Lewis Capaldi has announced he is taking a break from touring to adapt to his Tourette's diagnosis. Despite wowing the crowd at Glastonbury festival, the Scottish singer struggled during his performance due to the condition.
The 26-year-old star posted a message on social media telling fans and followers that he has decided to take a break for the "foreseeable future" in order to spend "much more time" working on both his mental and physical health.
He received his Tourette's diagnosis in September last year, confirming the news during an Instagram Live video. There are a lot of misconceptions about the condition, so in order to help give a better understanding, here is everything you need to know about the condition.
What is Tourette’s syndrome?
Tourette's syndrome (TS) is a neurological conditions, causing involuntary movements and sounds called tics.
Movement tics may include blinking, neck and head jerks, arm movements and leg movements whereas vocal tics can include throat clearing, repeating words of phrases as well as stuttering and grunting.
What causes Tourette's?
There is not much scientific evidence when it coms to the cause of the condition.
However, the disorder it thought to be related with brain abnormalities - specifically an imbalance in the function of neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin.
There are sometimes differences in the structure of part of the brain in people with Tourette's.
There are other disorders often co-occurring with the syndrome - such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
How do you become diagnosed with Tourette's?
There is no single test used to detect and diagnose TS.
However, if you have had several of the common TS tics for around one year, your GP may refer you to a specialised doctor, such as a neurologist, to make a firm diagnosis.
Tics can appear suddenly and only last a few weeks or months. In this case you would not be considered as having Tourette's.
Can people with Tourette's control their tics?
Tics are usually involuntary and therefore difficult to control.
They are preceded by a premonitory urge, compared to the need to itch or sneeze, that can be distressful.
People with Tourettes may feel the need to perform the tic a number of times in order to reduce this urge.
Is there a cure for Tourette's?
There is currently no cure for Tourette's.
Most people with the condition do no require any treatment and can instead learn to control ticks with help from a specialist.
The most common treatment is behavioural therapy to help reduce tics and manage emotional stability.
However, medicines may be used in circumstances where tics are more severe or visibly harmful.
How does Tourette's affect people?
Despite most tics not causing any harm to a person's general health, some can result in stress, anxiety and headaches.
Anger, stress and exhaustion are also common in those with the condition.
What are the common misconceptions of Tourette's?
Many people assume those with Tourette's are prone to swearing.
However, this is just one of the possible vocal tics, with just 10 per cent of people who have the syndrome doing it.
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