Lewis Capaldi performed at Glastonbury Festival over the weekend and experienced issues with his voice while performing on the Pyramid Stage at Worthy Farm.

The Glaswegian singer, who has previously opened up about his recent diagnosis of Tourette’s syndrome, also appeared to experience an increasing number of tics during the set.

While tics are a main symptom of Tourette’s, there are a variety of other symptoms.

But what is Tourette’s syndrome and can it be treated?

Worcester News: Lewis Capaldi has spoken out about his Tourette's diagnosisLewis Capaldi has spoken out about his Tourette's diagnosis (Image: Yui Mok/PA Wire)

The NHS website describes Tourette’s syndrome as being “a condition that causes a person to make involuntary sounds and movements called tics.”

Symptoms of Tourette’s usually start during childhood with the tics and symptoms usually improving after several years.

Sometimes Tourette’s completely goes away.

There is no cure for Tourette’s but symptoms can be managed with treatment.

What are the symptoms of Tourette’s syndrome?

The main symptom of Tourette’s is tics and they usually appear in childhood between the ages of two and 14 years with the average being around 6 years of age.

Someone who has Tourette’s has both physical and vocal tics.

Physical tics can include:

  • Blinking
  • Eye rolling
  • Grimacing
  • Shoulder shrugging
  • Jerking of the head or limbs
  • Jumping
  • Twirling
  • Touching objects and other people

Vocal tics can include:

  • Grunting
  • Throat clearing
  • Whistling
  • Coughing
  • Tongue clicking
  • Animal sounds
  • Saying random words and phrases
  • Repeating a sound, phrase or word

While swearing is rare, it is also a possible vocal tic and the NHS says about 1 in 10 people with Tourette’s are affected by swearing.

Tics aren’t usually harmful but physical tics can be painful including jerking of the head.

Someone who has Tourette’s will experience worse tics on some days than others.

If someone with Tourette’s is experiencing stress, anxiety or tiredness, they may experience worse periods of tics.

Those who have Tourette’s might also have problems related to mood or behaviour such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) or depression or anxiety.

What causes Tourette’s?

The cause of Tourette’s is not known but it’s thought to be linked to a part of the brain that helps regulate body movement.

For reasons that are also unknown, boys are more likely to be affected by Tourette’s than girls.

You can find out more about Tourette’s syndrome via the NHS website.

What happens before a tic and what does it feel like?

Before a tic occurs, most people with Tourette’s will experience a strong urge known as a premonitory sensation.

This strong urge has been compared to the feeling people get before a sneeze or an itch.

The premonitory sensation can only be relieved after the tic has been experienced.

A burning feeling in the eyes before blinking, a dry or sore throat before grunting and an itchy joint or muscle before jerking can all be examples of premonitory sensations.

When should you ask for medical advice relating to Tourette’s?

When you or your child starts experiencing tics, you should contact a GP.

A tic doesn’t always mean a child has Tourette’s as they can have a tic for several months and then grow out of it.

How is Tourette’s syndrome diagnosed?

There isn’t a single test that determines if someone has Tourette’s but to rule out other conditions, tests and scans such as an MRI scan may be used.

If you’ve had several tics for at least a year, you can be diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome.

A GP may refer you to different specialists to get a diagnosis, including a neurologist which is a brain and nervous system specialist.

How do you treat Tourette’s syndrome?

While there isn’t a cure for Tourette’s and most children don’t need treatment for their tics, treatment might sometimes get recommended to help you control your tics.

Treatment for tics is usually available on the NHS and can include behavioural therapy or medicine.

A psychologist or a specially trained therapist usually provide behavioural therapy and there are two types that have been shown to reduce tics.

Habit reversal training involves working out which feelings trigger tics with the next stage being to find an alternative and less noticeable way of relieving the urge to tic.

Exposure with response prevention (ERP) trains you to improve your control of your urge to tic. Techniques are used to recreate the urge to tic to help train the person with Tourette’s to tolerate the feeling without doing the tic until the urge passes.

Can medicine be used to treat tics?

Some tics can be treated with medicines but it’s usually only recommended for more severe tics or if tics are affecting daily activities.

Medicines used for Tourette’s won’t work for everyone and have some side effects.