Why does my child keep clearing his throat?

Clearing the throat is a common sight in everyday life. Not only adults but children also clear their throats. Many children and even adults do not care about this issue. But now parents should pay attention, throat clearing may be a sign of "chronic vocal tics", and children who clear their throats may already have tics. I think many parents and friends would say that this is unlikely, so is the child’s throat clearing a tic? Let’s get to know more about it below.

Specific manifestations of tics in children

1. Specific manifestations of articulatory tics: Articulatory tics in children with tics are manifested as abnormal pronunciations. The most common part that causes vocal tics is the laryngeal muscles. When twitching, there are frequent light coughs, throat-clearing coughs, audible nasal breathing, humming, sounds similar to animal or bird calls, etc. Complex ones may also include repeated language, obscene or similar syllables, drunken-like language, sudden stuttering, barking-like sounds, and a series of abnormal vocal tics.

2. Specific manifestations of sensory tics: Some children with tics may experience sensory tics before the onset of tics, including itchy throat, eye discomfort, itchy neck, neck pain, headache, dizziness, chest tightness, heavy shoulders, and the discomfort of being anxious and unable to speak. Among them, itchy throat is the most common, accounting for 26%.

3. Imitation phenomenon: Among children with tics, some patients show imitation phenomenon. The most common form of imitation is imitating human language phenomena, as well as imitating animal nasal sounds, calls, special sounds on TV, etc. Others repeat entire sentences of a calling conversation or call their own name repeatedly. Others repeatedly perform silly and humorous actions. Quacking, spontaneously and repeatedly making the "V" sign symbolizing victory, etc. This in turn leads to behavioral disorders in Tourette syndrome.

4. Behavioral disorders in children with tics: Foreign countries started studying tics in children early. As early as 1985, some people reported that mental instability existed in most cases of tics in children, and believed that mental changes were inevitable. Other reports suggest that about 85% of children with tics have mild to moderate behavioral disorders, and behavioral disorders are an integral part of the disease. In their research, experts found that most children with tics have behavioral problems, but the severity varies. Those with mild symptoms only show restlessness, oversensitivity, irritability, or behavioral withdrawal. In severe cases, the patient may present with obsessive-compulsive symptoms, attention deficit, hyperactivity, destructive behavior, learning difficulties, sleep disorders, etc. that are difficult to get rid of.

After learning about some information about Tourette syndrome, I believe that many parents have already become concerned about their children always clearing their throats. If your child has already developed Tourette syndrome, you must take your child to the hospital for treatment in time and do not delay the child's illness. Also, you must pay more attention to your child, do not put pressure on your child, and believe that your child will definitely overcome the illness. I believe that as long as parents pay more attention, children will grow up healthily.