Why does my child keep clearing his throat?

Many parents find that their children keep clearing their throats, as if they have pharyngitis or a cold, but when they go to the hospital for a check-up, no symptoms are found. Not only at home, but also in kindergarten or other places, children keep clearing their throats anytime and anywhere, which makes parents very anxious. Since they are not sick or have pharyngitis, why do children keep clearing their throats?

Medical experts pointed out that this is a typical symptom of childhood tics. Children's tics are manifested as short, rapid, sudden, involuntary movements of varying degrees, starting with frequent blinking, squinting, sniffing, pursing, opening the mouth, sticking out the tongue, nodding, twisting the neck, etc. As the disease progresses, the tics become more diverse, appearing alternately as shrugging, twisting of the neck, shaking of the head, kicking of the legs, shaking of the hands, or twitching of the limbs. The symptoms are often more obvious when one is emotionally tense or anxious, and disappear after falling asleep. There are often multiple types of tics, with explosive and repetitive vocalizations, throat clearing and snoring, unclear individual syllables, words, improper stress or constant foul language, and a temperament that is often impatient, willful and irritable. It is often accompanied by inattention in class or poor academic performance. In severe cases, movements and pronunciations affect learning and classroom order. The symptoms of tics may be fluctuating, progressive, or chronic.

When children at home show symptoms of constant throat clearing, parents must not be careless or judge it as a temporary throat disease, or common diseases such as colds and fevers, and prescribe medicine indiscriminately. You should find out why your child is always clearing his throat and take him to the hospital for diagnosis as soon as possible to prevent him from developing childhood tics and perpetuating the condition.