CSP Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 Hi All, After reading Patty's post and the idea that nose problems could cause tics. My son has a plugged up nose all the time. Do you all think that beause he can't breath out of his nose this is why he has more vocal tics then any other kind of tics? My husband also has nose problems and the only tics if you can call them tics would be vocal. What I mean is, are the vocals going to present themselves because the mouth is always open to breath? I was just wondering how many others dealing with vocals have children with some kind of nose problem. Anyone, CP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peglem Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 Just making suppositions here: If your son has to breathe through his mouth, seems like that could cause some mouth/throat dryness, which would cause a little irritation, which could trigger tics. You may be onto something here. Do you know why your son has a stuffy nose? Is it allergies, asthma? My daughter used to do a jaw popping thing (maybe a tic) when she was stuffed up all the time. She was constantly stuffed up for years...since her tonsillectomy-no more. It didn't get rid of the strep problems, but sinus promblems are gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faith Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 hi c.p. how are things going with the antibiotics so far? you don't have any pets, do you? I have an idea -- how about giving him some honey couph drops to suck on for a while and see if he tends to make less sounds while sucking on the cough drops. I think we also discussed trying something like claritan to see if there is any allergy connection and perhaps it might make a difference if there is some stuffiness due to allergies? What do you think? Faith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurker Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 C.P., I absolutely think you are on to something. Peglem's right -- it creates sensation in that area. My son doesn't have vocals, but he absolutely displays tics in the area where he is weakest. He had a slight little neck thing that started several hours before I noticed his swollen lymph nodes; he blinked in response to days at the beach/lake/theater before we started using polarized sunglasses for these activities; and a year ago, he cleared his throat several weeks beyond a cold. I so believe that a large part of tracing triggers is being attuned to your child's body and its stress-points. As far as reducing his throat or nasal distress -- I would exhaust all of the natural possibilities before considering even a conservative foray into allergy meds, which have been know to cause tics. I would look into the xylitol products. My son's homeopathic pediatrician (one of the benefits of living in a major metropolitain city) put my little guy on Xylaclear nasal spray. I bought it over-the-counter at Whole Foods. The company makes a variety of other natural allergy products. I believe they have a gargle as well. Do you have a good hepafilter system in his bedroom at night? I got one for about $120 six months ago. The replacement schedule for the filters is crazy. (I could put a kid through college with what they want me to spend.) But, I fudge a little by vacuuming them regularly. If you turn my filtration system off, you do not even have to open it to access the filters with a vacuum attachment. They say you "reboot" at night; so no matter what he is exposed to during the day, it will make a difference if you can keep his resting place sterile. My ped also told me to encase his mattress in an allergy bag ($20), and a pillow cover ($10). If nothing else, I sleep better at night! Hugs, CP Tami Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patty Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 CP, I definitely think tics can be related to facial sensory issues. If my son's lips are dry at the corner of his mouth, it causes a mouth tic. If his nose is bothered by allergy, he twitches his nose. You mentioned your son has a stuffy nose, i would look into allergies. It could be food or environmental. Since you are doing NAET, once you clear his food allergies some environmental issues will either decrease or eliminated. My son's nasal allergies improved when food sensitivities were treated. My son's bioset practitioner found some cranium nerves on the face that aren't in balance and feels that contribute to his facial tics. However, we have not treat it yet. I will post about that when we do. IMO, i think your son's allergies, either food or environmental is the underlying problem with his vocal. So if you treat the cause of the stuffy nose, the vocal may resolve. Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSP Posted September 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 Thanks Guys, Patty, I'm a little sad about the NEAT because my son is not liking all these appointments. I do see where this makes his tics worse. Do you have any sugg. to what I should have him treated for? The list in the book she gave looked like we could be doing NEAT forever, there were so many things to treat. The lady who does it is an hour or more away. Tami, thanks for the info on the Xylitol I'll see if I can find some of that. We have the filter, it is a hepa but a small one. And for years he has had the bed coverings We have hardwood floors throughout the house and he does clean and mop his floor every week. The stinky part is I have had him to the Dr. about it and they never seemed to think it was a big deal. Faith, as always thanks. We did get rid of the cat after he showed up with that allergy. Got a dog, but she does not shed and my husband is allergic to dogs, and she does not bother him. His allergy tests do not show pollen type allergies, I'm scared this is food related, so far everything I have ever taken away from him showed no less vocals. He still just had the every second tic slowed, still very nice, but loud tics do rumble through the house... still. peglem, hum... what do you think about my husband saying he remembers making loud noises as a kid because he liked the feeling in his throat. CP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSP Posted September 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 OK... I went to the health food store to look for the xylitol, she did not have it but had something else with olive leaf. I did not buy that because I did not know what all was in it after reading the ingredients. She did however,talk me into a Neti Pot to use as a nasal wash. All that goes up the nose is water and sea salt. Do you all think this would work for him? My son is going to kill me he already feels like a science experiment, CP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toms_Mom Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 CP, We use Simply Saline when my son is congested - it works really well and is like doing a nasal wash - it is just purified water and salt in the form of a nasal spray. We get it at the drug store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peglem Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 My oldest daughter has sinus problems and benefits greatly from a nasal wash. I've also heard good things about neti pots. I get Xclear from my local CVS pharmacy (don't know if they all carry it or not). They keep it behind the pharmacy counter. I've also bought it at Sprouts. I've never been to a health food store that's heard of it. I imagine it would also be available at Whole Foods. Here is a site where you can locate local suppliers: http://www.xlear.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P_Mom Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 CP, If you really want the Xylitol...google Xlear nasal spray...we get in on-line and use it here...my husband really likes the stuff. It is just purified water, Xylitol (a natural antibiotic), saline, and grapefruit seed extract (a natural anti-inflammatory). Kelly Also, just a thought...my son always breathed out his mouth...just to check I took him to the ENT...I was really surprised to see on screen when they ran the little camera thing up his nose, he had 100% blockage of his left nasal passage due to his adenoid. I saw it with my own two eyes....poor little guy...he couldn't breath at all through his left nostril no matter what we gave him or did....we since had his tonsils and adenoids removed...what a healthier boy! just a thought...it never hurts to check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurker Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 C.P., Peglem and I are talking about the same product (except she got the name right!) It is at my local Whole Foods. That company also makes gum. It is sold by the checkout and comes in the standard packs or in bulk in a large container. He won't feel like a lab rat if you give him the gum . Maybe the dryness in his throat, from the stuffed nose causing mouth-breathing, is creating sensations there that he addresses with tics. My daughter (who does not have tics) cleared her throat for what must have been three straight hours one morning. My sanity was in serious danger until I realized what it was: I used a dehumidifier the night before to dry some water (because you-know-who "accidentally" brought the garden hose into the livingroom!), and the air was really, really dry. I forced a lot of fluids on her, and it was gone, never to return. See what happens if you give him extra fluids, and I would try a humidifier in his room for a couple of nights to see if keeping his nasal passages and throat moist helps. The xylitol gum will kill bacteria and probably create more saliva too. Tami Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dedee Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 I think you guys are right on track with the tics being related to other sensations. When my son had his tonsils out he was on antibiotics for two weeks (and tic free). When we stopped the antibiotics he started having a throat clearing tic. We had never seen this type of tic with him before. It went away after we started antibiotics again and continued them. Have you ever heard the saying "The worst thing you can do for a person with tic disorder is to put them in a turtle neck." I heard that from a neurology conference somewhere. Anyway, good luck to all. Dedee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patty Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 CP, One of the reasons i switched from NAET to Bioset because it can test and treat more things in one OV and no 25 hrs avoidance period. The avoidance period was very stressful for myself and my son. Yes, allergy desensitization is very slow. We have been at it for 2 years, but not constantly. I do most of it during the summer, then it spread it out. So far we did treated 40/50 items via NAET and 20 or so items via Bioset. With kids, it is such a delicate balance between dr appts, diet restriction and their school and activities. We average at least 1 dr. appt a week. It burns me out but i tried to make it fun for my son. On our way to the dr, i would stop off somewhere fun for a treat or get alittle something for him. Since we don't watch TV until the weekend, if my son's is really upset about seeing the dr., i would offer him a 15 minute TV/computer time on a school day. Since all our dr. appts are across town and often get stuck in traffic, i let him listen to audio books or music that he likes or give him a travel game to play with. And you know what is really helpful. I try to explain to my son that the dr. appts are to help him with his allergies so he doesn't have to see them when he gets older. And that it takes alot of effort on my part to take him, so if i am not complaining, he shouldn't either. And be grateful that you have a mom that love you so much to find the very best drs. That always seems to change my son's attitude quickly. Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSP Posted September 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 Thanks Tom's mom, I found the simply saline and son like it, said it helped him fall asleep. Kelly, Tami, do you guys think I should get the xylitol, for the other ingredients to see if that helps even better, or would the simply saline be enough? Cheers, CP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryn Posted September 13, 2008 Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 C.P. Not sure if your son has a corn allergy, forgive me, I can't remember-- Xylitol is most often made from corn-- I think I ran across one manufacturer that was making it from birch. I just wanted to put that out there. As far as stuffed up noses, I was the queen of them all my life, to the point where at age 23 I had to have major surgery for polyps, deviated septum, and widening of the sinus cavity. Surprisingly the surgery did not fix my ongoing allergy sinus problems (and I did do two years of shots and had the rast testing done). My ENT once told me that I would have to periodically get polyps removed. I have had NO issues this year. Yes I am still allergic to rag weed, and a trip to an Indiana farm gave me some sneezing issues, but I have not needed any oral allergy medicine this season at all, nor have I suffered from any ongoing allergy symptoms. I am breathing great and can function on a humid day without the nasty sinus headaches or other annoying breathing difficulties that always ensued every July and August. I am thinking the GF diet has helped me tremendously, but this is after almost 1 1/2 years on the diet. Last summer I had allergy symptoms. Caryn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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