Back to last page

Children's Health
20722
Children
My 9-year-old daughter is continually clearing her throat, especially in the early morning. Could this be a sign of allergies? She does not have any other allergy symptoms -- no sneezing or watery, itchy eyes.
My 9-year-old daughter is continually clearing her throat, especially in the early morning. Could this be a sign of allergies? She does not have any other allergy symptoms -- no sneezing or watery, itchy eyes.
htmASKTHEDOC9yearoldallergies
It is hard to know for sure without a little more information, but here are three quick ideas for you to consider.:
1376663
InteliHealth
2010-10-08
t
Henry Bernstein, D. O.
2012-10-08
.
Ask The Expert
Harvard Medical School
.
Image of a cadeusus
. .
General Medical Questions
.
Q: My 9-year-old daughter is continually clearing her throat, especially in the early morning. Could this be a sign of allergies? She does not have any other allergy symptoms -- no sneezing or watery, itchy eyes.
.
.
.
The Trusted Source
.
.
Henry H. Bernstein, D.O. Henry H. Bernstein, D.O., is a senior lecturer in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. In addition, he is chief of General Academic Pediatrics at Children's Hospital at Dartmouth and professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth Medical School. He is the former associate chief of General Pediatrics and director of Primary Care at Children's Hospital Boston.
.
.
October 08, 2010
.
A:

It is hard to know for sure without a little more information. Here are three quick ideas for you to consider:

Dry air
It may be that the air in your daughter's room is a little dry. Try running a vaporizer in the room while she sleeps to see if that helps.

Tics
Sometimes kids make muscle movements that they have no control over. They may not even be aware what they are doing. Common examples include frequent eye blinking, mouth movements, or throat clearing.

Tics seem to happen more often when someone feels stressed, anxious, excited or angry. They can also get worse when someone is tired.

With most children, these tics last only a short time and then go away on their own. Boys are affected more than girls are. Temporary tics last for less than one year and usually do not require treatment. It also should be clear these movements are not a seizure.

Allergies
This also could be due to allergies, but it's less likely, as you point out. People react in different ways to pollen, mold and dust. Their nose, throat or eyes may be involved in some way.

Symptoms of allergies in young kids include runny or stuffy nose, itchy nose and eyes, breathing through the mouth, dry cough, frequent sneezing, and an itchy roof of the mouth. As you point out, your daughter does not have any of these symptoms.

Allergies are seen most often in children with other allergy-related conditions such as eczema or asthma, or those who have family members with allergies.

You might want to talk with your daughter's doctor to see what he or she thinks.

.
.
InteliHealth
.
Ask A Question
.
.
InteliHealth
Do You Have A Question?
.
. . .
.
Ask The Expert Archives
Topics
.
InteliHealth
.
InteliHealth

   
4581, 7991, 7996, 8477, 8484,
allergies,tics,nose
7996