Excessive and Hard Blinking

My 4 1/2 year old son, is constantly blinking. First, it started off as just a very fast blink that he did about 4 times in a row, and then would go back to a normal blink. Now, it is a very hard blink...squints his eyes and blinks hard. He has been doing it for over a year, but has gotten worse the last few months. I took him to his pediatrician when he first started doing it, and he said it was just a tic. I am really worried about it being Tourettes what I can do to stop this. It is very irritating to me, which I know doesnt even matter, but I want him to stop. HELP!!

[hopeshell]

Unfortunately, he can't just stop if he has tics and there isn't anything you can do to stop it.  Asking him to stop a tic is similar to asking him to stop a sneeze...it eventually just comes out.   In order for him to be diagnosed with Tourettes, he would also have to have vocal tics.  Tics tend to come and go...there are periods where they are worse.  You may notice your son's tics are worse when he is stressed, excited or tired.  The most important thing you can do is to be patient with him and try not to make a big deal out of it.  He is also probably very tired of the tics too.  Hopefully, in time they will get better.   If you feel his tics are interfering with daily life and something must be done, then ask for a referral to a neurologist.   Was he checked for PANDAS?  Sometimes tics can come on suddenly after a strep infection.   The Tourette's Syndrome Association is also a wonderful organization with a wealth of knowledge about tics and Tourette's.  Hang in there!  It is hard to see your child go through this, but it is not something he can just stop.  Most tics do get better with time.