Symptoms Of Tourette Syndrome

Simple Vocal Tics

Vocal tics tend to appear later in life, after an individual already has a few motor tics. They are fairly similar to motor tics in that they are frequently compulsive and uncontrollable. However, instead of being a type of tic involving movement, they involve sound. Simple vocal tics tend to be a single fairly short sound. Some patients may make a noise like coughing or clearing their throat while others grunt or hum. This category of tics can also include short sounds like barking, beeping, or squeaking. Vocal tics tend to be more common when an individual is feeling stressed, tired, or anxious. They may sometimes be a single tic that only occurs every few minutes, or may be repeated at a rapid rate for a short time. Vocal tics tend to be at their worst during teen years, and they may quiet down during the adult years.

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Complex Vocal Tics

This is the most commonly portrayed Tourette syndrome symptom because individuals often associate the condition with the idea of a person yelling out crude things randomly. However, even though there is plenty of awareness about complex vocal tics, they are frequently misunderstood. Some individuals with Tourette syndrome do feel a compulsion to say obscene, inappropriate, or vulgar words at times when it would be worse to say them. However, not all complex vocal tics are inappropriate. It may just be an individual repeating a random word, line from a song, or sentence over and over. These words may be something the person has recently read or heard, so they often repeat sentences back to others. Before a tic happens, a patient may feel an itch or a tingle that only relieves itself when they hold in the tic. Some patients may find they can relieve a tic by saying something similar sounding, which is helpful for dealing with inappropriate words.

Learn more about the signs of Tourette syndrome.