Musician Lewis Capaldi has revealed that he has Tourette's syndrome, going public about his diagnosis via Instagram live on Tuesday, September 6.
Tourette's is a condition that causes a person to make involuntary sounds and movements called tics.
The singer, who is dropping new music on September 9, said he wanted to share his diagnosis as he didn't want his twitching to be misinterpreted as him "taking cocaine or something."
Capaldi explained: "My shoulder twitches when I am excited, happy, nervous, or stressed. It is something I am living with. It’s not as bad as it looks."
Here's what you need to know about Tourette's symptoms and at what age they typically start.
What are symptoms of Tourette's syndrome?
The main symptom of Tourette's syndrome are tics, which typically appear among children aged two and 14 years.
People with Tourette's have a combination of physical and vocal tics:
Physical tics include:
- blinking
- eye rolling
- grimacing
- shoulder shrugging
- jerking of the head or limbs
- jumping
- twirling
- touching objects and other people
While vocal tics include:
- grunting
- throat clearing
- whistling
- coughing
- tongue clicking
- animal sounds
- saying random words and phrases
- repeating a sound, word or phrase
- swearing
However, swearing affects only about one in 10 people with Tourette's, and is considered a rare vocal tic.
In most cases, tics are not harmful to a person's health, though certain physical tics like jerking of the head can be painful.
It's also worth noting that tics can become worse during periods of stress, anxiety and tiredness.
Some people with Tourette's can also experience mood and behavioural problems like ADHD, OCD, depression or anxiety.
What age does Tourette's start?
Signs of Tourette's syndrome usually starts during childhood, with first symptoms occurring between ages of five and 10.
The first signs appear in the head and neck and may progress to muscles in the limbs and trunk. The worst tics typically affect people in the early teens, but this tends to become controlled by the late teens and early 20s.
In some people Tourette's might be chronic and last till adulthood. However, in most cases tics and other symptoms improve and go away by adulthood.
There is no cure for Tourette's syndrome, but treatment can help manage symptoms. However, many people don't even need treatment if the symptoms don't interfere with daily life.
The illness is also not degenerative or one that continues to get worse, which means people with Tourette's have a normal life expectancy.
