Lewis Capaldi has opened up about living with Tourette's syndrome after a video of the singer on his latest tour sparked concern among his fans.
The 26-year-old star reassured his fans when a clip went viral showing him twitching during a set, explaining on TikTok that he was "absolutely fine" and that the tics he experiences because of his Tourette's become more "intense" when he is nervous, tired or excited. Lewis shared that he had been diagnosed with the condition back in September, describing the diagnosis as a "weight off his shoulders" after experiencing symptoms of Tourette's his whole life.
Fans were full of praise for the Forget Me singer for being so open about living with the condition, with many others who live with Tourette's expressing how much it meant to them seeing someone in the spotlight talking about it. Here's everything you need to know about what Tourette's is, what the symptoms are, and what to do if you think you might have it, according to the NHS.
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What is Tourette's syndrome?
Tourette's syndrome is a condition of the nervous system which causes the person affected to make involuntary movements and noises called tics. There's no cure for Tourette's, but there is treatment available on the NHS to help manage symptoms which can involve behavioural therapy and/or medicine to reduce tics.
People who have Tourette's might also have OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), learning difficulties, or mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. Tourette's usually starts in childhood, but tics and other symptoms can often improve after a number of years and sometimes disappear completely.
What are the main symptoms?
Tics are the main symptom of Tourette's, which usually appear between the ages of two and 14. Tics can manifest in a number of ways, both as movements or sounds - here are some examples:
Physical tics
- blinking
- eye rolling
- grimacing
- shoulder shrugging
- jerking of the head or limbs
- jumping
- twirling
- touching objects and other people
Vocal tics
- grunting
- throat clearing
- whistling
- coughing
- tongue clicking
- animal sounds
- saying random words and phrases
- repeating a sound, word or phrase
- swearing
While swearing is a tic often portrayed in characters who have Tourette's in film and TV, swearing is actually one of the rarer tics and only affects around one in 10 people with the condition. Tics can be worse on some days more than others, particularly if the person is stressed, anxious or tired - while they aren't usually harmful to someone's health on their own, physical tics can be be painful depending on what part of the body is affected.
Most people with Tourette's have described getting a strong urge before a tic, which has been compared to the feeling you get when you suddenly have an itch or need to sneeze. These feelings are called premonitory sensations, and can also include a burning feeling in the eyes before blinking, or a dry or sore throat before grunting.
What should I do if I think I might have Tourette's?
You should contact your GP if you think you might have Tourette's, and they may refer you to different specialists such as a neurologist who could suggest tests and scans, such as an MRI, to rule out other conditions. There is no specific test to confirm that you have Tourette's syndrome, but you can be diagnosed if you have had several tics for at least a year.
If you are a parent and your child has started having tics, the NHS advises to contact a GP. Many children have tics for several months before growing out of them, so a tic doesn't necessarily mean a child has Tourette's.
You can visit the NHS website for more information on Tourette's syndrome.
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