My 7 year old daughter has this annoying tickle in her throat that she attempts to cure by clearing her throat (very gently) or doing a little cough. The problem is that she does this and her throat becomes irritated and she clears/coughs more! I give her Zyrtec for seasonal allergies, but it doesn't help this problem. I tried Sudafed (a pharmacist suggested it), but she became overly emotional and then fell asleep from 5 p.m. until breakfast! UGH. We do the saline nasal spray occasionally, too. Any suggestions?
Hi L.,
Sometimes it is not allergies at all, but a mild case of acid reflux. I would have her evaluated perhaps by an ENT doctor.
My son was doing this too. His ped. finally prescribed a nasal antihystamine - Veramist. Different from a saline spray. It helps dry things up. It seems to help him. He also sees an allergist.
Hi, I have the same thing, it started when I was 12 and I am now 35. (luckily now it is only when I get over colds). I still take Dimetapp (children's liquid) for it. It shouldn't make her drowsy. My mom was going crazy (when I was 12) with my full blown cough that sometimes sounds like I am gagging. Spring allergies, the tickle was so frequent I couldn't fall sleep. So she took me to the doc and at the time, Dimetapp was prescription only and it stopped the coughing dead. Dimetapp contains brompheniramine, unlike any other product on the market. Good luck.
My daughter had a similar problem. We also tried the Zyrtec with no luck. Our pediatrician recommended Nasonex (prescrption nasal spray) and since she has been taking that -- no more clearing of the throat. You may want to notice what time of year she does the clearing of the throat the most - that is when she probably has the worst allergies. If you are like me, you don't want to to the allergist til the last possible moment - all that testing is no fun (I've had it myself)!
Good Luck!
Charlotte
Hello, have you taken your daughter to the doctor's yet? My son had the exact same symtoms when he was about 4 years. We thought it was allergies and they stated him on Zyrtec. That medicine made him jump off the walls all day long! Eventually we I stated to see other strange things taken place and took him to see a specialist. At first he was diagnosed with Epilepsy and then a year later realized that was the wrong diagnosis. In the end, we found out that he had Tourettes Syndrome...and the throat clearing was one of the many symptoms. I don't want to scare you mom, but if the throat clearing doesn't eventually clear up, you may want to look in to seeing a specialist to be on the safe side. Just a little motherly advice.
1) I would suggest you to take your daughter to an allergist.
2) I agree with Lisa P because I have some experiences. My allergist gave me medication. It helps me.
Dear L.,
If it is constant she may have a little bit of yeast overgrowth
in her sinuses. For now try holding off on dairy products and sugars and white flour.
Right now there are trees in bloom and pollen is in the air.
My knowledge of alternative therapies grew out of a nagging sinus problem and not being able to take any kind of antihistamines.
I recently learned of Dr. Barry Gillespie from my new holistic dentist Michael Baylin in Pikesville. Check out his website.
You may also try homepathic remedies found in Whole Foods for kids, no side effects, all natural.
Good Luck,
D.
Luden's Throat Drops!
My son, who is now 14 years old used to do the same thing. He does have allergies and no over the counter or prescription medications would help him. I took him to an allergist to be tested and he did have allergies to mold, trees, pollen and slightly to cats and dogs. He has been doing allegy shots since he was 7 years old and still has to do them but they do help. Right now we only have to do the shots once every two weeks. I still hear him clear his throat some but not like before. You might want to have your daughter tested for allergies. We went to Richmond Asthma and Allergy Associates. The Dr we saw was Dr Gelber. He is a little different but very good. I hope this helps. M. Smith
I work at a school as well in kindergarten and there is a student that always cleared her throat to the point it was disrupting class. When we discussed it with her parents we found that she did this when she was unsure or nervous about something usually when she had to do work that she was not interested in. She is a straight A student with no disiabilities so as of now she no longer does the sounds once we explained that the clearing is what mad her through hurt. You never know what causes kids to deal with things now a days!! Hope you figure this one out.
It's possible that air-borne particles are causing it: pollen, pet dander, mold, mildew, dust mites. See my MamaSource Perk for Angie Has Answers if you'd like to try cleaning the air at home. Modern day houses are built so tightly these days that whatever comes in, stays in. Did you know that indoor air is way more polluted than outdoor air-even with pollen?
Please have your daughter evaluated by an Allergist. My daughter had the same symptoms and missed allot of school because she always had a sore throat. It was allergies and she need much more aggressive treatment than you can purchase over the counter.
I have serious post-nasal drip and do the same thing. I take flonase and claritin every day. I also use a saline spray every day. Flonase is really the only thing that really helps with the yuck.
My daughter is going down the same path (she's 6 1/2). Children's Claritin is working for now.
Definately talk to your doctor. Good luck!
Wow. I know exactly what you mean! My daughter used to do the same thing, and yes, it drove us crazy. I ended up making an appointment with Children's Hospital outpatient center. She had to do a series of breathing tests (which were uncomfortable)and all 3 came back in the normal range, but one number was significantly lower than the other 2. She didn't have athsma, but they figured she had some sort of blockage. She now takes 5 mg of Singulair every night at bedtime. She has experienced no adverse side effects and guess what - no more clearing of her throat. We forgot to take her medicine with us before on a vacation, and by the end of the week she was clearing her throat again, so I know it works. Her doctor at Children's hospital was fantastic. If you would like more info, please email me. It has been a couple of years, now her pediatrician prescribes her medicine, but I can look up the original doctor's info if you are interested. Good luck. I live in Bowie and her doctor was in Upper Marlboro.
- B.
Have you checked with her doctor about it? I have acid reflux, and have a constant stuffy nose and congestion. It causes a lot of throat clearing and coughing. I even lose my voice after bad attacks. What happens is the acid comes out of the stomach, up the esophogus, and into my lungs, nose, and mouth. It is very uncomfortable and people always think I have a cold.
I also developed a very bad sniffing habit. It was emmberasing my hubby, so he called me on it one day. I was mad at first, but it made me more aware of it. Maybe she is doing it only out of habit. I would check with a doctor though, just in case it is a sign of something else going on.
Take her to an Ear Nose Throat Doctor and an Allergist. She apparently has an allergy. C. H. RN.
Hi L.,
That can be pretty irritating! Suggestions for throat clearing and cough....a saline gargle....chewable vitamin C to build up her immune system....hydrate her throat by drinking more water.....
It sounds like allergies, so working from a whole body perspective is often helpful. That's why I suggest the Vitamin C. I've been a pharmacist for 35 years and prefer a wholistic approach.
The Sudafed can make children drowsy, because medications can have the opposite effects on children. Sudafed can make adults hyper.
Another idea is alkalinizing her system by eating more veggies and fruit (not together though). Citrus fruit and cherries have high Vitamin C content.
I looked in Healthy Healing by Linda Page and she suggests 2 tablespoons of honey (local) with 2 tbsps of lemon juice in water or cider vinegar to stop the tickle. Have her drink healthy fruit juices (100% fruit). Or you could try a homeopathic cough syrup which won't interact with other meds. You could also try Zinc lozenges or wild cherry cough drops...there are many ways of approaching it.....hope you find the perfect solution! Lou Ann B
Have you had her tested for asthma? Throat clearing/coughing can be a symptom of asthma.
Hi L.,
If you think the child has allergies then you need to take her to a pediactric allergist or a pediatric Ear, Eyes, and Nose specialist.
I am sure the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughter has Doctors that can help you determine the cause and the cure for this irritating situation.
Good luck. D.
Dear L.,
My name is Crys and I am a mother of a 6 year old boy and a 3 year old girl. We all have bad East Coast allergies, the past two years we've added the Mucinex powder packets that you just pour onto your tongue and swallow. They are flavored and the kids don't mind it at all. My son takes 2 Claritin chewables daily, my daughter takes a new allergy med called Pediox-S twice daily. We added the Mucinex once daily for both kids and it has made all the difference in the world. Hope this was helpful. Take care!
Crys from Williamsburg, VA
Try taking her off of milk, and refined sugars. Use agave, or stevia in place of the sugar. Almond, or rice milk in place of the cow's milk....Drugs; unless perscribed, just mask or interfere with the bodies natural cleansing, therefore the root of the problem is not corrected.
Hi L.,
My 5 year old son gets that sometimes. It's usually when his allergies are bad. He's on Zyrtec daily. When he gets that tickle we use a nasal spray, but it may take a few days to kick in. We tried Singular which helped, but he had behavoiral issues with that so we don't give it to him anymore. I make every attempt to avoid triggering his allergies (cats & dogs) b/c that seems to cause the tickle. Good luck and let us know if you find anything that helps.
Ugh, my daughter has an annoying sniffle. Makes me crazy. She already takes meds...I think its just an annoying thing she does. I would make sure she stays hydrated. Maybe take her to an ENT (ear/nose/throat dr.) see what they say.
Looks like people suggested what I would. Acid Reflux could be a culprit. Or lactose intolerance. Some sort of allergy that a typcial medicine does not "hit."
Try going to an Ear Nose and Throat specialist, and/or an allergist- and/or a pediatric gastroenterologist.
with acid reflux, the acid bubbles up and often causes hiccups or tickles in the throat.
I had one of those annoying tickles in my throat for months, and finally went to an ENT for a scope. He said there was nothing there other than some irritation probably caused by reflux (which I had no idea I had), and to try taking Prevacid or one of those other anti acid reflux meds. Ask her doctor about that! As it was, my "tickle" happened to stop right after my doctor's appointment, so I didn't try his advice out.
I am no expert, but I have heard of this before and one answer made sense to me. Sometimes kids do things like that to get more attention. They do grow out of it. As long as there is no medical reason for this, she will grow out of it and you will survive it.
A.
Ginger tea is great and yes nasal saltine all the time is perfect for washing out pollen!
God Bless
Have you thought about getting her a neti pot? I saw it on Oprah with Dr. Oz and it's all natural remedy for cleaning out your sinus(s) and such. It is absolutely amazing!!! I used to take alergy meds everyday, but after the first time of using it I haven't taken an allergy pill since! You use a simple saline solution, you can buy it or make it yourself, it saves me tons of money and works much better then any medication I've ever had, note that I've had allergies since I was a baby!! I got mine online but I believe you can find them at stores also. Good luck! And yes, it fixes the whole throat problem caused from nasal drip too!
I understand the feeling, but it may not be allergies. Get her throat checked. you could also have her carry around a bottle of water, or there is a tea called "throat coat" in the tea section or the health food section of your store. add honey for sweetness. works for my 5 yo daughter, couldn't hurt.
lots of great advice here!
i'd also add that this is one of the symptoms of tourette's. NOT a huge deal, but something to check for.
good luck!
khairete
S.
Take her to her doctor. It could be allergies or reflux. Once you know what she is allergic to or if she has reflux, you can help her. You can also try Claritin (yes you can give it to her if she is taking Zyrtec) It is non-drowsy. But do talk to her DR so you can tackle the problem not just the symptoms. Good luck.
Dear L.,
Before starting your daughter on any kind of medication for her condition, you might want to take a look at some of the chemicals being used in your home. Things which people buy at the store to clean their home with, presuming they are safe are often the cause or at least what triggers certain conditions such as allergies, asthma etc. Just picking on Lysol for example, if you look up the ingredients you will find that the number 1 ingredient (making up 79% of the product) is ethyl alcohol; when you look up ethyl alcohol, you will find that, amongst other things, it can cause irritation to the respiratory tract.
Both my eldest daughter and my husband suffered from allergies until last year when I started using only natural products in my home. Now they have been free of symptoms for a whole year and we don't have to deal with the irritations of those symptoms or the medicines which gets costly after a while.
If you'd like any more information just let me know.
L. P
Chamomile tea with raw honey usually does the trick every Spring for all members of my family. Nothing else works better.
Sounds like a food allergy like milk or wheat. You may want see an allergist and ask to test for food allergies or even Celiac Disease if the milk is not a problem. I know from experience! I have both in my house! There is a link between seasonal and food allergies.
