Nervous tics in children symptoms. Nervous tic in a child - treatment and symptoms

The most interesting, mysterious and little-studied part of a person is his psyche. On the one hand, it is intangible and invisible, on the other hand, it is she who determines behavior, character, temperament, and much more. Like a crystal vase, the psyche is quite organized, fine structure but it can also be easily damaged. Children are the most vulnerable in this respect.

Nervous tics

To find and understand a way to get rid of nervous tics, you need to understand what they are. These are obsessive repetitive unconscious movements that occur in situations of the same type, more often stressful. In fact, nervous tics are a mistake in the cerebral cortex, which for some reason sends an impulse to contract one or a group of muscles. Depending on this, there are local and generalized variants of this deviation. There are an incredible variety of types of implementation, and it can even be said that each sufferer has features of manifestation, which primarily depend on which particular muscle is involved.

Taking into account the muscle and its function, we can distinguish:

1. Vocal. They arise when the muscles responsible for the contraction of the vocal cords are involved in the psipathological process. Sometimes it is not just a sound, but a whole word or even a phrase.
2. Mimic. They are formed during the contraction of the muscles of the face and head as a whole. Meet more often than others. An example of such tics can be a "twitching" eye, eyelid, grimacing.
3. Tics of limbs. Usually, the movements of the arms and legs repeat some specific action, it can be simple or complex if it consists of elements. Example: unconscious drawing in the air without a pencil.

Approaches to the treatment of a nervous tic from the point of view of Tibetan and ancient Eastern medicine

When and why do nervous tics appear?

Nervous tics are the most common neuropsychiatric pathology in children and adolescents. Perhaps the occurrence of errors at this level of the nervous system is associated with immaturity and the active development of associative neural connections at this age. This pathology is more common in boys. Nervous tics in adults are recorded much less frequently. Depending on the cause, the following options are distinguished:

• Primary.
• Secondary.
• Hereditary.

True neuropsychiatric abnormalities are primary nervous tics that form after severe stress. Almost always they occur in childhood, they can be provoked by problems in the family. In fact, a child does not need a big reason for this disease to arise.

Each child is an individual and the approach to him should be individual.

For some, the appearance of a brother or sister is a real tragedy, as they have to share the attention of their parents with someone. For others, too loud a quarrel between the closest people is enough. Children of 5 years old often become victims of incredible plans and hopes, first-graders may suffer from the increased responsibility and ambitions of parents who want to raise only an excellent student. All this sometimes becomes the basis for the development of deviations at the level of the psyche, and one of the first signs is the appearance of nervous tics in children.

If the primary ones are amenable to psychotherapy, then the secondary occurrence of this problem is much more serious. They appear as a result of organic damage to the brain, in particular the cortex. This can occur due to trauma, tumors, encephalitis (inflammation), metabolic disorders of certain substances and severe intoxications. Special treatment is sometimes effective, but more often residual effects persist until the end of life. In fact, in this case, nervous tics are a symptom of the underlying disease. Even nervous tics are a manifestation of hereditary diseases, the most striking example is Tourette's syndrome. it genetic disease, which is accompanied by multiple tics, and almost always there are complex vocal ones. The latter are sometimes very unusual in nature, a person may suddenly start shouting insults, ridiculous phrases, names.

With frequent nervous tics in adolescents, in the absence of other causes, it is necessary to conduct a genetic analysis to exclude this syndrome.

Symptoms accompanying nervous tics

Unfortunately, when a breakdown occurs at any level, and even more so in the structure of the psyche, they cannot be expressed in a single symptom. Usually, in combination with tics, parents note such manifestations as enuresis, poor sleep, hyperactivity, excessive excitability, or vice versa, a sluggish response to what is happening around. Personal characteristics also change. A child, especially a teenager, becomes insecure, withdrawn, uncommunicative. If nervous tics arose in the company of other children or someone spoke incorrectly about this, then a persistent inferiority complex is formed. All this aggravates the state of an already shaken psyche. It is very important to take into account that a child with a nervous tic has already had a mental problem that requires outside help, and not to harm the sometimes rude and swift attempt of parents to correct the situation.

Treatment

The choice of tactics for the treatment of nervous tics in children depends on the age category and the underlying cause. Primary - usually amenable to psychotherapy in combination with herbal medicine. At secondary treatment is to eliminate or correct the underlying disease. The approach should be not only individual, but also correct.

Any careless intervention, remark can aggravate the child's condition and create a block in communication.

The basis of psychotherapy is soothing therapy and a change in attitude towards the situation that provokes the occurrence of nervous tics. The prognosis is most often favorable, after puberty the frequency and severity of nervous tics decreases. In adults, this manifestation persists more often with organic lesion structures of the brain and requires medical and physiotherapeutic correction.

Have you noticed that your child has started blinking or twitching his shoulders frequently? Maybe he has a nervous tic. What caused it? Maybe the child has recently had colds Or did something scare him? Let's talk to a specialist...

Tics are lightning-fast involuntary muscle contractions, most often of the face and limbs (blinking, raising the 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 childhood. Tics occur in 11% of girls and 13% of boys. By the age of 10 years, tics occur in 20% of children (i.e. one in five children). Tics appear in children aged 2 to 18 years, but there are 2 peaks - these are 3 years and 7-11 years.

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

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

Psychologically, children with tics are characterized by:

• attention disorders;
• impaired perception;

In children with tics, it is difficult to develop motor skills and coordinated movements, the smoothness of movements is impaired, and the performance of motor acts is slowed down.

In children with severe tics, violations of spatial perception are expressed.

Tick ​​classification

• motor tics (blinking, cheek twitching, shrugging, tension of the wings of the nose, etc.);
• vocal tics (coughing, sniffing, grunting, sniffing);
• rituals, (walking in circles);
• generalized forms of tics (when one child has more than one tick, but several).

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

The course of ticks

• The illness can last from a few hours to many years.
• The severity of tics can range from almost imperceptible to severe (resulting in the inability to go outside).
• Tick ​​frequency 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 point of view among parents and educators 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 winding it around a finger, biting nails, etc.). In addition, a child with tics usually does not tolerate transport and stuffy rooms, gets tired quickly, gets tired of sights and activities, sleeps restlessly or falls asleep badly.

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:

• easier provoked in males;
• boys have more severe tics than girls;
• in children, tics appear in more early age than their parents;
• if the child has tics, it is often found that his male relatives also suffer from tics, and his female relatives 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 is formed within the family. An unfavorable ratio of verbal (speech) and non-verbal (non-speech) communications in the family contributes to the development of behavioral and character anomalies. For example, constant shouting and countless remarks lead to the restraint of the free physiological activity of the child (and it is different for each baby 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 a child in an environment of permissiveness remain infantile, which predisposes to the occurrence of tics.

Tick ​​provocation: psychological stress

If a child with a hereditary predisposition and an unfavorable type of upbringing suddenly encounters an unbearable problem for him (a psycho-traumatic factor), tics develop. As a rule, 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 relatives, seeks close contact with them, requires constant attention. Non-verbal types of communication are activated: gestures and facial expressions. The laryngeal coughing becomes more frequent, which is similar to such sounds as grunting, smacking, sniffing, etc., arising during thoughtfulness, embarrassment. The throaty cough is always aggravated by anxiety or danger. Movements in the hands appear or intensify - sorting through the folds of clothes, winding hair around 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 during sleep may also appear, often in combination with nocturnal and frightening dreams.

All these movements, having arisen once, can gradually disappear by themselves. But if the child does not find support from others, they are fixed in the form of a pathological habit and then transformed into tics.

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

Thus, for the appearance of ticks, a coincidence of 3 factors is necessary.

1. hereditary predisposition.
2. Wrong upbringing(the presence of intra-family conflict; increased demands and control (hyper-custody); increased adherence to principles, uncompromisingness of parents; formal attitude towards the child (hypo-custody), lack of communication.
3. acute stress causing tics.

Mechanism of tick development

If a child constantly has internal anxiety or, as the people say, "is restless at heart", stress becomes chronic. Anxiety itself is a necessary protective mechanism that allows you to prepare for it in advance of the onset of a dangerous event, to accelerate reflex activity, increase the speed of reaction and the sharpness of the senses, use all the reserves of the body to survive 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 arbitrarily suppress (slow down) unnecessary activity of brain cells is lost. The child's brain does not rest; even in his sleep he is haunted by terrible images, nightmares. As a result, the body's adaptation systems are gradually depleted. Irritability, aggressiveness appear, academic performance decreases. And in children with an initial predisposition to a deficiency in the inhibition of pathological reactions in the brain, harmful psychotraumatic factors cause the development of tics.

Tics and behavioral disorders

In children with tics, neurotic disorders are always noted in the form of low mood, internal anxiety, and a tendency to internal self-digging. Characterized by irritability, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances, which requires the consultation of a qualified psychiatrist.

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

Tick ​​Diagnostics

The diagnosis is established during the examination by a neurologist. At the same time, video filming at home is useful, because. the child tries to suppress or hide his tics during communication 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 the variant of the course of tics; identification of provoking factors; as well as further psychological and medical 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 (transient) tic disorder characterized by simple or complex motor tics, short, repetitive, hardly controlled movements, and mannerisms. The child has tics every day for 4 weeks but less than 1 year.

Chronic tic disorder characterized by rapid, repetitive, uncontrollable movements or vocalizations (but not both) that occur almost daily for more than 1 year.

Treatment of tics

1. To correct tics, it is recommended first of all to exclude provoking factors. Of course, it is necessary to observe the sleep and nutrition regimen, the adequacy of physical activity.
2. Family psychotherapy is effective in cases where the analysis of intra-family relations reveals a chronic psycho-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 spoken kind word, touch, joint activities (for example, baking cookies or a walk in the park) help 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.
3. Psychological correction.
   • It can be carried out individually - to develop areas of mental activity (attention, memory, self-control) and reduce internal anxiety while working on self-esteem (using games, conversations, drawings and other psychological techniques).
   • It can be carried out in the form of group sessions with other children (who have tics or other behavioral characteristics) - to develop the sphere of communication and play out possible conflict situations. In this case, the child has the opportunity to choose the most best option behavior in conflict ("rehearse" it in advance), which reduces the likelihood of exacerbation of tics.
4. Drug treatment of tics should be started when the possibilities of previous methods have already been exhausted. Medications are prescribed by a neurologist depending on clinical picture and additional survey data.
   • Basic therapy for tics includes 2 groups of drugs: those with anti-anxiety effect (antidepressants) - phenibut, zoloft, paxil, etc.; reducing the severity of motor phenomena - tiapridal, teralen, etc.
   • As an additional therapy, drugs that improve metabolic processes in the brain (nootropic drugs) can be connected to the basic therapy, vascular preparations, vitamins.
     Duration drug therapy after the complete disappearance of ticks is 6 months, then you can slowly reduce the dose of the drug until it is completely canceled.

Forecast for children in whom tics appeared at the age of 6-8 years, favorable (i.e. tics pass without a trace).

The early onset of tics (3-6 years) is typical for their long course, up to adolescence, when tics gradually decrease.

If tics appear before age 3, they are usually a symptom of something serious illness(eg schizophrenia, brain tumors, etc.). In these cases, a thorough examination of the child is required.

Tics are stereotyped, repetitive movements. Usually first appear in children aged 3-5 years. Tics are characterized by an undulating course: periods of exacerbations, which usually last about 1.5 months, are replaced by periods of remission.

Types of tics in children

Depending on the severity of tics, tics can be local and widespread. With local tics, one region is involved, such as the head. The most common local tic is blinking. Common tics include multiple regions. Frequently occurring common tics are jumping, twitching of the arm or shoulder.

Tics can be single or multiple. For single ones, one stereotyped movement is characteristic, for multiple ones - their combination. Tics can change over time. For example, blinking is replaced by nose behavior, then both tics occur simultaneously. Other regions of the body may also be involved.

In addition to motor tics, there are vocal tics. They are characterized by a stereotypical pronunciation of any sounds (coughing, grunting, etc.). They can be combined with motor tics, or exist in isolation.

Causes of tics in children

Parents often associate the appearance of children's tics with stress and emotional upheaval. In fact, the cause of tics is a change in metabolism (dopamine and norepinephrine) in the subcortical structures of the brain. A person is born with a similar predisposition, and often it is inherited.

Not always tics are caused by a stress factor. There is not always a relationship between the occurrence of tics and experienced stress. A child may grow up in a prosperous and happy family, but one day without any external causes due to the peculiarities of the development of the brain, the mechanism turns on and clinical symptoms appear.

Often, additional examinations are not required. In some cases, EMC neurologists conduct an electroencephalogram in order to rule out epilepsy in a child. The prognosis of the course of the disease in most cases is favorable. In 80% of cases, tics go away on their own after reaching adolescence and do not require treatment. They can appear only sporadically during a period of increased fatigue, fatigue and emotional stress.

Treatment of nervous tics in

According to international protocols, in most cases, tics are not treated with drug therapy. This is due to the frequency of their manifestation. Medications are prescribed only in cases where tics cause significant physical or psychological discomfort to the patient. For example, a child blinks so often that his eyes hurt. Or, for example, the grunt is so loud that it’s hard for others to be around, so the child has difficulty communicating. Vocal tics can significantly limit a child's social life and affect their self-esteem.

Any therapy for tics is symptomatic, it does not eliminate the cause of the disease. Completely safe drugs that have proven effectiveness affect the source of the problem do not exist. All of them have nearby side effects therefore, strict indications are necessary for their appointment.

It is important to assess how much tics cause discomfort to the child. Often, parents insist on prescribing drug therapy because they are worried that the baby is experiencing inconvenience and difficulties in communicating with peers. But for the child himself, tics are not a problem or an obstacle to successful socialization.

There are a number of drugs that have a certain effect on the course of the disease. But none of them went through serious clinical trial. Therefore, often parents come with complaints that at first the drug was effective, but with the next exacerbation of the disease, the effect was not observed. This is due to the fact that the first stage of taking the drug often coincides with the period of remission, so parents get the impression that it is effective. Such drugs are not prescribed within the framework.

There are a number of diseases that are caused by streptococcal infection. The body begins to produce antibodies to streptococcus, which can affect subcortical structures. Therefore, if there are factors indicating a connection between childhood tics and streptococcal infection, a study is carried out for the presence of antibodies to streptococcus, if they are found, antibiotic therapy is prescribed.

There is a non-drug method for correcting nervous tics in children - BFB therapy (biofeedback), when classes are conducted with the help of a special computer program in order to influence the functional component of the brain. If biofeedback therapy is required, a neuropsychologist is involved in the management of the patient.

Tic spasm in children is a neurological disorder that is a type of hyperkinesis (uncontrolled body movements). Today, almost every fifth baby suffers from this pathology.

The disease occupies one of the leading places among neurological disorders. Increasingly, it affects newborns, although most cases occur in children older than two years. How to recognize and treat this disease? How serious is he? What are the main reasons for its sudden appearance?

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

Spasmodic movements of the same type that occur spontaneously and cannot be controlled are called a nervous tic. Similar reflex muscle contractions appear mainly in stressful situations. Most often, a tick is observed on the neck and face in the form of twitching of the lips or eyelids, blinking, sniffing, shuddering of the shoulders and head. Less commonly, tics affect the arms and legs. In some cases, spasm may first manifest as a twitch of the eyelid, and then move to the lips.

Tic movements affect about 25% of young children. Most often, tic symptoms appear in the period from 6 to 7 years, when the kids become first graders, and they have to adapt to a new team.

In children, this disorder can manifest as grinding of teeth, pulling out hair on the head, swaying of the legs and arms, noisy breathing, sneezing, grunting, etc. This disease is more common in boys.

Tick ​​classification

The main types of nervous tics in children:

• motor;
• vocal;
• generalized;
• ritual.

According to the etiology, nervous tics are:

By the nature of the flow:

• transient;
• chronic (remitting, stationary, progredient);
• Tourette syndrome.

According to symptoms:

• local;
• common;
• vocal;
• generalized.

Depending on the severity of the pathology:

• single;
• serial;
• tic.

Main types

Vocal

Vocal tics (or sound) in children are expressed in the form of coughing, sniffing, shouting obscene words, repeated pronunciation of the same words and expressions. This type muscle spasms is divided into simple and complex tics. The first variety is represented mainly by low sounds: noisy breathing, coughing, grunting, “clearing the throat”. Sometimes there are also high-pitched sounds such as whistling, screeching, “uf”, “ay”, “i”, “af”.

The second type of vocal tics occurs in 6% of children with Tourette's syndrome. Patients repeat curses, shout out the same words, say something quickly and unintelligibly.

Motor

Motor tics include muscle spasms of the upper and lower extremities: stomping and shuffling, high jumps, clapping, swinging, tapping, various movements of the head and shoulders.

If the child turns his head to the side or throws it back, blinks rapidly, grimaces, sniffs, taps his fingers on the table, opens his mouth wide, or makes other body movements that are beyond his control, then this means that the child has a motor muscular tic.

This type of tic pathology is divided into:

• simple (uncontrolled head movements, abdominal muscle tension and retraction, eye squinting, etc.);
• complex (vulgar gestures, bouncing in one place, hitting one's own body, repeating the same gestures).

generalized

If nervous tics involve several muscle groups in one child at the same time, for example, the child tightens his lips, twitches his shoulders, blinks frequently and at the same time makes repeated sounds, then we are talking about a generalized form of tics. The main reasons for the simultaneous contraction of all muscles in a child are:

Ritual

The group of ritual nervous tics includes muscle spasms associated with any action. For example, involuntary monotonous walking from one side to another or in a circle, winding hair around a finger, straightening it, biting nails, twitching the earlobe, etc. Some children begin to complex due to the fact that they do not notice such behavior in themselves.

Classification by the nature of the flow

Transient tics

Most often occur on the neck, arms, torso, in the eye area. They do not last long and are not dangerous for the health of the child. They appear as:

• frequent licking of the lips;
• blinking, twitching and blinking of the eyes;
• tongue protrusion;
• frequent grimacing.

Transient tics are characterized by:

• high frequency of manifestation;
• lack of rhythm
• short duration;
• spontaneity of manifestation.

Chronic tics

Chronic tics are those that do not go away for more than one year. This pathology is quite rare. Sometimes it is called a mild form of Tourette's syndrome, but still distinguished as a separate group.

This type of tic disorder is characterized by mimic (nervous tic of the eye) and motor disorders. Diseases are characterized by periods of exacerbation and remission of different duration.

Tourette syndrome

This pathology is characterized by a combination of vocal and motor tics. Tourette's syndrome affects babies as young as 5 years old and can last until the age of 15, after which the symptoms subside.

Pathology first affects the face, then the muscles of the arms, legs, neck, torso are involved. In some patients, muscle spasms disappear without a trace, in others they remain for life.

A child with Tourette's syndrome is distracted, restless, too vulnerable. Half of adolescents suffering from Tourette's pathology develop obsessiveness syndrome. It is manifested by groundless fears, thoughts and actions. These phenomena are beyond the control of the patient, so he cannot suppress them.

Causes

The main causes of tic movements in children:

Also, tic movements can occur due to:

• taking certain medications;
• skull trauma;
• intoxication;
• infectious lesions of the brain;
• neoplasms (malignant or benign) in the brain;
• genetic pathologies.

Features of the course of tics in children

Tick ​​disease in children proceeds in different ways. A problem may appear in a child's life suddenly. It can just as suddenly disappear without requiring treatment. However, there are cases when the disease drags on for several years and is accompanied by pronounced symptoms and changes in the behavior of the child.

Toddlers with tics are very irritable, constantly in a state of anxiety, it is difficult for them to concentrate on anything, they have impaired coordination of movements and sleep. Such children do not like to ride in public transport, they cannot stand stuffiness, it is difficult to fall asleep and sleep restlessly.

The disease makes itself felt when the child begins to worry about something. As soon as the baby's attention shifts and he concentrates on something else (for example, a game), the tics go away on their own. The severity of the pathology depends on the mood of the child and his psycho-emotional state, as well as on the time of year and time of day.

Diagnostics

In order to diagnose a child with a nervous tic, he must be examined by a neurologist, psychologist and psychiatrist. A comprehensive survey includes the following activities:

In about 15 cases out of 100, the primary signs of the disease go away on their own, without requiring therapy. The remaining cases require immediate treatment that can prevent unwanted consequences.

Treatment of tics

First of all, after diagnosing a nervous tic in a child, it is necessary to exclude the factors that provoke it. You can get rid of the problem by:

• creating a favorable psychological environment in the family;
• exclusion of excessive physical and psychological stress;
• rational nutrition;
• limiting stay at the computer, listening to loud music, reading books in a supine position;
• good sound sleep.

If the pathology is severe, the child is prescribed medication. However, in some cases, a nervous tic can be cured using methods traditional medicine.

Medical

At the core drug treatment lies the use of sedatives and sedatives. The type of drugs prescribed by the doctor depends on the duration of the disease and its symptoms. It can be both weak (motherwort, valerian), and very strong (up to psychotropic) drugs. Groups medicines assigned against tick:

Folk remedies

If the disease occurs in mild form, then a positive effect can be achieved using the methods of traditional medicine. Such therapy, as a rule, is aimed at reducing nervous tension. Before treating a child with home remedies, a pediatrician should be consulted to prevent complications. Folk recipes to help overcome a nervous tic in a child:

1. Hawthorn decoction - 2 tbsp. fruit pour 1/2 tbsp. hot water and let steep for 15 minutes. It is necessary to drink the resulting tincture 15-20 minutes before a meal.
2. Chamomile tincture - Pour a handful of plant petals with a glass of hot boiled water and let it brew for about 15 minutes. Ready broth must be drunk every 4 hours for half a glass at a time.
3. Valerian root decoction - 1 tsp crushed root should be boiled for 15 minutes in 1 tbsp. water. The resulting medicine should be given to the baby at bedtime or 30 minutes after eating, 1 tsp.
4. Bath with pine needles and sea salt has a relaxing effect.

Famous pediatrician Komarovsky E.O. believes that nervous spasms in children are psychogenic in nature. For this reason, it is not recommended to treat them with drugs. Evgeny Olegovich emphasizes that in most cases this pathology disappears without outside help. All responsibility for the rapid improvement of the condition of the baby rests with the parents.

What should moms and dads do if a child is diagnosed with a nervous tic? The main task is to eliminate the disease by conducting confidential conversations with the child. The sooner you can find the cause of the appearance of muscle spasms, the sooner the child will get rid of the habit of transforming the pathology into a nervous tic.

Effective remedy to restore vision without surgery and doctors, recommended by our readers!

Nervous tic in children it is a neurological disorder, one of the varieties of hyperkinesis (violent movements). Today, it is observed in almost every fifth child. Boys are affected much more often than girls. Pathology has taken one of the leading places among neurological disorders, increasingly occurring even in newborns. But it mostly occurs in children aged two years and older. Parents have different attitudes to the problem: some are very worried about it, others, on the contrary, do not pay due attention to it. Therefore, for medical care only about 20% of the most responsible adults consult about nervous tics in children. In fact, this disorder may not really cause serious harm to the child, and disappear by itself with age. But sometimes it can negatively affect the physical and psychological condition requiring medical attention. With a nervous tic in a child, the symptoms and treatment can be very diverse, so in this case a purely individual approach is needed.

Classification of the disorder

To figure out whether a child’s nervous tic will go away on its own or whether treatment is needed, you need to find out the reasons for its appearance and determine the type. Generally speaking, tics are short, rhythmic, coordinated movements. chief hallmark of this disorder is that it can be partially controlled by children. Usually they are able to suppress the tic for a short time, but this requires sufficient voltage and subsequent discharge. An increase in symptoms often occurs when the child sits in one position for a long time (for example, in transport or watching TV). During games or some interesting, exciting activities, on the contrary, they weaken or even disappear. But this is a temporary effect, then the symptoms resume again.

By the nature of the occurrence of tics are:

• primary (having mainly psychological background);
• secondary (appeared after injuries or diseases).

According to the manifested symptoms, they are divided into:

• Mimic. These include facial tics: blinking eyes, twitching eyebrows, biting lips, wrinkling nose, grinding teeth, various grimaces, etc.
• Motor. These are tics of the body and limbs: stomping, shuffling, bouncing, clapping hands, various movements of the shoulders and head, etc.
• Vocal. Tics in which the vocal muscles act: coughing, sniffing, snorting, hissing, smacking, various repeated sounds or words, etc.

The most common facial actions, especially eye movements: frequent blinking, eyelid twitching. Hyperkinesis of the arms and legs is less common, but attracts more attention from parents, as do loud noises. Weak vocal symptoms may go unnoticed for a long time.

Also, nervous tics in children differ in degrees of complexity. Experts distinguish the following types:

• local: one muscle group is involved;
• generalized: several muscle groups are involved;
• simple: the movement consists of one element;
• complex: a group of coordinated movements is performed.

There is also a division of the disorder according to the duration of the course, it can be transient or chronic.

Transient (or transient) tics can be of any nature and complexity, but last less than a year. Chronic tic disorder occurs daily for more than a year.

For chronic disorders, mimic (especially nervous tic of the eye in a child) and motor disorders are typical, while vocal in chronic form are extremely rare. The disease, as a rule, proceeds with periods of exacerbations and remissions of varying duration.

If we talk about the age at which this disorder most often occurs, then it mainly occurs from 2 to 17 years. The disease has peculiar peaks at 3 years, 6-7 years and 12-14 years. At an early age, facial (mainly associated with the eyes: blinking, twitching of the eyelids) and motor tics are most common, vocal tics usually appear later. In the vast majority of cases, hyperkinesis occurs before the age of 11-12, characterized by an increasing course. Then the symptoms gradually decrease, and by the age of 18, more than half of the patients disappear completely.

Causes of the disorder

From birth, the child's brain is in the process of forming groups nerve cells and their connections. If these connections are not strong enough, the balance of the entire nervous system is disturbed. This can cause nervous tics in the child. The crisis periods mentioned above are associated, among other reasons, with jumps in the development of the cerebral cortex.

Primary tics appear due to certain psychological or physiological reasons. They can become:

• Emotional shock. This is the most common cause nervous tic in children. Both acute psychotrauma (severe fright, quarrel, death of a loved one) and a general unfavorable situation in the family can provoke a violation.
• A change of scenery. Child's first visit kindergarten or school quite often becomes stressful and, as a result, the cause of tics.
• Unbalanced nutrition. Lack of vitamins, especially calcium and magnesium, can cause convulsions and tics.
• Exciting drinks. Tea, coffee, various energy drinks deplete the child's nervous system. This is manifested by emotional instability, which can result in tics.

• Wrong daily routine. Insufficient sleep, overwork, long sitting at the TV or computer, together with a lack of fresh air, lack of physical (especially gaming) stress, activate certain areas of the brain and contribute to the appearance of pathology.
• The presence of helminths in the body. One of the first signs of helminthiases is a malfunction of the nervous system, which can also result in nervous tics. This is one of the cases when the disorder threatens even a baby-baby.
• genetic predisposition. The presence of a pathology in one of the parents will significantly increase the chance of its manifestation in a child.

The development of secondary tics occurs against the background of diseases of the nervous system or a negative impact on it. The symptoms are similar to the primary disorder. Secondary violations can be provoked by:

• craniocerebral or birth trauma;
• congenital diseases of the central nervous system;
• encephalitis;
• various infections: herpes, streptococcus, etc.;
• opiate or carbon monoxide poisoning;
• certain medications (antidepressants, CNS stimulants, anticonvulsants);
• brain tumors, etc.

Secondary tics can pass on their own only in two cases: with minor poisoning and intoxication. In all others, elimination of the original disease is required first. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to cure it completely.

Diagnostics

Isolated cases of short-term hyperkinesis should not be ignored, but you should not panic too much because of them either. It makes sense to consult a neurologist when:

• nervous tic is strongly pronounced;
• multiple tics occur;
• the disorder does not go away on its own for more than a month;
• tics cause inconvenience and interfere with social adaptation.

The doctor evaluates general state child, sensory and motor functions, reflexes. Asks clarifying questions to the child and parents regarding nutrition and daily routine, emotional trauma, heredity, etc. Based on the results of the examination, the following examinations can be prescribed:

• general blood analysis;
• analysis for helminths;
• ionogram;
• MRI (in the presence of head injuries);
• encephalogram;
• consultation with a child psychologist.

Additionally, consultations of a psychotherapist, toxicologist, infectious disease specialist, oncologist, geneticist may be required, depending on the identified diseases or suspicion of them.

About 15% of primary disorders disappear on their own after a while. In other cases, especially with secondary pathology, treatment should be started as soon as possible in order to prevent the development of the disease.

How to treat children's nervous tic? In the treatment of the disorder, non-drug, drug and folk remedies. As a rule, they are used in combination. Only sometimes an obstacle to drug therapy can serve infancy child and other reasons.

Non-drug remedies

These methods are considered the main ones in primary disorders, and are necessarily included in the complex therapy with secondary ones. They include:

• Individual psychotherapy. Since the appearance of primary tics in children is mainly associated with stress, visiting a child psychiatrist or psychologist can be very helpful. After the completed course, as a rule, the emotional state becomes more stable, the correct attitude towards the disease is formed.
• Creating a favorable family environment. Parents should realize that a nervous tic is a disease and help the child cope with it. In no case should he be scolded or forced to control the manifestation of symptoms. Relatives and friends should try not to focus on illness, maintain peace in the family, communicate more with the child, help solve his problems, protecting him from stressful situations if possible.
• Organization of the day. You should ensure a change in physical and mental stress, good sleep, walks and games in the fresh air. Limit computer games, watching TV, too loud music (especially before bedtime), reading in poor lighting. You should also try to minimize activities that require excessive concentration, leading to fatigue and increased nervous tension.
• Balanced diet. The diet should be regular and complete, containing all the necessary elements. Be sure to include foods that contain calcium in the menu.

Medicamentous and folk remedies

With a nervous tic in a child, treatment with medications is carried out strictly according to the doctor's prescription, both in the treatment of primary and secondary disorders. They start with the lightest drugs in the minimum dose, prescribing them to children from a year and older. Secondary disorders are treated only after the elimination of the primary disease, or together with it. Usually, according to indications, the treatment of a nervous tic includes:

• sedatives: Novo-Passit, Tenoten;
• antipsychotropic: Sonapax, Noofen;
• nootropic: Piracetam, Phenibut;
• tranquilizers: Diazepam, Sibazol;
• preparations containing calcium.

Of the antipsychotropic drugs, the most gentle, with the fewest side effects and contraindications, is Noofen. It shows good results in the treatment nervous disorders in children, including tics, especially of the mimic type (frequent blinking of the eyes, twitching of the eyelids, cheeks, etc.).

The use of folk remedies in the form of infusions and decoctions is also relevant, especially for young children. They have a beneficial effect on the nervous system and reduce the symptoms of the disorder. With this disease are useful:

• infusion of valerian root;
• chamomile tea;
• infusion or decoction of motherwort;
• infusion of anise seeds;
• various sedatives, etc.

If the child likes herbal teas, it is better to replace all drinks with them, adding honey to them. This will help to quickly relax the nervous system. Also useful action provide:

• relaxing massage;
• electrosleep;
• aromatherapy;
• various water procedures (bath, pool).

They are able to relieve tension at the present time, and in the future give greater resistance to nervous stress.

Modern living conditions, especially in large cities, are associated with constant stress. Immature children's nervous system especially sensitive to them, and if the child has a predisposition to nervous tics, the likelihood of their occurrence is quite high. But it is important to know that this disease today is completely curable. Having completed the necessary course and following preventive measures in the future, you can forever forget about this unpleasant disease.

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