Written By: Shaloo Tiwari | Updated : March 23, 2018 2:14 PM IST
Rani Mukerji's 'Hichki' is out and is beyond amazing. This movie describes the journey of a woman suffering from Tourette's syndrome, full of willpower who wants to become a teacher. It is the story of her difficult journey, which she faces confidently. The neurological condition- Tourette's syndrome needs more awareness as it doesn't have any cure and can only be managed. The awareness of this disease is so low that many times it goes undiagnosed or the patients never seek medical care.
Here's everything you want to know about Tourette's Syndrome:
What is Tourette's syndrome?
It is a nervous system disorder that causes people get tics, which is uncontrollable sudden movements or sounds over and over again. It is beyond the control of the person suffering from it as it is an unwanted yet urge or sensation in the muscle that is affected. The condition doesn't have a definite pattern as the tics change in number and frequency from time to time depending on each individual. The severity and anatomical location of tics keep changing too. The phrase 'Waxing and waning', associated with the Tourette's syndrome is the constant increase and decrease in severity and frequency of tics. Therefore waxing and waning occurs differently in different individuals. For instance, someone suffering from Tourette's might blink over and over again or in a few cases even say things they don't mean.
Symptoms:
The main and clear symptom of Tourette's Syndrome are the tics. It often begins in childhood and according to research more boys than girls are prone to the condition. In most cases, it is seen that symptoms get better as children grow up and in few instances, the tics may completely go away. The main symptom- tics are very obvious, visible or audible. Severe symptoms may even affects the mental health of the person suffering as it can be extremely embarrassing and affect work or social life. However, stress, excitement, tiredness can make the situation worse. Tics can be simple, some so simple that they even go unnoticed or complex like using cuss words.
Ticks are categorically divided into two types :
Movement or motor tics
They may include:
Vocal tics
They may include:
Tourette's may lead to other health issues like:
Learning disabilities such as dyslexia
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Management:
Tourette's doesn't have a cure and even medications can help much as no medicine can work universally for all individuals. However, even though there is very little that you can do about it, awareness, education and understanding is very important in managing the condition. Psychobehavioral therapy and reassurance work the best.
Here's the trailer of 'Hichki'. Watch Rani Mukerji playing the role of an enthusiastic teacher suffering from Tourette's syndrome:
References:
Leckman, J. F. (2002). Tourette's syndrome. The Lancet, 360(9345), 1577-1586.
Pauls, D. L., & Leckman, J. F. (1986). The inheritance of Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome and associated behaviors. New England Journal of Medicine, 315(16), 993-997.
Lowe, T. L., Cohen, D. J., Detlor, J., Kremenitzer, M. W., & Shaywitz, B. A. (1982). Stimulant medications precipitate Tourette's syndrome. jama, 247(8), 1168-1169.
Pauls, D. L., Towbin, K. E., Leckman, J. F., Zahner, G. E., & Cohen, D. J. (1986). Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder: Evidence supporting a genetic relationship. Archives of General Psychiatry, 43(12), 1180-1182.
Leckman, J. F., Zhang, H., Vitale, A., Lahnin, F., Lynch, K., Bondi, C., ... & Peterson, B. S. (1998). Course of tic severity in Tourette syndrome: the first two decades. Pediatrics, 102(1), 14-19.
Image and video courtesy: YouTube/YRF
