The actual number of people affected with the neurological disorder known as Tourette Syndrome is not known, but recent research is suggesting the number is somewhere near 1 out of 200 people.

The tricky thing about having Tourette is that you might not even know that you have it. The tics, or involuntary movements, that are the hallmark of the disorder do not present themselves immediately (the most common ages for them to begin are from 7-9 years of age) and may or may not last a lifetime. But if a person is afflicted with Tourette Syndrome, they are born with it and die with it. Whether or not it is correctly diagnosed and treated is the difference between a full and happy life (when the person is aware of their disorder, is educated about it, and learns ways to cope) and one filled with pain and self-loathing (when the person never truly understands their own body, is blamed for the lack of control over it, and is unfairly judged and ostracized from their community).

Doctors and other medical professionals may or may not recognize the disorder, so the chances for people to be correctly diagnosed are hit-or-miss. In my case, we travel the length of our state to receive the proper care for our family member with the disorder. We were unsuccessful in finding a doctor in our area that thoroughly understood and knew how to treat the Tourette Syndrome, as well as the disorders that many times accompany it.

If you do not have a family member or friend with Tourette Syndrome, you may dismiss the above information as important, but not significant to you personally.

The purpose of this column is to suggest to you, a NASCAR fan, why you should care about the above the information.

If 1 in 200 people are afflicted with Tourette Syndrome, then let’s apply that to attending a NASCAR race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Bristol holds 160,000 people. The seats are always full, so that means that 800 folks in the stands have the disorder. Let’s compare this to the number of people with arthritis, which is 1 in 100 people. That means that 1,600 in the audience have arthritis. How many people do you know with arthritis? It’s fairly common, so you should. What should strike you then, is that Tourette Syndrome is half as common as arthritis. In my clumsy way I am trying to drive home the point that there are more people out there with Tourette Syndrome than you realize, and in all likelihood you either work with someone with the disorder, live near someone with it, or maybe even have a family member with it.

Are you now thinking about that boss with what you have always assumed was a nervous condition, wherein he would constantly clear his throat and blink his eyes, might really have Tourette Syndrome? Your grandmother might have even made you giggle when she brushed the hair from her forehead over and over and over, even when the hair really wasn’t hanging there anymore? Or perhaps you have become concerned about your son, who constantly rubs his eyes. The optometrist and allergy doctor have both assured you there is no medical reason why he does so, and you are becoming irritated with your boy because he is actually rubbing the skin raw around his eyes.

In all of the cases above and many more, your ability to identify what the problem may be might make a vital difference in how you react to or take action about what you are experiencing. As is the case in so many other things in life, knowing exactly what you are dealing with is so much better than not.

Let’s get back to the race at Bristol. Your excitement at attending one of the most coveted races on the NASCAR circuit is overwhelming, and you joyously find your seat and take in the sights before you. Perhaps the woman next to you briefly captures your attention, as her hands are gnarled in the advanced stages of arthritis. You take a moment to feel great empathy for her, knowing that her life must surely be affected by pain and discomfort. Glancing to your other side, you may spy someone who constantly grimaces and jerks his shoulder back. It is my hope that you will feel the same empathy and respect for that person as you did the woman with the arthritis.

We all have our burdens; that is a fact of life. When we see someone afflicted with something that we are free of, it’s best to mentally say, ‘There but for the grace of God go I’, and then reflect for a second on our own imperfections.

If you have stayed with this article to this point, I commend you, dear reader. Thanks for caring enough to do so.