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Post-Nasal Drip – Causes, Symptoms and Remedies

Post-nasal drip is a condition in which the mucus membranes, present around the nasal passage, gets affected. On such occasions, these membranes get inflamed since mucus starts being produced in too high an amount, and starts collecting behind the throat and nose. This can be very irritating, leads to a runny nose, scratchy throat, cough, breathing difficulty, and can even cause bad breath.

Causes

Various factors can cause post-nasal drip, and the most common one is cold and flu. Other well-known causes include inhaling nasal irritants, and allergies. Conditions like bacterial and viral infections and sinusitis can also lead to drip. In some cases, hormonal changes and pregnancy can also cause such mucus flow.

Symptoms and signs

Mucus draining thorough one’s throat is one of the symptoms of post-nasal drip, but there are other signs too, including:

  1. Nasal congestion.
  2. Bad breath.
  3. Sore throat.
  4. Vomiting or nausea.
  5. Wheezing.
  6. Constant swallowing or spitting.
  7. Hoarse voice.
  8. Tonsil stones.
  9. Breathing trouble.
  10. Itchy chest and throat.

Remedies

If you are suffering from post nasal drip, it is essential you take some quick actions to avoid more complications. Various remedies can be used to gain effective results, and some of them have been mentioned below.

Drink fluids – when suffering from post-nasal drip it is important that you drink as much of fluids as is possible. Drinking fluid can provide you relief from the mucus that has stuck on your pharynx region. As you drink fluids the excess mucus will be drained down into your stomach, and it is here that the mucus is destroyed.

Stay away from dairy products – you should try to completely avoid dairy products. Most dairy products are known to trigger factors leading to nasal drip. The reason behind this is that the content of dairy products will lead to over production and thickening of mucus in the nasal passage, and thus can worsen your condition.

Saltwater gargle – gargling with a combination of salt and water is said to provide great results. This remedy is perfect as a primary treatment. Take a glass of warm water and to it add half tbsp salt. Gargle with the help of this mixture three times a day. This will rid you of the excess mucus that has collected in your nasal passage.

Plant extract – plant extracts like thymus and cinnamon can relieve you from irritation that post-nasal drip causes. Cinnamon and other plats extracts used for the purpose has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, and they help make your immune system better. If you are suffering from nasal drip, you can consume about 125 mg cinnamon extract each morning. Thyme is also popularly used to get relief from the condition.

Steam bath – this is a very simple yet effective remedy for post-nasal drip. This will help in clearing the mucus that has collected in your nasal passage or throat. You can also boils some water in a pan or use a facial steamer and take the steam by keeping your face over the pan or steamer. If you take a steam bath, it will thin the excessive mucus and thus provide you with relief. If none of these remedies seems to help, you should consult your doctor without wait.

Sam O’Neal

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