Dc1 has developed a noise

[ImFree2doasiwant]

Dc1 is almost 5. This last week, I have noticed him making a noise. Mostly when having a bedtime story, or when watching tv, that sort of thing. It's a " hmm" sort of noise.

He has hayfever a bit and a tickly cough, and throat clearing. He said this noise is because of the cough. It seems more like habit (and it's really bloody annoying, but I'm generally ignoring it. )

Does anyone have any experience of this sort of thing?

Meant to say, the house can be really quite frequent. 10 or 15 times a minute at times .

Is it when he’s breathing or is he saying “hmm”? Could he be trying to clear his throat?

It's not as he's breathing. His lips are closed, it's a short sound. Hmm/mm. But yes like the mmm noise you'd make when clearing your throat except without the actual throat clearing.

Dd2 has been through loads of different sounds and twitches. Our neighbour of a similar age is in the middle of a sniff and throat clearing phase just now. It's fairly common for dc to have tics

I went through tons of these stages as a child from blinking my eyes excessively to making hmmmm noises. I sometimes get them now, they are just habits, ticks and usually come about when I'm stressed or tired but as a child I did it when I was relaxed 🤷‍♀️

When dc is breathing out? If so
I’m imaging that’s not a problem

If the noises are happening on breathing in it could indicate a problem?

I've just watched him, it's a sniff, breath in, hmm.

It's not with the breathing though if that makes sense. It's a separate thing after the sniff/breathe.

Probably not even aware he’s doin it. My sister (40) does this and it does my head in. I’m like can you stop doing that and she says sorry I don’t realise I’m doing it. She has asthma but not bad and has not had any major attacks. Might just be ‘ a thing’. I wouldn’t worry. But if you are concerned of course get medical opinion to put your mind at rest. Better safe than sorry!

My DD did exactly this when she was 3yrs old for about a month, and again when she was 6yrs. She did it because some kids in school were a bit mean to her and she was anxious. I spoke to her teacher about it the second time it happened, and they added some sessions into the school day on playing nicely with each other and bullying etc and after that DD stopped doing it. It was just stress.

Sounds like a tic. I think the advice is to just ignore them.

Nasal drip related to hearing/blocked ears.

Has he started having hearing ‘problems’?

Are you speaking louder, repeating things without realising because he’s not hearing you as well as he did?

Have others noticed any hearing issues with him?

Definitely sounds like a tic. My daughter started at about age 5, and still gets them now at 7. Normally when she’s tired/anxious. It started with a mmm sound, then various eye twitches/noises/mouth opening at random times over the last two years. I’m not worried about it.

They are bloody annoying though!

My daughter, 8, has had various tics over the years. It's very common in children apparently. They pass, but it doesn't mean they're not annoying. The most recent was a sniff, that went after a few weeks, then a snort that started a few weeks afterwards. That's gone now too, thank God! You are, indeed, supposed to just ignore them, but I do try to get her to recognise she's doing it.

Mine have both done this. In particular dd makes a threat clearing noise when she is tired. I didn’t make a big deal of it and one went away eventually although it drove me MAD !!

Tics. My son had these.

I'd also say it's a tic. They usually grow out of it.