How to treat childhood tics. Neuroses and tics in children

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 reality nervous tic children have enough common problem, however, 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 appear 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 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.
• Change in intensity and character muscle movements, which usually happens with age.

Children are capable of suppressing similar manifestations, but for a short period of time.

Chronic tics

This category includes tics, the manifestations of which persist 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. Wherein external signs often similar to the manifestations of tics of the primary category, but added to this various symptoms underlying disease.

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 in adult life), then in children the risk of developing a nervous tic 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, not 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 deleting foreign body muscle contractions may 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 bursts may have varying degrees 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 due to heat.

Chorea is an uncontrolled stereotypical movement of any part of the body, which occurs when different situations, for example, in case of poisoning carbon monoxide or any medications, as well as if there is nervous diseases of a hereditary nature, due to injury 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, like further treatment, will be dealt with by a neurologist, in in this case, children's 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 a diagnostic measure, the doctor can evaluate not only general condition child, but also him motor activity, as well as sensory functions and reflexes.

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

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:

1. Apply light pressure to the area brow ridge big or index finger, approximately in the middle. This is where the nerve that controls upper eyelids. The finger should be held for about 10 seconds.
2. Then, with the same force, you need to press on the corners of the eyes, preferably simultaneously, holding for 10 seconds.
3. 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 special 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 non-drug therapy.
• With the help of medications and medical procedures.
• Methods traditional medicine.

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, Creation 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 to a normal child. It is important to protect the baby from various stresses, to ensure calm environment, support it 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 spend the morning water treatments, then be sure to eat 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 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. The baby should be provided with useful and natural food, from which he will receive everything daily necessary elements. 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, it is best to use for treating children folk remedies affecting the nervous system of babies beneficial influence. Use of sedatives herbal infusions, infusions and decoctions of herbs helps reduce the intensity of the manifestation 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, in children different ages Tick ​​occurs specifically 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 tics occurs between 6 and 7 years of age, which is associated with a change in environment and usual life child, with his admission to school, to a new children's group, to a society of strangers and strangers(teachers and classmates).

In the preschool period, facial and eye tics are much less common than in the group junior schoolchildren, mainly in overly emotional kids. 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 environment itself modern life creates a lot of stressful situations and nervous overstrain, especially in 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 tics appearing in childhood very large, especially in cases where they have genetic predisposition. 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 Right.
• Provide the child with normal sufficient sleep and a nutritious 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.

Nervous tics in a child are not uncommon, and although mild form does not cause any visible harm, parents begin to worry. And with good reason. Most often, this neurological disorder manifests itself in uncontrolled blinking, twitching of facial muscles, and raising of the eyebrows. Every fifth child has them, accompanying age period from 2 to 10 years, and are more often observed in boys than in girls. By adolescence, nervous tics usually go away. And although some neurologists believe that tics are not pathological condition, and due to the property of an easily excitable and mobile nervous system, inherent in smart and emotional kids, the majority of the medical community is inclined to believe that nervous tics require treatment and serious treatment.

Rule 1. If you notice signs of a nervous tic in a child, contact a qualified medical care neurologist.

Nervous tics are divided into two categories:

Motor or movement tics. Facial and motor muscles contract spasmodically and spontaneously;

There is another classification of nervous tics, according to which they are divided into:

Simple. They capture only one specific muscle group. By the way, the child may even involuntarily jump or squat because of them;

Complex. Several muscle groups are involved at once.

Rule 2. Determine whether this is a nervous tic or a syndrome of obsessive movements?

Motor tics have nothing to do with constantly repeated movements (twisting hair on a finger, biting nails, checking closed door and lights off). And although some parents independently give their children misdiagnosis, obsessive movements have not a neurological, but a purely psychological basis. If you want to rid your child of them, a good child psychologist will help.

Rule 3. Remember that a nervous tic can “migrate”

Tics can involve different muscle groups, but it cannot be said that this is a new disease that has started separately. Don't be alarmed if you see new manifestations - this is just a modification of old symptoms.

Nervous tic. Reasons for its appearance in children

Rule 4. Find out the cause and, if possible, prevent repeated exposure to the factor.

There can be several reasons for the occurrence of a nervous tic:

— Hereditary factor

If parents suffered from nervous tics in childhood, or were diagnosed with neurosis obsessive states“It is likely that the child will inherit these features of the nervous system of the mother or father. In addition, given modern acceleration, the baby’s symptoms may appear slightly more early age.

- Constant stress

The child may simply be restless. Family troubles, school problems, or troubles in kindergarten can make him nervous.

In the family, these are conflicts between parents or relatives, an excess of demands, too much pressure on the child’s fragile psyche, too much or, on the contrary, too little limiting factors. It also happens that a child suffers from a banal lack of attention. Tired after work, parents feed, wash, put to bed, but do not emotionally participate in the child’s life. Here everything is in your hands.

- Fear or serious illness

It was noticed that in most cases of the appearance of a nervous tic, this was caused genetically, some conditions in the family were not suitable for the child, and the impetus for the manifestation of these two circumstances was an illness or some kind of severe fright.

— Physiological reasons

It also happens that the causes of a child’s tics are purely medical. This serious illnesses Central nervous system or lack of certain minerals, for example magnesium.

Rule 5. Identify a number of local factors that enhance and activate a child’s nervous tics, and, if possible, minimize their impact.

In fact, a child can stop a mild nervous tic through an effort of will. In addition, the degree of its manifestation is influenced by several factors - time of day, overexcited emotional state of the baby, excessive watching of TV and long periods of time. computer games. By the way, it has been noticed that an enthusiastic and concentrated child suffers from tics much less. Find him an interesting activity - a construction set, an educational book, something that will really captivate him.

Nervous tic. Treatment - rules and methods

Treatment of nervous tics is carried out in several directions at once and consists of a set of simple psychological and medical manipulations:

Rule 6. Show in every possible way your interest in the child’s opinion, listen to him;

Rule 7. Don't let your child overexert himself;

Rule 8. Make sure your child follows a regular daily routine: he should have enough time to sleep, walk and study, let their life be more predictable and calm for them;

Rule 9. Make an appointment with a family therapist. Most likely, there is a certain breakdown in the family, discord, which is reflected in the neurological and psychological state child. Understand that disharmony in the family arises for many reasons, there is no one specifically to blame, but it is vital to solve this problem.

Rule 10. If the child is younger or middle school age, will benefit him psychological trainings with peers.

Rule 11. Don't put pressure on your child, try to praise him and, if possible, show affection and care.

Rule 12. Find a common activity with your child, which will be interesting to both you and him. This could be walking, cooking or drawing.

Rule 13. Don’t focus on a nervous tic, do not make your child feel not normal, not healthy, not like everyone else.

Rule 14. Turn to physiotherapy and aromatherapy. They can help therapeutic massages, baths, essential oils calming effect, sashimi with various aromatic herbs.

Rule 15. Do not forget about the calming effect of medicinal herbs. On the Internet you will find many recipes for decoctions of plantain, chamomile, linden, with the addition of zest or honey. There will be no harm from such pleasant and aromatic drinks, and the appearance of positive effects is quite predictable.

Useful video

Children who have nervous tics, are absolutely no different from other babies, for this reason parents do not immediately notice this disease. The child often blinks or coughs - it’s okay, it will pass. Over time, parents still keep baby see an ophthalmologist or ENT specialist. However, all indicators are normal. In this case, the doctor may report that these signs are characteristic of a nervous tic, and it is necessary to make an appointment with a neurologist. The alleged diagnosis is very frightening parents, so they immediately go with the child to the doctor, who confirms the presence of this disease in the baby and makes an appointment medications. Ultimately, the course of treatment does not bring the expected results. In this article we will try to understand what tics are, why they appear and how to help your child cope with them illness.

What is a nervous tic?

A tic is a reflex contraction muscles, which occurs spontaneously and cannot be controlled. In most cases, this is observed on the face and neck. It manifests itself in the form of blinking, twitching of the eyelid or lips, sniffing, movements of the head or shoulders, and is very rarely observed in the arms and legs. Moreover, in some cases baby First there is a twitching of the eyelid, and then it is replaced by movement of the lips.

Types of ticks.

Experts divide tics into several species:

Local – one muscle group is involved;

Common – affects several muscles;

Generalized – almost everything is involved body.

Tics can also be motor and vocal. Motor tics are repetitive movement a certain part of the body or several at the same time. Coughing, sniffing, grunting, and so on are considered vocal tics. Repeated repetition of words and even phrases is considered a rather complex manifestation of a vocal tic.

What is a tick according to doctors?

Based on the classification of diseases, tics are divided into three types:

Transient tic - such a tic lasts no more than a year;

Chronic motor – can last more than a year;

Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, in which the child exhibits a large number of motor ticks and one vocal.

Tics are the most common disease in children. According to statistics, about 20% of children have this neurological problem. Moreover, in boys they manifest themselves much more often and more severely than in girls.

When does a tic occur?

Experts say that the “critical age” for the appearance of tic is 3-4 years and 7-8 years. This is due to the fact that in this age For the first time, the child faces crises in his development: acquiring skills, changing behavior, and so on. But what is most important is that during each crisis child passes new stage independence. It is for this reason that these periods are so dangerous for the child’s psyche.

However, today it is impossible to clearly say about temporary borders these crises, and, consequently, about the period of occurrence of tic disorders. Today, a crisis of independence can manifest itself at two years of age, and tics also occur in infants.

The causes of this disorder.

Many parents are primarily interested in why tics occur. As a rule, identifying certain events, which led to the appearance of tics, is very difficult, since this disease is caused by a whole range of reasons.

Heredity.

This is the very first cause, which doctors talk about. If one of the relatives was susceptible to psycho-emotional illness, then this also affects the child. However, there are several caveats:

This does not mean that the child will 100% have a tic. It's just predisposition, which may not turn into a disease;

It's quite difficult to figure out whether it's actually heredity, or maybe it's upbringing.Many experts say that if the mother has psychological problems, she contacts the child appropriately without controlling her negative emotions, which as a result affects the child. And these are no longer genes, but a way of reacting.

Stress.

This reason is quite difficult to understand, since for parents and the baby himself stress There may be completely different events. For example, a quarrel with a friend in kindergarten is regarded by the child as stress, while for parents this situation is quite ordinary. In addition, stress can have not only a negative connotation, but also a positive one. For example, special impression A trip to the zoo or a wild birthday celebration can also become stressful.

Spending a lot of time near the TV or computer.

This can be explained by the fact that a bright, flashing light causes a change in the intensity of work nerve cells brain. And if this happens constantly, then as a result the “alpha” rhythm, which is responsible for peace and tranquility, gets lost.

Lack of physical activity.

Simply put, the child has an excess intellectual load and he misses physical activity. Almost all parents want their child to be smart and smart, so they force the child to devote most of his time to activities that develop intelligence But at the same time, they completely forget that the child also needs physical activity. Remember that a tic is a reflex contraction various muscles body. And often the reason for this reduction is that energy the child is not wasted in everyday leisure. It accumulates and as a result forms disease.

Factors of education.

Let's highlight the main features character parents who can influence the development of a nervous tic in a baby:

Mom's anxiety. Externally mother may look calm, but usually every mother worries about her baby, about his health, and so on;

Restraint in manifestation feelings.In most cases, parents tend to control their feelings and emotions towards the baby;

- control mother. Many mothers are accustomed to controlling not only their actions, but also the actions of the child, as well as the events that occur at one time or another. When everything is under control, the mother does not have to worry. IN otherwise she is tense and anxious;

High requirements to the baby. This trait manifests itself in the fact that parents want their baby to be the best and be able to do everything that they once could not do. Therefore, they have high hopes for the baby, and he, in turn, tries not to disappoint them. And all this is accompanied by a special fear, which can cause tics.

Treatment of the disease.

If you notice nervous tics in your baby, you need to seek help from neurologist, and then to a psychologist, since tics are classified as psychosomatic diseases.

In most cases, after confirmation diagnosis, prescribes pills for the child. Such treatment is simply necessary, especially if the tics do not go away for a long time. However, pills alone are not enough to achieve results. The causes of this disease are varied, so multifactorial treatment is necessary correction And in some cases it is effective even without taking medications.

What to do:

Reduce the amount of time your baby spends near the computer and TV;

Increase physical activity;

Observe mode day;

Pay close attention to factors such as stress and upbringing, analyze them, and then develop a strategy to eliminate the identified ones errors;

Remove anxiety state child. Soothing baths, relaxing massages, long walks outside the city are ideal for this;

On physiological level You can relieve the alarm by sand therapy or sculpting;

If your child uses facial muscles during tics, come up with fun exercises, where the child can make faces. Tensing and relaxing muscles will help relieve nervous tics;

Do not draw your child's attention to the manifestation of tics, as the child will try to control them. As a result, the muscles will tense up and the tics will get worse. Control always means voltage. In addition, reminding a child that something is wrong with him destabilizes confidence and increases the baby’s anxiety;

Don't blame yourself or those around The problem is that the baby has developed tics. Direct all your efforts to correct the problem, and soon everything will fall into place. We wish you good luck.

Nervous tics are classified according to several criteria.

Based on the nature of their occurrence, they are divided into primary(arise as a result of a certain psychological trauma, that is, nervous disorder) and secondary(occur as a result of physical trauma to the brain and are caused by a decrease in the level of blood circulation in the brain).

For reasons of occurrence Tics are distinguished into the following:

— Tic-like hyperkinesis

They manifest themselves in the pathology of stuttering in a child, in which the patient makes violent movements to facilitate the pronunciation of words;

— Reflex

Arise as a reaction to actions that previously took place (for example, sniffing), and remain after the need for these actions has been eliminated;

— Psychogenic

Manifest as a result of some traumatic situation;

— Organic

Occurs as a result of traumatic brain injury;

— Neurosis-like

Arise due to a primary disorder of the child’s nervous system;

— Idiopathic

As a rule, they appear due to hereditary predisposition.

Depending on the localization of manifestation, nervous tics are distinguished into simple, complex, generalized, ritual, vocal and motor.

Causes of nervous tics in children

The severity of the symptoms of a nervous tic depends on a number of factors. This could be the seasons/day, or the psycho-emotional state of the child during which the attack occurred. The intensity of the manifestation of nervous tics is influenced by vivid emotional states - anger, fear and resentment.

In fact, it is impossible to give a clear answer as to why attacks of nervous tics occur. However, there are a number of factors that predispose to the development of the disease.

One of the leading roles in the frequency of causes of nervous tics is played by genetic predisposition. The fact is that if one of the parents suffered from such an illness at an early age, then the probability of passing it on by inheritance is over 40%.

Children who suffer from lack of parental love and attention, or from hyperactive function they also often suffer from nervous tics. The risk of developing the disease increases to 70% if the child has had stress shock. Nervous eye tics in a child may occur as a result of infectious conjunctivitis.

Surprisingly, in a number of causes of nervous disorders in children there is a place for such a concept as “ tick September 1" This condition is associated with the period of adaptation to the school regime, which will consequently result in stress for the child.

From a psychological point of view, the occurrence of a nervous tic is associated with reaction to external stimuli . It is the blinking of an eye, the movement of an eyebrow or other muscle groups that, in its own way, is a protector for an unformed child’s psyche.

In adolescents, nervous tics may occur during background of puberty, experienced traumas of an emotional-volitional nature, higher level anxiety or oppressive parenting.

Often the disorder may remain asymptomatic for a long period of time, and the child may also not be aware of the presence of nervous tension. As a rule, the tic becomes noticeable first of all to those around him, and only after this the patient also begins to distinguish between nervous attacks, trying to suppress them by force of will. However, such attempts can lead to greater tension in the nervous system, which entails more active development diseases.

We can say with complete confidence: the child has a nervous tic if periodic spasms of the masticatory and facial muscles are observed. It should be taken into account that in some pathologies nervous disorders tend to migrate and manifest themselves in different groups muscles.

With a detailed specialized diagnosis, you can notice anxiety, dissipation of attention and memory loss in a child, various movement disorders and decreased mental performance.

Treatment of nervous tics

Overwhelmingly nervous diseases in children, in this case, tics go away on their own with age and there is no medical intervention it is not necessary to eliminate them. However, in some cases you should still contact specialists for drug therapy. In this case, after the initial examination, the doctor will prescribe necessary medications(depending on the course of the disease and physiological characteristics). You should not treat this intervention mediocrely, since, without proper treatment, some forms of nervous tics can lead to disastrous consequences.

There are some principles of traditional drug treatment nervous tics in children:

— If the cause of the disease is disturbances in the central nervous system patient, then treatment will be aimed specifically at suppressing these same pathological processes;

— If a nervous tic occurs under stress, the disease should be treated sedatives and relaxing massage;

— As a method of treating tics, psychotherapeutic suggestion is used, which will also not be superfluous for all family members;

— In case of violation emotional state mild sedatives are recommended for the child sedatives;

— Communication with dolphins and horses is also suitable as a method of improving emotional well-being;

- In the most severe cases The doctor prescribes neurosurgical surgery. As a rule, when similar treatment no other course of medication is prescribed.

Often, with proper treatment, a nervous tic can disappear within a month.

Do not forget about the good old methods of treatment based on traditional medicine. These healing paths have been tested for centuries. There are several recipes for decoctions of various herbs that give results in the shortest possible time.

First of all, you need to remember chamomile. A pinch of chamomile inflorescences is poured into a glass of water and boiled over low heat for 15 minutes, after which the broth is filtered and 100 ml is taken orally every 4 hours.

To prepare the following recipe you need to take dried leaves sweet rue and plantain, as well as anise seeds in the appropriate proportion of 1:1:3. Grind the ingredients and pour 500 ml clean water. Boil the resulting mixture over low heat for at least 10 minutes, then add 300g natural honey and half a crushed lemon with peel. Take 2-3 spoons chilled before each meal.

A simple way - hawthorn infusion. Grind a couple of tablespoons of hawthorn and leave in one and a half glasses of water. Take 2-3 tablespoons orally 15 minutes before meals.

Non-traditional methods of treating nervous tics

Quite a lot of attention is paid to children's nervous tics in Tibetan medicine. In this aspect, the disease is called a disease of cold and depletion of vitality. As a result, the treatment is aimed at “kindling” vital forces and warming massage. According to the Rlung system, thanks to the method, the child’s internal balance is restored.

Herbal medicine and treatment with impulses also take place in Tibetan medicine.. During treatment, palpation is performed and acupressure certain areas of children's muscles responsible for the reflex support of the body on energy meridians human body.

To consolidate results and achieve greatest effect Also used in combination with other procedures is herbal medicine, which is absolutely harmless.

Methods Tibetan medicine, which many adherents of non-traditional fight against ailments turn to today, not only eliminate nervous tics, but also help to increase the harmonization of the child’s psycho-emotional background and strengthen stress resistance without any side effects.

Parents who are faced with the problem of nervous tics in their child, for full recovery Little ones must follow the explicit and simple recommendations of psychotherapists.

First of all, you should not focus attention and remind the child about existing disease . Accordingly, there is no need to put pressure and correct the patient by making comments to him regarding certain reflex actions.

Create the necessary favorable psychological microclimate in the family for the child - you should not discuss any problems, conflicts or scandals in front of him. However, you should also not follow the child’s lead - it is recommended to create a regime of watching TV and working at the computer, although it is advisable to moderately reduce them as much as possible, which will help reduce the intensity of attacks of nervous tics.

And, of course, we should not forget about timely application seek medical help from specialists!

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. It increasingly affects newborns, although most cases occur in children over two years of age. How to recognize and treat this disease? How serious is he? What are the main reasons for it 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 nervous tics. Such reflex muscle contractions occur mainly in stressful situations. Most often, tics are observed on the neck and face in the form of twitching of the lips or eyelids, blinking, sniffing, shaking of the shoulders and head. Less commonly, tic affects the arms and legs. In some cases, the spasm may first manifest itself as a twitching of the eyelid, and then move to the lips.

About 25% of children are susceptible to tic movements younger age. Most often, tic symptoms appear between the ages of 6 and 7, when children become first-graders and have to adapt to a new team.

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

Classification of ticks

This article talks about typical ways to solve your issues, but each case is unique! If you want to find out from me how to solve your particular problem, ask your question. It's fast and free!

The main types of nervous tics in children:

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

According to etiology, nervous tics are:

According to the nature of the flow:

• transient;
• chronic (remitting, stationary, progressive);
• Tourette's 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 tics) in children are expressed in the form of coughing, sniffing, shouting obscene words, and repeating the same words and expressions over and over again. This type muscle spasms 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, squealing, “ugh”, “ay”, “i”, “af”.

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

Motor

Motor tics include muscle spasms of the upper and lower limbs: stomping and shuffling feet, high jumping, clapping hands, rocking, knocking, various movements of the head and shoulders.

If a child turns his head to the side or throws it back, blinks quickly, grimaces, sniffles, 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 muscle tic.

This type of tic pathology is divided into:

• simple (uncontrolled head movements, tension of the abdominal muscles and retraction, squinting of the eyes, etc.);
• complex (vulgar gestures, jumping in one place, hitting own body, repetition of the same gestures).

Generalized

If nervous tics in one child simultaneously involve several muscle groups, for example, the child purses his lips, jerks his shoulders, blinks frequently and at the same time makes repeated sounds, then we're talking about about the 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 the other or in a circle, winding hair around a finger, straightening it, biting nails, twitching the earlobe, etc. Some children begin to develop complexes due to the fact that they do not notice such behavior in themselves.

Classification according to the nature of the flow

Transient tics

Most often they occur on the neck, arms, torso, and in the eye area. They do not last long and are not dangerous to the child's health. Manifest in the form:

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

Transient tics are characterized by:

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

Chronic tics

Tics that do not go away for more than one year are called chronic. This pathology is quite rare. It is sometimes called a mild form of Tourette's syndrome, but is still identified as a separate group.

This type of tic disorder is characterized by facial (nervous tic of the eye) and motor disorders. The disease is characterized by periods of exacerbation and remission of varying durations.

Tourette's syndrome

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

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

A child with Tourette syndrome is distracted, restless, and too vulnerable. Half of adolescents suffering from Tourette's pathology develop obsessive-compulsive disorder. It manifests itself through 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:

Tic movements can also occur due to:

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

Features of the course of tics in children

Tic disease in children occurs in different ways. A problem may appear suddenly in a child’s life. 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 severe severe symptoms and changes in the child's behavior.

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

The disease makes itself felt when the child begins to worry about something. As soon as the baby's attention switches 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 child’s mood and 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 examination includes the following activities:

In about 15 cases out of 100 primary signs diseases go away on their own without requiring therapy. Other cases require immediate treatment to prevent undesirable 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;
• eliminating excessive physical and psychological stress;
• rational nutrition;
• limiting your time at the computer, listening 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, nervous tics can be cured using traditional medicine methods.

Medication

Drug treatment is based on the use of sedatives and sedatives. The type of drugs prescribed by the doctor depends on the duration of the disease and its symptoms. These can be weak (motherwort, valerian) and very strong (even psychotropic) drugs. Groups medicines, prescribed against tic:

Folk remedies

If the disease is mild, then a positive effect can be achieved using traditional medicine methods. Such therapy is usually aimed at reducing nervous tension. Before treating your child with home remedies, you should consult your pediatrician to prevent complications. Folk recipes that help overcome nervous tics in a child:

1. Hawthorn decoction - 2 tbsp. fruits pour 1/2 tbsp. hot water and let it brew for 15 minutes. You should drink the resulting tincture 15-20 minutes before meals.
2. Chamomile tincture - pour a handful of plant petals into a glass of hot boiled water and let sit for about 15 minutes. The finished decoction should be drunk every 4 hours, half a glass at a time.
3. Valerian root decoction - 1 tsp. the crushed root must be boiled for 15 minutes in 1 tbsp. water. The resulting medicine should be given to the baby before bedtime or 30 minutes after meals, 1 tsp.
4. A bath with pine needles and sea salt has a relaxing effect.

Famous pediatrician Komarovsky E.O. believes that nerve spasms in children are psychogenic in nature. For this reason, treating them with medications is not recommended. Evgeniy Olegovich emphasizes that in most cases this pathology disappears without outside help. All responsibility for rapid improvement The baby's condition is the responsibility of the parents.

What should moms and dads do if their child is diagnosed with a nervous tic? The main task is to eliminate the disease through confidential conversations with the child. The faster you can find the cause of muscle spasms, the more like a child get rid of the habit of transforming pathology into a nervous tic.