Cera Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 My 6 year old dd is continuously clearing her throat. It is the worst while eating or talking but fairly constant all the time. She clears her throat 2-3 times after every bite of food and sometimes while chewing. If she is reading out loud it is 2-3 times per sentence. This has been going on for the last year or so (I am pretty sure it started following her choking on a hard candy) I took her in to the doc who checked her over thoroughly and couldn't find any reason. We spent 6 months working on behavior modification since the doc thought it might just be a fear reaction to the choking incident but nothing has changed. Most of the time she doesn't even now she is doing it and when I question her about it she can't tell me why she does it. Does anybody have any ideas as to what it might be? We have an appt with an ENT but it is almost a month away and honestly, the constant throat clearing is driving me absolutely nuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Two ideas. A tic is one. The other is this thing where sometimes a person starts clearing her throat for some legitimate reason, say a cold or something, and then just keeps doing it because the throat clearing itself is causing irritation that seems to be helped by clearing the throat. My husband actually had this happen. The cure is to try not to clear the throat for a while and the feeling goes away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 It sounds like a vocal tic to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 (edited) Dd did that and it was due to reflux. She also had coughing episodes at night & would occasionally cough until she puked at night.(ETA: Reflux caused by food allergies.) Edited March 13, 2011 by LittleIzumi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyeska Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 My dd does this in response to allergies. Her allergist said to have her sip tea throughout the day. She said it is something done out of habit, not necessity. And my dd doesn't realize she is doing it either. When I have her sip something, she does it less often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 I was thinking maybe allergies, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Reflux. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Did she have a strep infection right before this started? If so, look up PANDAS. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cera Posted March 13, 2011 Author Share Posted March 13, 2011 She has never had strep but I googled PANDAS. I had never heard of it. I never considered reflux but that might make sense. She had severe reflux as a baby and seemed to outgrow it by 2 but maybe it is an issue again? We treated her for allergies for 3 months and it didn't help at all. I just asked her some more questions and she says her throat feels dry all the time and like the inside is swollen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Reflux. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 We treated her for allergies for 3 months and it didn't help at all. I just asked her some more questions and she says her throat feels dry all the time and like the inside is swollen. I'd take her to an ENT and have them check her thoroughly for any physical issues. Maybe something was damaged during the choking episode? Also, the allergy thing....I take allergy medicine EVERY. DAY. And have, for probably 20 years. (Tried shots, they did NOTHING). And I still have chronic drainage. And clear my throat all. the. time. Sometimes, there's enough drainage that I actually cough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Dd11's throat clearing was due to reflux. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Two ideas. A tic is one. The other is this thing where sometimes a person starts clearing her throat for some legitimate reason, say a cold or something, and then just keeps doing it because the throat clearing itself is causing irritation that seems to be helped by clearing the throat. My husband actually had this happen. The cure is to try not to clear the throat for a while and the feeling goes away. I had the same two thoughts. Actually tics came to mind first, but when I was a kid I went through a spell of habitual coughing following a nasty cold. It was months before I lost that habit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenKitty Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Maybe allergies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 My son went through this a couple years ago (at age 7). My pediatrician said it was likely just one of those weird behaviors that they latch onto at this age, and he would outgrow it. He did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 My dd used to do this a LOT. I had her food allergy tested and she was high positive to dairy and tomato, Cut both, reintroduced each carefully, and found out it was due to tomato products. She was off tomato for about a year and has been fine since. It could also be reflux, or another GI disorder, a tic, a sensory thing, etc., ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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