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Children's health

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Original poster

Constant clearing of throat in my 7 year old ? What could it be?

61 replies

mindermummy · 13/03/2012 20:55

For about 6 months now,my son constantly coughs, like he is clearing his throat, does not sound chesty at all and is well in himself other than this. Sometimes it can go on for ages!! I finally went to doc who said his chest is clear, but said it could be asthma !?! I'm not entirely sure about this, although don't know much about it. He was given a blue pump and was told to do this twice a day and monitor levels on another pump and go back in 3 weeks. It's now been 4 days and I see no improvement at all. Any comments and suggestions??thank u

OP posts:

Original poster

mindermummy · 13/03/2012 20:56

He is 7.

OP posts:

Gunznroses · 13/03/2012 21:00

Is there anything else a bit odd that he does that maybe you havent thought of before ? Im not trying to scare you but constant throat clearing could be first signs of a "tick" but im hoping its nothing for you and it will just pass.

uberalice · 13/03/2012 21:03

My 7 year old did this too for a while a few months ago, but now you mention it, I've just realised he must have stopped. I never really got to the bottom of it, but he didn't seem to realise he was doing it. Sorry, that's not much help.

KristinaM · 13/03/2012 21:06

I have similar symptoms and its asthma. I have a preventer to take twice a day and a reliever as necessary.

Original poster

mindermummy · 13/03/2012 21:31

Well, he can get really moany and irritable at home, but they say at school he is an angel. ....but then this could be any child after school!! Lol. He is very quiet and shy. He does average at school. But doesn't have many close friends. It's hard to say!!

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QueenOfFlippingEverything · 13/03/2012 21:35

DD did this for a while and we came to the conclusion it was a tic - she then went on to eye rolling/exaggerated blinking for a while, then back to throat clearing, then one day just stopped We never bothered taking her to the doctor as she had no other signs of it being a physical problem whatsoever.

Personally, if there were no other clinical signs, I wouldn't want to be giving inhalers. Can you get a second opinion on the possibility of asthma?

JasperJohns · 13/03/2012 21:38

My ds was very prone to tics at age 6/7 (he's 9 now), and this sounds like one to me.

Original poster

mindermummy · 13/03/2012 21:49

Jasperjohn ; and is it still there now???!

OP posts:

workshy · 13/03/2012 21:53

could be habitual cough

could be nasal drip irritating his throat (what does his breath smell like? always a clue)

could be an allergy -do you have pets?

if your doc has suggested the puffer then you need to persevere -it can take longer than a few days especially at this age as the inhalers take a bit of time to master and use correctly

JasperJohns · 13/03/2012 21:59

Mindermummy - no, I am pleased to say, as when it was all going on, I was really concerned.

He had several but had them one at a time.

He had throat clearing (which could reach alarming levels!), blinking and a really strange noise he used to make when watching TV.

Original poster

mindermummy · 14/03/2012 07:55

Jasper johns : oh that's good to hear!! No u mention it, my son went through about 6 weeks of watching tv and making a noise (like a grunting noise)..... He only does this once in a while now, but as u just mentioned that it reminded me!! .......another thing to add to this thread is that he does seem to wake up abit bunged up most mornings and shuffling as well as coughing. I'm quite sure it is not asthma ... But not sure if it's a tic or the nasal drip thing!?!

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Neefs · 14/03/2012 08:45

My ds age 6 has had several tics, one blinking/eye-rolling, and other vocal ones that included humming, copying speech, and another weird noise that I can't even describe. I have been really concerned about it - enough to see the doc who has referred us (still waiting).

Have to say that your description immediately made me think 'tic' however it could well be mechanical (post-nasal drip) and just to try not to be too gloomy all of my sons tics have virtually disappeared now. His eye-rolling one btw is brought on by playing nintendo DS and by extended wii play......

Gunznroses · 15/03/2012 17:51

Neefs - we've been through this , pm if you like to talk.

Original poster

mindermummy · 15/03/2012 19:53

Thank u everyone. I will cont with the asthma pump for the 3 weeks then go back to docs and tell home what I think, which for now I think has made no difference!

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KristinaM · 17/03/2012 17:04

Good plan OP. Remember, if its a preventor inhaler its a steroid so shouldnt be stopped without medical advice

Hope he gets better soon

olin818 · 08/11/2014 22:33

Hi mindermummy, is your son's constant throat clearing gone?

Last summer, My then 5 year old son had a flu and had been coughing for a long time. Ever since then, he developed constant throat clearing along with morning cough. The pediatricians said he had post nasal drip caused by allergy. We gave him allergy drug but it did not help at all. Finally we took him to the ENT doctor. The ENT doctor put a camera into his throat and told us he has bacterial infection and put him on two weeks antibiotics. Now we are 9 days into the antibiotics and we have not seen any improvement. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you!!

anonymous11223344 · 24/02/2016 00:43

"He had several but had them one at a time.

He had throat clearing (which could reach alarming levels!), blinking and a really strange noise he used to make when watching TV."

@JasperJohns I had touretts started at age 7, exactly the same symptoms. If you see the frequency increase when he's watching things that bring tension (video games, tv, just stress in general by school, etc) that causes you to do more of that. Just coming from a guy who is now in his 30s, but had that as a kid so you have to ask about that eventually with an neurologist. Mine went away after late teens I think it was.

My son is now clearing his throat every 10 seconds, and coughing so I hope he doesn't have the same thing again. His started after having a cold. He cleared his throat, truly had saliva in his throat and did have to cough but when he continued after taking 2 rounds of medication (for his ear infection and his cough) it still continued.

anonymous11223344 · 24/02/2016 00:45

@mindermummy, how about a report, did that ever go away? or...was he diagnosed with tourettes?

mirmar14 · 20/04/2018 16:20

Hi Jasper can you pm me on this subject

mirmar14 · 20/04/2018 16:22

@mindermummy did it go away?

mirmar14 · 20/04/2018 16:23

@JasperJohns could u pm me

Original poster

mindermummy · 20/04/2018 18:10

I am so sorry only just seen these msg! No thing ever happened!!! And he still does it!! But have to say not quite so often and it does seem to come and go!!! ......im wondering if it is seasonal...and maybe a nasal drip down the throat.
I didn't ever take him to the doctors as I didn't want to make a thing of it to him! So thought I would see what happened naturally! both me and my husband have said we still see sides of what could be like tourrets, but when we spoke to his school about it they said they see no signs of anything like that, so we left it. But yes we still have the throat clearing just less often.

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mirmar14 · 20/04/2018 18:51

@mindermummy my son almost 6 started doing it few weeks ago but now from yesterday hes constantly doing ahem sound(like every sec if he's not speaking) with occasional cough...been given blue pump today. I'm really worried

Original poster

mindermummy · 23/04/2018 13:17

I was the same! Really worried and I have to say he still has times he is doing the ahem noise too and sometimes its non stop and other times not much! I keep in hope that it will finally go some day! I have learnt more now to just leave him and not to keep mentioneing it. See how he goes and maybe take to doc?

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paz1234 · 23/04/2018 19:03

Is he a good eater ? Or quite fussy
My niece used to do this all the time and still does now but not so much .. the doctors told her she had gerd disease
I think it's like a reflux thing .. she was like 5 or 6 when she got diagnosed .. she's the fussiest eater because certain foods make it worse x

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