Facial Tics

Most prevalent in children (especially boys), tics are spasms of a person's eyes or facial muscles. Normally these ailments are temporary (transient tic disorder) in children but in rare instances tics can carry on into adulthood in the form of a chronic motor tic disorder that can last for years. In either case, the exact cause of tics remains a mystery. Some theories suggest that tics are caused by certain nutritional deficiencies (notably magnesium) while other theories identify tics as the early symptoms of neurological diseases (such as Tourette syndrome). Regardless of cause, the occurrence of tics is believed to be stress related as tics have a tendency to become more pronounced in increasingly stressful situations.

Facial tics come in a variety of different forms. Facial tic symptoms have been known to include repetitive spasmodic muscle movements such as blinking or squinting of the eyes, grimacing or general twitching around the mouth, and wrinkling of the nose. Repetitive throat clearing and grunting can also fall into the realm of facial tics. A simple physical examination is the most common and effective way to identify any of the symptoms detailed above. Occasionally, however, a diagnosis of facial tics is followed by an EEG (Electroencephalography), a measurement of the electrical activity of the brain. This test is done to rule out the possibility of seizures.

Normally facial tics in children (transient tic disorder) go untreated as they can be naturally managed by limiting exposure to stressful environments. Counseling may sometimes be used to help with stress management but generally drawing attention to a child's tic can make it worse. If tics persist or escalate to the extent that they become disabling then they are often treated by medications. Unfortunately facial tics prevention is generally believed to be impossible as the exact causes are unknown.