Facial tics are uncontrollable spasms in the face, such as rapid eye blinking or nose scrunching. They may also be called mimic spasms. Although facial tics are usually involuntary, they may be suppressed temporarily. A number of different disorders can cause facial tics. They occur most often in children, but they can affect adults as well. Tics are much more common in boys than in girls.
The Physical Symptom Of Anxiety You Might Be Ignoring
Facial Tic Disorder: Causes, Contributing Factors, and Treatments
Back to Health A to Z. Tics are fast, repetitive muscle movements that result in sudden and difficult to control body jolts or sounds. They're fairly common in childhood and typically first appear at around five years of age. Very occasionally they can start in adulthood.
Aidan could feel it. He was in the middle of an exam and didn't want to make a scene, so he tried to control it. But it was no use. The stress of the exam was getting to him, and the longer he held in his tic, the more he could feel it building up inside him. Finally he had no choice but to let it out.
A person can hold in a tic temporarily, in a similar way to holding in a sneeze, but doing so often makes the person increasingly uncomfortable. A few different disorders can cause facial tics, but most of the time facial tics do not indicate a severe medical condition. According to a report in Pediatric Neurology , facial tics occur more commonly in children than adults, and boys seem to be much more likely to experience facial tics than girls. Most children's facial tics fade after a few months.