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What is Tourette Syndrome that Billie Eilish is diagnosed with?

The Grammy-winner, Billie Eilish, revealed that she was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome of TS at the age of 11, adding that 'tics can be exhausting'. Here is all that you need to know about TS, its types, causes and symptoms.

What is Tourette Syndrome that Billie Eilish is diagnosed with drb
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First Published May 24, 2022, 2:02 PM IST

Billie Eilish is the latest celebrity to have appeared on David Letterman’s popular show ‘My Next Guest Needs No Introduction’. The Grammy-winner was talking about her life and music when she also revealed that she has been diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome (TS), a condition of the nervous syndrome that causes people suffering from it to have ‘tics’. The 20-year-old singer was only 11 when she was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. But what exactly is the syndrome and the ‘tics’ that are associated with it?

What is Tourette Syndrome? TS is a nervous system condition that causes people to have ‘tics’. Tics are sudden twitches, sounds or movements that people do repeatedly. People with TS cannot stop themselves from doing these tics. For instance, a person may keep constantly blinking. For that person, blinking is the tic.

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What are the types of Tics? There are two types of tics – one is motor and the other is vocal. Blinking, jerking an arm, shaking the head or shrugging the shoulders could be examples of motor tics. On the other hand, unwillingly making gruntling noises, humming, and constantly clearing the throat are examples of vocal tics.

Billie Eilish has a motor tic wherein she constantly moves her head. It was during the interview with David Letterman that she started to move her head when she revealed the syndrome. “If you film me for long enough, you’re going to see a lot of tics,” she told Letterman during the interview.

Symptoms of Tourette Syndrome: TS or tics start showing up in a person from the age of 5 to 10 years. Motor tics that occur in the neck and head area are often the first symptoms of TS. Tic can get worse during times of stress or excitement. But they improve when a person is focused on an activity or is calm. They tend to improve when a person is calm or focused on an activity.

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Treatment for Tourette Syndrome: There remains no cure for TS but there are treatments available to manage it. Tics do not usually get in the way of the daily lives of many people. However, meditation and behavioural treatment can help in case a tic is causing pain or interfering with the daily routine.

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