Can diabetes cause a person to have tics? Diabetes tics are not very common, but they do happen, and for a number of reason. The most common reason for a person to have diabetic tics is cranial neuropathies. They can also occur as a result of stress brought about by having to deal with the disease.
Diabetic neuropathy is quite common among diabetics. Cranial neuropathy is a condition in which the nerves in the cranium or skull are damaged. Along with affecting vision hearing and the actions of some organs, it can also affect facial movement leading to diabetes tics. One of the most common causes of cranial neuropathy is diabetes.
Luckily, many cases of cranial neuropathy clear up within a few months, according to WiseGeek.com. The sooner symptoms of cranial neuropathy are realized, the better the chance that treatment will be affective. Symptoms of cranial neuropathy may include:
- Facial tics
- Twitches
- Spasms
- Partial or full paralysis of the face
- Difficulty swallowing
- Weakness of the tongue
- Difficulty speaking
Diabetic Tics Due to Anxiety
Anxiety disorders are one of the most common psychiatric conditions among diabetics. It is still unclear whether diabetes leads to anxiety and depression or if it is the other way around. It is most likely a combination of both. What researchers do know is that there is a definite link between diabetes and anxiety disorders, particularly among the Hispanic population.
Stress and sleep deprivation seem to be part of the reason why people develop tics and may be part of the reason why people develop diabetic tics. It used to be thought that medications may be the reason why tics developed in children, but this has been contradicted by more recent studies.
Although tics usually begin in childhood, there doesn’t to be any kind of connection between juvenile diabetes and tics. It is difficult for children, especially adolescents, to deal with having diabetes. Therefore this emotional stress of having the disease may very well either cause the tics or make tics worse. As emotional stress levels rise, so do the frequency of the tics. In fact, in times of embarrassment, when a person tries to control the tics they just end up making them worse.
Most of the time therapy, counseling, and support groups are best for the treatment of diabetic tics. This helps to a child, or adult, help to cope with the stigmas associated with the tics as well as the emotional and social problems that are part of having the condition. Diabetes support groups are also available for all ages, and can be located by visiting diabetes.org.
