Toddler gagging after coughing

[ArtemisBean]

My just turned two-year-old seems to have quite a sensitive gag reflex, and often throws up if he coughs particularly hard (when he has a cold, nothing more serious). It's like he's got mucus stuck in the back of the throat and he just overdoes the cough sometimes and triggers his reflex. It doesn't seem to bother him but it scares the life out of me and is obviously not nice to clear up, especially at night in his bed! Is this quite a common thing? Will he grow out of it soon?

I do this and I'm 44, so no promises he will grow out of it. I also have a strong gag reflex so this may be something to do with it.

Things that help me avoid throwing up when the cough leads to gagging:

• stand up. Lying or sitting during a coughing fit makes it worse.
• stand outside or at an open window. The cold air calms the gag reflex.
• blow nose immediately the coughing allows. The gagging is often to do with snot/mucus clogging nose.

My son had this terribly until he turned 3, apparently his dad did too as a toddler. He's really grown out of it over the last 6 months, now 3.5.

That gives me hope @napody . It's so frustrating not being able to treat it!

I know, it's a nightmare- mine did it a lot when eating too, he would shove food in too far back and make himself sick. This thread has reminded me to be grateful that it passed!