My son's got a nervous tic

Question
My seven-year-old son has, for the past three weeks, started to blink his eyes continuously.

His teacher has commented about it but he says he can't stop, as his eyes feel itchy.

I have noticed his eyes are still twitching even when he's asleep. Is there anything I can do?

Answer
The most likely explanation for your son's frequent eye blinking is that he has developed a tic disorder.

Tics are rapid, involuntary, repetitive muscular movements, usually involving the face and neck - for instance eye blinks, head tossing and facial grimacing.

Simple tics occur in about 10 per cent of the population with boys outnumbering girls three to one, and often beginning around the age of seven.

Tics are most likely to be seen when a child is bored, stressed or tired.

Although your son says his eyes are itchy, if he had another problem, such as conjunctivitis or hay fever, I would expect there to be other signs such as redness, watering or crusting affecting his eyes.

Most childhood tics disappear of their own accord, without any treatment, although this may take months or years to happen.

It's important to remember that the tics are only partly within your son's control - he may be able to stop them happening for a while but if this takes a big effort it may make him anxious and then when he feels he has to 'let go' there may be a rebound flurry of tics.

It won't help to keep telling him to stop the tic or to punish him if he continues to blink frequently.

Both you and he need reassurance that the tics will probably go away eventually.

In the meantime you could try and help by identifying any factors that seem to bring them on in your son and then try and avoid those situations as much as possible.

If he develops several different tics or if you feel they are causing emotional problems or difficulties at school, it would be worth taking him to see your GP.

Yours sincerely

The Medical Team

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