Tourette disorder / Hichkki

Tourette disorder is a neurological (brain) condition that usually begins in childhood. They are abrupt, purposeless, and involuntary vocal sounds or muscular jerks. Motor and vocal tics may be simple (i.e. involving only a few muscles or sounds at a time) or complex (i.e. involving multiple muscles, or full sentences and phrases).

What are the symptoms?
Constant blinking, raising eyebrows, nostrils flaring, opening the mouth, sticking out the tongue, shrugging shoulders, jerking arms, clenching the fists, kicking, curling of the toes etc.

Vocalisations such as grunts, sniffing, throat clearing, squealing, snorting, clicking, hissing, or moaning are some of the symptoms that the patient may be experiencing.

Expert speak
A Clinical Psychologist with over 30 years of experience says, “This syndrome leads to involuntary movements that are beyond the control of the patient. In some cases, it has a neuro-biological component, and sometimes they are just behavioural symptoms.”

When asked about what the trigger might be, the Dr. said, “Very often they are stressors which cause these tics. I see many young patients who come to me with this issue. It usually starts somewhere around grade 4.”

Speaking about the importance of seeking help, she said, “Parents come to us after they have done a battery of tests on the child and that automatically means that a lot of time has been spent on that. I would urge parents to come visit a psychologist and psychiatrist as soon as one notices the tics.”

“Trying to understand what the stressors are that is causing this is the first step towards recovery. Family dynamics and school pressures often play a crucial role,” she said.

While this syndrome manifests itself in a seemingly superficial manner, the reality is far from it. If not treated in time the disorder can manifest itself in various forms.

With the right treatment and counselling, these tics and impulses can be reduced with time and in some cases, eliminated.

While addressing the physical aspect is one part of the treatment it is essential that the patient also seek counselling because they often require psychological support as well.

It is good to see, especially through cinema, there is rising awareness about this disorder and people treat it with the right understanding and knowledge.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                         FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/           

                                                                           FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                  https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com

 

Hiccups - How Can They Be Managed?

You are sitting with a colleague and all of a sudden you hear that 'hic' sound and you try to pass it off in good humor, but it just doesn't end and there is that 'hic' sound again and not only it is increasing with each passing second it also becomes louder. Hiccups have a tendency to arise at some of the most inappropriate moments and although it is a health condition, is embarrassing for all of us. Clinically hiccups are defined as involuntary contractions of the diaphragm muscle, located at the base of the lungs. Such spasms lead to sudden contraction of the vocal cords, while you are inhaling air and makes you gasp with the characteristic ‘hic’ sound. It is an uncontrolled reflex action, often triggered for no apparent reason. 

Hiccups occur frequently and are more common in newborns and infants.  A bout of hiccups generally continues for a few minutes and normally subsides on its own. Hiccups often occur in a constant rhythmic pattern and are set off by anything that creates a pressure on or around the diaphragm, such as 

1. Swallowing or eating your food too quickly
2. Eating extremely hot and spicy food
3. Indigestion
4. Consumption of aerated fizzy beverages
5. Lack of sleep, stress and exhaustion
6. Pregnancy
7. Smoking
8. Excessive alcohol
9. Intake of certain medications

How problematic it can be
In most cases, hiccups stop within a short period of time. Persistent hiccups, however, reoccur over a span of 48 hours and some continue for over a month and are medically termed as intractable hiccups. In most cases, hiccups subside on their own and do not require any medical attention. However, in some cases, medical attention is required, specifically, when hiccups can cause breathing difficulties, vomiting and affects your overall sleeping and eating cycle.  Additionally, relentless hiccupping can be extremely painful and tiring and can also hamper your daily routine along with discomfort in the upper abdominal region. 
Suggested home remedies 
Hiccups are generally not serious and most often can be managed with simple home remedies. Some of these home remedies include:

1. Drinking a glass of water in one go
2. Holding your breath for a while
3. Breathing evenly

Persistent hiccups, that occur at frequent intervals and continue for weeks and months can indicate an underlying health condition. Thus, you must visit a doctor if your hiccups do not subside easily. Incessant hiccups on the other side are a sign of liver, abdominal, and lung diseases and problems such as stroke, brain tumors and other nervous disorders, which can cause a disturbance in the functioning of the diaphragm. 
Medications
In case of painful, frequent hiccups, the physician may prescribe certain medications, which include muscle relaxants, sedatives, analgesics or any other kind of stimulants that can help in providing a remedy.
How can you ‘prevent’ it?
The onset of hiccups are involuntary spasms, thus cannot often be predicted or prevented. However, certain precautions can be taken to avoid recurrence. Abstinence from smoking, controlled drinking, and avoid swallowing your food too quickly, etc. are only a few ways that can help control the frequency of hiccups. However, it is always advisable to get yourself examined by a medical practitioner in case of a prolonged spell of hiccups. 

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                      PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/   

FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                           https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                              

FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         https://my crochet creations.blogspot.com/

Tourette's Syndrome

Understanding What Is Tourette’s Syndrome
Tourette’s syndrome is attributed to involuntary and repetitive movements and sounds produced in a body. These are uncontrollable actions and at present approximately 1 million people in India suffer from this syndrome. It is neurological problem, first diagnosed by Dr. Georges Gilles De La Tourette in 1885 in a 86-year old French woman.

It is a chronic condition where symptoms can occur as early as in a 3-years old. While the most severe symptoms are presented in the teen years, most of these symptoms improve during the late teens and into adulthood.

Symptoms:
Generally, the involuntary movements also known as tics are classified as simple and complex.

1. Simple: As far as the basic version of this condition is concerned, you will find that it is limited to sudden and jerky movements associated with certain muscle groups. For instance, the simple tics include eye blinking, shrugging, facial grimacing, and vocalizations. The vocalization can be in form of grunting, sniffling or throat clearing where the condition is mild.
   
2. Complex: The motor tics in the complex version of this condition may include head twists, violent shoulder shrugs, hops, bending, twisting or even touching objects. As far as the vocalizations go, it may include words and phrases while the dramatic symptoms may present the person using cuss words as well.
   

Implications and Treatment:
One positive thing associated with this syndrome is that it doesn’t cause an impairment and therefore there is no medication prescribed for it. Tourette’s syndrome does not affect one’s intelligence and hence it need not stop people from seeking a career of their choice.

However, the biggest concern of people affected by it is the social acceptance of their condition.
Also, those who are suffering from it must be provided with an ideal, tolerant and compassionate set-up where they are encouraged to work and learn to their full potential.

Further, as tic symptoms often do not cause an impairment, a majority of people suffering from it do not require any medication for tic suppression. However, effective medications are available for those whose symptoms interfere with their day-to-day functioning. Neuroleptics (drugs that may be used to treat psychotic and non-psychotic disorders) are the most consistently useful medications for tic suppression.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                      PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/   

FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                           https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                              

FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         https://my crochet creations.blogspot.com/