An article on this topic is available in this issue of AFP . Tics are movements or sounds that are repeated over and over. A person with a tic can't control the movement or sounds. Tics usually last less than a year. Throat clearing and eye squinting are common tics.
Tics are often worse when a person is stressed, tired or anxious.
Some medicines make tics worse. Tourette's syndrome is one form of tic disorder. Children with Tourette's syndrome have both repetitive movements and sounds, but they may not always occur together. Several different tics can happen at the same time. The tics and sounds of Tourette's syndrome usually start between 3 and 10 years of age.