Recent research suggests that the first sign of asthma in children may be simple throat-clearing.

The researchers explained that children with asthma have sensitive airways that react poorly to different stimulants. In many children, this exposure leads to coughing or wheezing . But in others with a less severe form of the condition, their reaction is not strong enough to cause a cough or wheeze, and exposure to a stimulant may result in simple throat clearing. According to the American Lung Association, asthma is the leading serious, chronic illness in childhood, diagnosed in at least 7.7 million people younger than 18 in the US alone.The researchers suggested that parents of a child who constantly clears his throat for no obvious reason should consider getting the child tested for asthma, even if he has no other symptoms of the condition. Children with asthma do better if they are treated earlier rather than later and it was noted that doctors who don't ask about throat clearing symptoms may miss some early cases of the condition
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