological and mental illness that may develop over time. Therefore, a child with tics should be carefully examined by a neurologist, psychiatrist and psychologist.

Diagnosis of tics

The diagnosis is established during an examination by a neurologist. In this case, video recording at home is useful, because... the child tries to suppress or hide his tics when communicating with the doctor.

A psychological examination of the child is mandatory to identify his emotional and personal characteristics, concomitant disorders of attention, memory, control of impulsive behavior in order to diagnose variants of the course of tics; identifying provoking factors; as well as further psychological and medicinal correction.

In some cases, a neurologist prescribes a number of additional examinations (electroencephalography, magnetic resonance imaging), based on a conversation with parents, the clinical picture of the disease, and a consultation with a psychiatrist.

Medical diagnoses

Transient (passing) tic disorder characterized by simple or complex motor tics, short, repetitive, difficult-to-control movements, and mannerisms. The child experiences tics every day for 4 weeks but less than 1 year.

Chronic tic disorder characterized by rapid, repeated uncontrolled movements or vocalizations (but not both) occurring almost daily for more than 1 year.

Treatment of tics

To correct tics, it is recommended to first eliminate provoking factors. Of course, it is necessary to observe a sleep and nutrition schedule, and adequate physical activity.
Family psychotherapy is effective in cases where the analysis of intrafamily relationships reveals a chronic traumatic situation. Psychotherapy is useful even with harmonious family relationships, as it allows the child and parents to change the negative attitude towards tics. In addition, parents should remember that a timely kind word, touch, or joint activity (for example, baking cookies or a walk in the park) helps the child cope with accumulated unresolved problems, eliminate anxiety and tension. It is necessary to talk more with the child, walk with him more often and play His games.
Psychological correction.
- It can be carried out individually - to develop areas of mental activity (attention, memory, self-control) and reduce internal anxiety while simultaneously working on self-esteem (using games, conversations, drawings and other psychological techniques).
- It can be carried out in the form of group classes with other children (who have tics or other behavioral characteristics) - to develop the sphere of communication and play out possible conflict situations. At the same time, the child has the opportunity to choose the most optimal behavior in a conflict (to “rehearse” it in advance), which reduces the likelihood of exacerbation of tics.
Drug treatment for tics should begin when the possibilities of previous methods have already been exhausted. Medications are prescribed by a neurologist depending on the clinical picture and additional examination data.
- Basic therapy for tics includes 2 groups of drugs: those with anti-anxiety effects (antidepressants) - phenibut, Zoloft, Paxil, etc.; reducing the severity of motor phenomena - tiapridal, teralen, etc.
- Drugs that improve metabolic processes in the brain (nootropic drugs), vascular drugs, and vitamins can be added as additional therapy to basic therapy.
  The duration of drug therapy after the complete disappearance of tics is 6 months, then you can slowly reduce the dose of the drug until complete withdrawal.

Forecast for children who developed tics at the age of 6-8 years, favorable (i.e. the tics go away without a trace).

There is an opinion that children suffering from tics lag behind in their studies, are somewhat absent-minded, and cannot concentrate their attention for a long time. But it is not always the case. Among those who know first-hand what teak is, there are excellent students, athletes, and professional young dancers. Perhaps they will be the ones who will make history. But now these are children. And the fact that they are susceptible to tics interferes with their lives: they feel complex and even ashamed when they begin to blink frequently and slightly twitch their shoulders or otherwise manifest neurological problems.

information Children from 2 to 18 years old experience tics. This is one of the leading neurological diseases of childhood.

General information about ticks

It occurs approximately equally in both girls and boys (11% to 13%). Before the age of ten, almost every fifth child experiences one or more of the following manifestations of tics:

raising the eyebrows;
flinching;
twitching of the corner of the mouth, etc.

Parents of children prone to tics should be prepared for the fact that an exacerbation of the disease occurs at the age of three or between seven and ten years. The nature of tics and the place of occurrence depend on various factors: time of year, mood, activity. If the child is especially passionate about something, for example, an interesting game or an exercise that requires attention, the tics are muffled, but as soon as he sits in one position, an aggravation immediately occurs.

To distinguish a nervous tic in a child from muscle contractions during seizures caused by other diseases, you need to know that the child can control the manifestations of the neurological problem. For example, if he wants to take a pencil and draw a straight line under the ruler, he will succeed.

important Another specific feature of this disease is that you can either get rid of it forever or not find a cure. In a word, in order to fully understand a nervous tic, you need to clearly understand the reasons for its occurrence.

Classification of tics in children

The following types of teak are distinguished:

vocal (associated with sound: grunting, etc.);
motor (using muscles: blinking, etc.);
generalized (combining several tics);
ritual (associated with actions: tugging the earlobe, etc.)

The specificity of the tic is that this disease can manifest itself in very ambivalent ways at different moments. For example, the duration of the disease is unpredictable: it can occur for a few hours and never happen again, or it can last for many years. It can manifest itself very slightly, even almost imperceptibly, and sometimes it is accompanied by a form in which a person is not able to go out to people. Express yourself differently throughout the day: sometimes occur often, sometimes rarely.

Symptoms and causes

Nervous tics in children, as a rule, are combined with hyperactive behavior and impaired concentration, accompanied by obsessive behavior, which indicates the symptoms of this disease:

“playing” with strands of hair;
nail biting;
twisting and unwinding of the edges of clothing.

information Children with tics most often have difficulty falling asleep, sleep restlessly, and experience discomfort in closed, crowded rooms.

Hereditary predisposition plays a significant role in the diagnosis of tics. The studies carried out made it possible to assert that the disease is provoked, if we are talking about heredity, easier in boys, and at an earlier age than in parents.

It should be added that a lot depends on the climate in the family. If parents wisely combine the “carrot and stick” method, then neurological problems will bypass the child. There are known cases when tics occurred against the background of viral infections or other diseases. For example, vision problems led to blinking, respiratory diseases led to coughing or sniffing.

The above allows us to name the main causes of nervous tics in children:

heredity;
improper upbringing;
stress;
consequences of other diseases.

Treatment of nervous tics in children

important Whatever precedes the appearance of tics, they should not be left untreated. Inaction can lead to complications and worsening of the problem.

First you need find out the cause and, if possible, try to eliminate it.
The next step is to effectively connect psychotherapy. Even in prosperous families, consultations with psychologists and psychiatrists will not be superfluous, at least they will help change the very attitude towards tics: they exist, you need to fight them, but you cannot focus on them.
It will be very useful in the overall treatment complex psychological correction, which can be considered as a very important remedy for nervous tics. Psychological correction can be carried out both individually and in a group:
- With an individual approach attention and memory develop, you can help the child cope with internal anxiety and at the same time increase self-esteem. Effective techniques are role-playing games, conversations, and drawings.
- Group classes They allow the child to feel more confident because he sees: this is not only his problem, there are other people who understand him very well. By communicating with them, acting out conflict situations under the supervision of a specialist, children learn to find the right solutions, as if they are “rehearsing” some kind of life situation that may occur in life, and in response to it there is already a “home preparation”. This reduces the likelihood of tics getting worse.

Drug therapy

If the methods mentioned above have been exhausted, and the desired results are not available, then it is necessary to add medications.

information Nervous tics in children require an integrated approach to eliminate the problem, and drug therapy should continue for another six months after the tics have completely disappeared.

The following may be used:

antidepressants (Phenibut, Zoloft, Paxil, etc.);
Tiapridal, Teralen and similar drugs will help reduce pronounced motor manifestations;
nootropic or vascular drugs that will improve metabolic processes in the brain;
vitamins will not be superfluous.

A neurologist should help the child cope with the problem, who, after studying the clinical picture, will prescribe the correct treatment with medications.

If the disease has declared itself from 3 to 6 years, then usually monitoring and treatment requires a long time - right up to puberty.
Occurrence interval 6-8 years called “favorable” for combating tics - they pass without returning.
Parents who notice neurological problems in their child should be especially vigilant. up to 3 years.
dangerous This may be a warning sign of serious illnesses such as schizophrenia, autism, brain tumors and other less common conditions. The child needs to be seriously examined to exclude these diagnoses.

Doctors repeatedly emphasize that they can help parents raise a healthy child if the parents themselves want it. The question of nervous tics confirms this idea time and time again. A stable, balanced psychological climate in the family is the prevention of neurological disorders in children.

The unformed psyche of a child turns out to be very vulnerable in reaction to various types of stress. This could be constant quarrels between parents, and their frequent prohibitions on the child’s freedom of action, which will raise an insecure person, and the inadequate reaction of elders to the child’s faults and the like.

If there is no natural predisposition in your family, then you can prevent a nervous tic that will cause complications in the child later. Take care of your baby’s psyche, don’t provoke the development of fears, don’t frighten him with anything, don’t let phobias develop, don’t let a mentally unhealthy person grow up. A nervous tic is only an external manifestation of the above reasons.

A nervous tic can occur not only in an adult, but also in a child - parents should pay special attention to the symptom. What is a nervous tic and how to distinguish it from other similar disorders?

blinking;
twitching of the corners of the mouth or cheeks;
wincing and shrugging;
raising eyebrows;
head throwing and more.

It is important to be able to distinguish a nervous tic from convulsive muscle contractions that may accompany another disease. These signs include:

A child's ability to produce, partially control, and temporarily suppress tics.
The dependence of the frequency of tics on the child’s mood, activity, time of year and even time of day.
Absence of tics during voluntary movements (drinking from a cup, eating with a spoon, etc.).
Change of localization. For example, twitching of the corners of the mouth over time can turn into a shrug or blinking. You need to understand: most likely, this is a new attack of an old disease, and not another disease.

When a child draws or does something else that interests him, the tic often temporarily recedes. Classification of nervous tics

Firstly, there are two types of tics:

simple;
complex.

The first type includes tics that affect only one specific muscle group: the eyes or head, arms or legs. Complex tics are a combined contraction of several different muscle groups at once.

Secondly, tics are divided based on their external manifestation:

motor;
vocal;
rituals;
generalized forms.

The first type includes: blinking, shrugging, throwing the head back, twitching the corners of the mouth or cheeks and other involuntary body movements. Vocal tics get their name from the sound they produce - sniffing, sniffling, or coughing. Constantly repeating actions of the same type - walking back and forth or in a circle - are referred to as so-called rituals. With the latter form of tics, the child exhibits several variants of them at once.

From a medical point of view, the following forms of nervous tics are distinguished:

transient, in other words transitional;
chronic.

Causes of the disease

Before you begin to treat a disorder in your baby, you need to find out its cause. These could be:

Hereditary predisposition. The likelihood of the disorder occurring in children increases in a family where one of the close relatives suffers from a similar disease.
Parental behavior and family atmosphere. Of course, genetics and the environment play an important role in the formation of a child’s personality, his character traits and the ability to adequately respond to external stimuli, but the family and its internal state play a primary role in this. A pronounced violation in the ratio of verbal and nonverbal communication between parents and children and among themselves provokes unnatural behavior and anomalies in the child’s character. Constant prohibitions and comments, strict control and tension, endless screams can lead to inhibition of physiological activity, which, in turn, can result in one of the forms of nervous tics in the future. The situation with permissiveness and connivance can end in a similar way, so in raising children it is necessary to find a middle ground, which is individual for each child, depending on his temperament and personal qualities.

Factors that provoke tics

What exactly can trigger the appearance of tics? The answer is obvious - psychological stress caused by the child’s inability to independently cope with a problem or a difficult situation for him.

Quarrels or strained relationships between parents are acutely felt by the child, even if he does not see confirmation of his guesses. This may be one of the causes of tic condition

Diagnosis of the disease

Sometimes additional measures may be required to make a diagnosis: consultation with a psychiatrist, magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography. They should only be prescribed by a doctor.

Stages of treatment

Family psychotherapy. First of all, it is necessary for families in which the internal tense situation directly affects the psychological state of the child. This practice would also be useful for families in which the child grows up in a favorable and harmonious atmosphere - this will only bring benefits to relationships within the family and prevent possible mistakes in the future.
Correction with a psychologist. In individual lessons, using a variety of psychological techniques, the child is helped to cope with internal feelings of anxiety and discomfort and increase self-esteem. With the help of conversations and games, they stimulate the development of lagging areas of mental activity: memory, self-control, attention. Group classes include children with similar diseases or disabilities, and the main idea of the classes is to create conflict situations in a playful way. Thus, the child learns to behave in conflicts, look for possible solutions and draw conclusions. Additionally, the sphere of communication and communication with others is developing.
Drug treatment. You should resort to the last method of treatment only if all the previous ones did not have the desired effect. A pediatric neurologist prescribes medications based on data from all examinations.

What is a nervous tic and how does it manifest itself externally in children?

Among the types of ticks there are 2: primary and secondary, while primary can be:

Chronic motor problems;
Transitory;
Tics that occur with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome.

Transient tics

Externally, transient type tics appear:

Private grimace.
Constant licking of the lips, as well as sticking out the tongue from the mouth.
Frequent coughing.
Blinking of the eyes and frequent blinking, twitching of the outer corners of the eyes.

The main properties of transient tics in children can be called:

Lack of a certain rhythm.
Short duration of spasms.
Their spontaneity or manifestation in stressful situations.
High frequency of spasms, as a rule, they come one after another.
A change in the intensity and nature of muscle movements, which usually occurs with age.

Children are able to suppress such manifestations, but for a short period of time.

Chronic tics

Some scientists call chronic tics a mild form of a condition called Tourette's syndrome, but most often they are classified as a separate group.

The disease has a hereditary etiology and occurs 5 times more often in boys than in girls.

Causes of nervous tics in children

The reason for the appearance of a nervous tic can even be the first trip to kindergarten or the transition from kindergarten to school.

Medical diagnostics

A child's tic is very pronounced.
Tick has a multiple character.
The condition causes serious physical discomfort to the baby.
The condition provokes difficulties in the child’s social adaptation.
Tick is observed for more than one year.

As additional studies, general blood tests, helminth tests, ionograms, as well as electroencephalography and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) are often prescribed.

In some cases, additional consultations with other specialists may be required, in particular: infectious disease specialist, geneticist, psychotherapist, oncologist, toxicologist.

What to do if your child has a nervous tic

If a tic that appears causes the child emotional or physical suffering, you should help him using several simple techniques to quickly eliminate the resulting muscle spasm.

To quickly eliminate a nervous tic, you should:

Press lightly on the area of the brow ridge with your thumb or index finger, approximately in the middle. This is where the nerve that controls the upper eyelids passes. The finger should be held for about 10 seconds.
Then, with the same force, you need to press on the corners of the eyes, preferably simultaneously, holding for 10 seconds.
After this, you should ask the baby to close his eyes tightly for about 5 seconds, while the eyelids should be as tense as possible. After a minute's rest, closing your eyes must be repeated twice.

Such activities allow you to quickly relieve muscle tension, but the effect will be temporary and can last from a few minutes to 2 – 3 hours.

Treatment of nervous tics in a child

Treatment can be carried out using 3 methods:

Methods of non-drug therapy.
With the help of medications and medical procedures.
Using traditional medicine methods.

Directions for non-drug therapy in this case may be different.:

Individual psychotherapy, since most tics manifest themselves precisely as a result of stressful situations.
Changing the family situation, creating favorable conditions for the baby. Parents must understand that the manifestation of a nervous tic is not a whim or self-indulgence. This is a disease that requires appropriate treatment, so you cannot scold him for this and demand control over yourself. The baby will not be able to cope with this on his own.
Changing parental behavior, if necessary. It is important that relatives do not try to focus attention on the existing problem, but treat the baby as an ordinary healthy and completely normal child. It is important to protect the baby from various stresses, provide a calm environment, support him and promptly consult a doctor if the need arises.

Treatment of nervous tics in children with folk remedies

Most often used:

Motherwort infusion. To prepare it, take dry crushed herb raw materials (2 tablespoons), pour a glass of boiling water over it and leave for about 2 hours until it cools completely. Strain the finished infusion thoroughly and put it in a cool, dark place outside the refrigerator. The child should be given this infusion three times a day, half an hour before meals.. For children under 14 years of age, the dosage is 1 teaspoon per dose; for those over 14 years of age, it is necessary to give the product a dessert spoon.
Valerian root infusion. Pour the crushed raw material (1 tablespoon) into a glass of boiling water and heat in a water bath for 15 minutes in a closed container. Leave until completely cooled (about 2 hours), strain and store outside the refrigerator, but in a cool and dark place. The child should be given the infusion 4 times a day, half an hour before meals., and also before going to bed, 1 teaspoon. But you should not take this infusion for more than 6 weeks.

Hawthorn infusion. Dry crushed berries (1 tbsp) pour a glass of boiling water, leave for 2 hours, strain. Give the child a tablespoon three times a day, half an hour before meals.
Camomile tea. Dried flowers (1 tbsp) pour a glass of boiling water, leave for about 3 hours, strain. Give your child ¼ of a glass half an hour before meals three times a day.

Nervous tic of the face and eyes

Prevention of recurrence of nervous tics

It is important after therapy to prevent recurrence of the disease, for which it is necessary:

Ensure that a normal psychological environment is maintained in the family.
Develop stress resistance in your child, do not isolate yourself from him when problems arise, but, on the contrary, discuss them with him, together look for a solution, so that the child gets used to adult life and perceives difficult situations correctly.
Ensure your child gets enough sleep and a healthy diet.
Make sure that he takes daily walks totaling at least an hour a day.
Do meditation or yoga with your baby.
Ventilate the home, especially the child’s room (be sure to do this before bedtime).
Protect your baby from anything that could trigger the recurrence of tics.

Any short-term, involuntary simple movement that occurs due to the contraction of one or more muscles following an erroneous command from the brain is called hyperkinesis. If an inappropriate movement becomes fast and repetitive, this phenomenon is called a tic.

In this case, not only the muscular system, but also the vocal system can be affected. Along with movements, this can be smacking, uttering any sounds, etc. The person understands that these manifestations are inappropriate, but is unable to cope with them. Unfortunately, this problem is becoming more and more common and appears on average in every fourth child under the age of 10 years.

Among neurological diseases in childhood, it occupies one of the leading places. Next, we suggest you find out what it is - a nervous tic in a child, what are the causes of eye twitching, coughing and coughing, shoulder movements and other symptoms, how to get rid of it, how to treat infants and what is the treatment for older children.

Causes of development depending on age

The mechanism of occurrence of tics is complex and in many respects has not been fully determined. All researchers agree that not only genetic but also psychological factors are involved here, and also suggests possible organic brain damage in the perinatal period.

For a nervous tic to appear, at least three factors must coincide:

A predisposition, often called heredity. Often, with tics, it is discovered that the father or grandfather had the same problem, and the mother or grandmother suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Wrong upbringing. Increased control and uncompromisingness of parents, lack of communication, intra-family conflicts and a formal attitude towards the child contribute to the creation of the problem.
Severe stress, which can include having suffered a severe viral disease or surgery.

Usually, initially the child has increased anxiety, which leads to chronic stress.

Frequent minor stress also leads to this, as a result of which the baby’s brain goes into constant anticipation of some kind of danger and does not rest even in sleep.

Mechanisms adapting to stress are gradually depleted, and if initially the baby had a predisposition to insufficient brain inhibition of pathological reactions, a traumatic factor can cause the onset of a tic.

Infants may experience tremor immediately after birth, which causes physiological twitching of the legs and/or arms, lower jaw, and lips. Anything can trigger the onset of tremors: colic, crying, bathing, changing clothes, hunger. All these manifestations usually disappear without a trace within the first three months of life.

You should start to worry when, in addition to everything else, the head begins to twitch. This is already a pathology, which usually intensifies over time. Tremors can occur on any part of the body and as the baby grows older, it becomes more intense and longer lasting.

Inexperienced parents of infants often get scared, seeing deviation in almost every movement, and begin to sound the alarm. As a rule, it turns out that there are no pathologies behind all this, the baby outgrows it. For your own peace of mind, it is enough to consult a pediatrician.

Main types, characteristics, description

Tics can be classified according to several indicators:

by etiology- hereditary, primary (psychogenic, nervous), secondary (symptomatic, resulting from any disease);
by length distinguish between transient and chronic;
by complexity- consisting of elementary movements (simple) and consisting of complex movements (complex);
according to the involvement of muscle groups- nervous tics of the limbs, facial (the child’s facial muscles are involved), vocal (the vocal muscles are involved);
by prevalence- involving several muscle groups (generalized) and involving one muscle group (localized);
according to manifestation- motor (expressed by movement, this includes tics of the limbs and facial expressions) and vocal (sound).

The way a tic manifests itself is a clear characteristic that is understandable even to a non-specialist. As an example, here are several common types of nervous tics in children:

Such manifestations, having arisen once, can gradually disappear on their own. But if the child does not find support in the environment, all this turns into a pathological habit and gradually transforms into a tic. This often happens after severe viral illnesses.

Exacerbations of the problem begin in autumn and winter, which is associated with increasing mental load during schooling. In the summer, remission (symptoms subside) often occurs.

Complex manifestations

A complex tic involves several muscle groups: abdomen, back, limbs, neck, facial muscles, vocal muscles. In most children, nervous tics begin with blinking their eyes, and gradually raise their shoulders, raise their gaze, turn their heads, and move their limbs, which prevents the child from performing written tasks while learning.

This may be accompanied by coprolalia (swearing), echolalia (repetition of individual words), or rapid slurred speech (palilalia), most often in this case the last word of a spoken sentence is repeated.

The clinical picture usually becomes more complicated from top to bottom: first, the facial muscles are involved in the process, then the problem affects the shoulders and arms, and later the torso and legs join in with uncontrolled movements.

The most severe form is Tourette's syndrome, described in the 19th century as a disease of multiple tics.

The clinical picture together includes obsessive-compulsive neurosis due to attention deficit, vocal and motor tics.

This disease occurs with a frequency of one case per 1 thousand boys or per 10 thousand girls. The problem first appears at the age of 3–7 years with twitching of the shoulders and local facial tics.

One type of tics is replaced by another. After a few years, vocal tics appear, but in some cases the disease begins with them, it all depends on the age of the child and the characteristics of the body. The child’s consciousness is completely preserved during tics, but he cannot control these movements.

Peak manifestations occur between the ages of 8–11 years. Excessive movements may cause muscle pain, for example, in the cervical spine due to frequent and strong turns of the head or due to a sharp tilting of the head back, the child may hit a hard object behind him, which can lead to injury.

During exacerbations, children have problems with self-care, and they cannot attend school. At 12–15 years of age, the disease enters the residual phase - the final phase, in which the process stops, residual symptoms are observed in the clinical picture.

This most often manifests itself as local tics. If Tourette's syndrome was not complicated by obsessive-compulsive neurosis, then in the residual phase a complete cessation of tics may occur.

Watch a video about Tourette's syndrome in children:

How to save your baby from illness

The duration and nature of the disease is influenced by the age at which the disease began to develop:

up to 3 years - often this is a symptom of an existing complex disease (brain tumor, schizophrenia, autism, etc.);
in the period from 3 to 6 years - the problem usually drags on until adolescence and then begins to gradually decrease;
in the period from 6 to 8 years - a favorable prognosis, the problem will pass without a trace.

The main principle of therapy is an integrated approach and taking into account the individual characteristics of the body. and the course of the disease. First, during a conversation with parents, the doctor finds out the possible causes of the problem, and methods of pedagogical adjustment are discussed. As a rule, drug therapy is not immediately resorted to.

Signs of a concussion in a child - how to identify and what to do in this situation? About everything in detail in a separate article.

Anyone interested in the question of whether epilepsy in children is treated, what types of disorders there are, and how to provide first aid during an attack, we recommend that you go here.

You will find out what to do if your child has convulsions due to fever, here.

What can you do at home?

First of all, identified provoking factors are eliminated. Often the severity of tics decreases as demands on the child decrease. It is necessary to maintain a daily routine, adjust the diet by removing from it foods that do not provide any benefit to the body (soda, fast food, etc.), and establish adequate physical activity.

If recurring traumatic situations within the family are identified, family psychotherapy may be needed. Any joint activity (cleaning the apartment, cooking, baking a pie), a kind word spoken at the right time will help the child get rid of internal tension.

The easiest way to calm the nervous system is with evening walks, swimming, and warm baths with essential oils of lavender and lemon balm.

Watch a video about how a nervous tic manifests itself in a child and what are the symptoms and treatment of the disorder in children of primary school age:

How can a doctor help?

The diagnosis is made by a neurologist after examining the child. It will be good if parents prepare a film of the problem at home, since during communication with the doctor the picture may be “blurred”.

The child should also be examined by a psychologist and assessed his emotional characteristics, degree of attentiveness, memory abilities and ability to control impulsive behavior.

Consultation with a psychiatrist, magnetic resonance imaging or electroencephalogram may be necessary. The doctor may recommend taking a course of psychological correction individually or in group classes.

Specially trained specialists will help correct the emotional or mental sphere that is late in development, using games, conversations or drawing to work on the child’s self-esteem.

A teenager in a group will be able to play out possible conflict situations with peers and, having rehearsed in advance, choose the best behavior, which will increase the chance of avoiding an exacerbation of the tic.

Drug treatment is resorted to only when previous treatment options have exhausted themselves without producing tangible results.

The drugs are prescribed by a neurologist; self-medication is strictly prohibited.

After the tic has completely disappeared, the medication continues for at least another six months, then the doses are gradually reduced until complete withdrawal.

What medications are prescribed

Neuroleptics that combine analgesic, anticonvulsant, antiemetic properties may be prescribed., antihistamine, sedative, antipsychotic effects: Fluphenazine, Haloperidol, Pimozide, Tiapride, Risperidone.

Often, auxiliary means are added to the main course: to maintain general well-being (vitamins), vascular drugs and nootropics that improve metabolic processes in the brain.

If obsessive-compulsive neuroses are also present, then antidepressants are added to the treatment. Fluoxetine (Prozac), Clomipramine (Clofranil, Clominal, Anafranil).

When choosing a drug for a child, you should also take into account the convenience of titration (dosing) of the drug. The most convenient are drops (Risperidone, Haloperidol) - using the liquid form it is convenient to measure the required maintenance volume, avoiding unnecessary overdoses. This is very important when prescribing long courses.

Folk remedies

As an easily accessible remedy, the easiest way is to use motherwort tincture, giving it to your child before bedtime. Or you can buy several herbs and make your own collections:

Grind the herb, thyme, valerian and chicory roots, heather leaves and mix, adding 2 parts of the remaining ingredients to 1 part of chicory. Brew a tablespoon of the mixture like tea in a glass of boiling water for about half an hour, give the child three times a day from 50 to 150 ml, depending on age. This infusion quickly relieves tension and calms you down.
To 3 parts of chamomile add 1 part of valerian root and 2 parts of mint and lemon balm. Brew in the same dosage as in the previous recipe, take in the morning before meals and before bed from 50 to 150 ml, depending on age.

Massage and exercise

For nervous tics, massage has proven itself to be the best treatment because it is an effective remedy. But it should be understood that the features of the procedure depend on the type of disorder. The essence of all manipulations is to relax the desired area of the body.. Light stroking, rubbing, kneading are performed.

Sudden strong impacts that tone the muscles are not allowed; the purpose of all movements is relaxation. To improve blood supply to the brain, the collar area is massaged.

Improving blood circulation in the brain helps improve the condition of the entire nervous system.

An underwater massage shower also perfectly relieves muscle tension. Usually a course of 10 sessions is prescribed; you need to complete it completely, even if your health improves earlier. Exercises, in particular Strelnikova’s breathing exercises, are of great help.

Therapeutic stretching with weights will also be effective.. With the help of a complex selected by a specialist, it is possible to change muscle tone and form proper brain function. Thanks to biofeedback between muscles and brain neurons, it is possible to change existing behavioral programs.

Alternating stretching and relaxation has a beneficial effect on the entire body.

Loads should not be aimed at the elasticity of one muscle, but at the entire body, emphasizing the spinal column, as well as the shoulder and hip joints.

Features of treatment of infants

For infants with pathological tremor, massage is mandatory to avoid such serious consequences as hyperglycemia, pathological changes in intracranial pressure, hypocalcemia, cerebral hemorrhage, etc. Children's therapeutic massage for nervous tics in a child under one year old can be used from 1.5 months of age, with its help, muscle spasms are removed and the nervous system is stabilized.

It is preferable to contact a specialist for a massage course or at least undergo several initial sessions with him in order to subsequently carry out massage at home on your own.

The movements used are simple (stroking, rubbing, kneading, vibration), but you should learn how to perform them correctly and see which areas on the baby’s body should be avoided (lymph nodes, heart area, liver and spine).

For infants up to 3 months, the procedure should not exceed 5 minutes; for older children, the time can be increased, but the duration of the session should not exceed 20 minutes.

The main criterion during a massage is the child’s behavior; if he behaves restlessly or is capricious, the procedure is stopped.

Prevention of not only tics, but also any psycho-emotional problems is a friendly, calm atmosphere in the family, a balanced diet, in which All foods and drinks that stimulate the nervous system (coffee, tea, chocolate, cocoa) are limited.

Spending time at the computer and in front of the TV should be limited to half an hour a day, and all free time should be devoted to sports, handicrafts, and walks.

The psychological aspect is very important, all parents need to remember this, so at every opportunity you should:

listen to the baby’s opinion;
avoid overwhelming tasks
praise the child if deserved;
Refer a vulnerable child to see a psychologist.

You need to be patient with your child and educate him, and not let his development take its course. The state of a child’s physical and mental health largely depends on the relationships that develop with peers in kindergarten and school, on the fulfillment of their responsibilities by parents, on their attitude towards themselves and each other.

In a comfortable microclimate, everyone's self-esteem increases, which eliminates the appearance of neuroses and similar conditions that can lead to the formation of a nervous tic.

If it happens that a tic does begin, you should not wait in the hope that it will go away on its own, but should immediately contact a specialist.

What to do if you notice manifestations of a nervous tic in a child, and how to cure the disease, you will learn from this video: