Question
What do I do when my child has twitching limbs, crooked mouth, deviated eyes, phlegm in the throat, etc.?
Answer
Firstly, check if it’s indeed tics in the child. Then go to a large hospital for further examinations and tests to facilitate treatment. Vomiting foam and twitching may be caused by epilepsy and require enhanced care. Specific diagnosis requires a Brain Electroencephalogram examination. If diagnosed with tics, oral first-line antiepileptic medication is needed. Tic symptoms may initially manifest as frequent blinking, furrowing eyebrows, frowning, sniffling, pouting, opening the mouth, sticking out the tongue, nodding, shaking the head, tilting the head back, and others. As the condition progresses, symptoms may gradually diversify to include shrugging shoulders, twisting the neck, kicking legs, shaking legs, twisting the waist, twitching of chest and abdominal muscles, flinging hands or limbs. Tics are a chronic condition; a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s psychological, social, educational, and vocational adaptability is needed before treatment. Additionally, maintaining sufficient sleep is also very important.