Post nasal drip symptoms is a feeling of extra mucus gathering at the back of the nose and throat. Mucus is a watery and thick substance. We get to see it, it drips from the rear part of the nose then moves back to the upper part of the throat through the airways. When you breathe, you are giving poisonous germs and pollutant particles access to your body. Mucus right then helps to defend against these particles, not letting the airways dry post nasal drip symptoms.
When the amount of mucus is high in an amount at the back part of the nose and upper part of the throat, it creates a sensation and discomfort in your nasal cavity through the airways. It can affect the stomach and ears apart from the nose and throat. Consequently, mucus causes a runny nose, earache, breathing difficulty, and sore throat. Postnasal drip is also called ‘Upper Airway Cough Syndrome”.
However, the Sinus is responsible for accumulating mucus. Mucus comes to rise from the throat and the back part of the nose. It always remains unnoticeable to you when the amount of mucus is average. But once the extent of mucus exceeds, some common symptoms become noticeable. Here is what this article is going to tell you about these symptoms, causes, and remedies.
Post-Nasal Drip Symptoms:
Postnasal drip has several symptoms. Knowing these symptoms would help you to get proper treatment. So these symptoms are followed below-
Sore Throat
Postnasal drip leads to a sore throat. When mucus drips into the glands of the throat through the airways, it causes a sore throat.
Itchy Ears and Throat
Itching ears and throat is another symptom of Postnasal dripping. You feel the sensation when your ears and throats itch. It irritates and discomforts you physically and psychologically.
Worse Cough at Night
When you have a worse cough, you feel pain in the chest with coughing, especially at night due to mucus dripping in the chest.
Runny Nose and Difficulty Breathing
Postnasal drip causes a runny nose. The watery substance drips through the nasal cavity then. You find your nasal cavity block in this case, and then you will find breathing difficulty.
Nasal Itching
Nasal is one of the postnasal dripping symptoms. When your nasal itches, you feel like touching or cleaning your nose. You can’t help itching or touching in this situation.
Long Time Dry Cough and Frequent Sneezing
If you have a dry cough for a long time apart from frequent sneezing, it’s a postnasal drip symptom.
Red or Watery Eyes and Spitting Out
The eyes look very red or watery, and you feel like spitting out, and it’s also a symptom of postnasal drip.
Sinus Pain, Fatigue, and Headache
Sinus Pain, fatigue, and headache are also a sign of postnasal dripping.
Asthma and Allergy
Skin diseases like asthma and allergy are the symptoms of postnasal drip. Asthma causes difficulty in breathing, and allergy causes itching in the body’s skin.
Causes of Bad breath
Onions, garlic can cause bad breath. Smoking, dry mouth, poor oral hygiene are also responsible for bad breath.
How to get rid of breath
The foremost thing you need to do to get rid of bad breath is clean your mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash and brush twice a day. It would reduce the bacteria to get rid of bad breath. Lack of saliva causes bad breath as well. Saliva keeps the mouth clean and helps remove the particles that make the odor breath. Sugarless chewing gum and lozenges produce saliva.
If you have a bad habit of smoking, just quit it. Smoking is responsible for bad breath and damages gum tissue, and it threatens oral cancer. Medical conditions like allergies and sinus infections can cause bad breath. Washing the nasal is an effective treatment for post-nasal drip. At times antibiotics might be taken for sinus treatment.
The Causes of post nasal drip symptoms
There are quite a few numbers of causes behind the post-nasal drip. Allergies, the flu, a cold, and respiratory infection are the main factors that cause post-nasal drip.
Fungal infection, common cold, asthma, allergies, influenza, viral inspection are the respiratory causes of postnasal drip. Besides, some of the other factors responsible for producing extra mucus are cold temperatures, eating spicy foods, hormonal changes, and pregnancy.
Few of the post nasal drip symptoms are followed by:
Allergic Rhinitis
Allergic rhinitis is a common allergic disease of the nose which occurs through the airways. There are some allergic rhinitis symptoms like nasal congestion, a runny and itchy nose, and sneezing. These symptoms also cause post nasal drip. People with allergies produce more mucus.
Non-allergic Rhinitis
Non-allergic rhinitis symptoms of the nasal drip are noticeable in adult persons who had no allergies while they were young. Inhaling strong odors or perfumes, eating spicy foods, and taking medicines randomly for high blood pressure lead to the post nasal drip. These are non-allergic rhinitis as well.
Sinusitis
Sinusitis is responsible for increasing the extent of mucus in the nose and throat, but the nasal drip causes it. The postnasal drip can be healed by taking antibiotics for a certain period.
Moreover, Mucus looks like a brighter green or yellow tint when you have a sinus infection. Otherwise, mucus is always clear or white. If the infection is bacterial, antibiotics will heal it. But you must talk to your ENT expert to get proper medication for post nasal drip.
Pregnancy
Hormonal changes in women during their pregnancy period can affect their noses and sinuses. During the second trimester, symptoms appear first and hold until delivery.
Cold or flu
First comes, Cold or flu produces mucus to no small extent. Taking a cold or flu medication can help cure the illness of postnasal drip. Cold or dry air leads to post-nasal drip, especially in a heated area.
Medications
Taking birth control pills and blood pressure control medications may affect your mucus production. Postnasal drip can cause side effects. So consult a doctor if a different form of treatment is needed to sort out the problem.
Treatment of Postnasal Drip
Postnasal drip can be treated, but it depends on its cause and symptoms. There is a particular treatment for any cause of the postnasal drip. If you have a hay fever caused by post-nasal drip, then steroid nasal sprays and a saline nasal spray can help you.
Additionally, avoid the substances that you are allergic to. You can prevent hay fever. Consult a doctor to know what you are allergic to. If sinusitis is responsible for your postnasal drip, the doctor might give you antibiotics to cure the infection.
Avoiding fatty and fried foods can help recover from post nasal drip and throats. Staying hydrated would always help you keep the mucus thinner.
Dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese increase the presence of mucus production. So cut back on dairy products to thin out mucus.
If your nasal gets blocked, take a shower or drink hot soup. It can help thin the mucus and open the nasal airways.
Things you should do:
Talk to your doctor and ask him causes of postnasal drip like asthma. Besides, you should drink mineral water that would help you lessen the extent of mucus. You can use a saline nasal spray. Then you should gargle with salty water 4 to 5 times a day to get a better result.
Besides, you should give up substances like alcohol, cigarettes, and caffeine that cause dehydration.
Over-the-Counter Medications:
To be honest, Decongestants and antihistamines are Over-the-Counter medications that can help ease the symptoms of postnasal drip.
Home Treatments:
More importantly, the Saline nasal sprays and staying hydrated can help with the symptoms of postnasal drip. You can also try to sleep with your head up slightly. These treatments might help you get better.
When you have a post-nasal drip, it makes your food swallowing and breathing very difficult. And it causes bad breath in the effect of a sore throat and nasal infection. To reduce the symptoms of post-nasal drip follow these foods.
Ginger Tea
Drink ginger tea two to three times a day to get a good result. But be aware! Don’t drink ginger tea through your mouth directly if you’re a pregnant lady. Ginger tea is good for post nasal drip. It is a caffeine-free beverage to help fight against the symptoms like a sore throat and dry cough. Moreover, ginger will help you in many ways.
Soup
As a post-nasal drip remedy, soups work superbly. Soups are easy to swallow, which contain nutrients and health benefits. Don’t make spicy, creamy soups. These might go wrong for you. Soups can heal your sore inside nose and sore throat as well.
Chicken soup does help with post nasal drip. But it’s not like it always has to be a soup, but any hot liquid or substance can help lessen the mucus, and it would also help you maintain hydration.
Honey
Organic honey with warm water two to three times a day helps you increase immunity. It also defends against bacteria and controls mucus accumulation. So, you will get an effective result for post nasal drip.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar contains beneficial acids and fiber. It increases the body’s immunity and destroys mucus as a remedy for post nasal drip. Drink apple cider mixed with honey and distilled water twice a day to get a good result. Be careful! Don’t eat raw apple cider ever! It might give a hard time digestion for some people.
Treatment for a Runny Nose:
Drink a lot of mineral water, and it will keep mucus thin and draining. Every time you cough, sneeze, or blow your nose, make sure you wash your hands properly. If you are not feeling well, warn the people around you to be aware of washing their hands.
How to Reduce the Chance of Being Affected:
A common cold, infection, and allergies are the symptoms of postnasal drip. If you don’t want to get infected with these diseases, you have to be proactive to maintain cleanliness, like washing hands. Don’t get in contact with sick people and avoid physical contact. If allergies lead you to postnasal drip, find out the things you are allergic to by seeing an ENT specialist. Once you know what you are allergic to, then you can implement your plan into action. Finally, it would help you get rid of post-nasal drip.
FAQ of post nasal drip symptoms
Is Post Nasal Drip a Serious Condition?
Postnasal drip is an irritating and annoying situation but not dangerous, requiring serious medical attention to be cured. You should visit an ENT specialist if you think it’s a symptom of something else.
Are Post Nasal Drips Any Bad?
Persistent cough, a cold, and sore throat are the most common symptoms of postnasal drip. However, the bad news is these symptoms last for weeks or months. The good news is these causes can be identified fast, and you can improve treatment.
How long can post nasal drip last?
This is a kind of persistent cough which retains for many days without any prior timeline. So it can remain for a week and sometimes it may extend up to a month.
Final words of post nasal drip symptoms:
If you are to say bye-bye to the Post-Nasal Drip then it is high time to follow some facts. Avoid spicy foods like coffee, tomato sauces, or chocolate if you have acid reflux behind your issue. Make sure you’re eating at least two to three hours ago before you go to bed. Make sure you sleep in soft pillows keeping your head elevated. It turns out, and these changes might help you. If you don’t, talk to your doctor for prescription medications. Here is why Prescription medication might help you If you have gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Therefore, if you are experiencing any of the symptoms or causes, visit an ENT specialist near you. Thanks for reading.