All of us dread to face people with a dripping nose. You either want to treat it on time or avoid embarrassing yourself in public. What needs treatment is the mucus that causes you the discomfort. The tiny glands present in the throat and nose are always working to produce mucus which moistens as well as cleanses the nasal membranes along with clearing all the foreign materials that have been inhaled.
Even though you swallow a considerable amount of mucus unconsciously every day, the feeling of having it accumulated at the back of the tongue and throat is known as post-nasal drip. This sensation is triggered by the excessive amount of secretions or due to swallowing issues. It could also be triggered by an underlying food allergy that you are unaware of. The two primary variants of food allergy are wheat and dairy allergy which can irritate the gastrointestinal tract along with the throat and nasal passage.
Postnasal drip is an uncomfortable condition which causes soreness and irritation of the throat. Although there is no sign of infection, the tonsils would start to swell. This leads to immense discomfort along with a feeling of a lump in the throat. But, some effective post-nasal drip treatment can help you get rid of these problems.
How to cure post-nasal drip?
Typically, people go for saltwater gargles, drink turmeric milk or take a syrup to tackle mucus and to avoid bacterial growth. But, in many cases, there’s more that’s needed. For the right diagnosis, it is important to conduct nose, ear and throat exam. Sometimes, doctors also recommend endoscopic procedures which make use of a tube for looking inside the body along with x-ray studies. The post-nasal drip treatment can vary as per the following conditions:
• In case the post-nasal drip problem is leading to bacterial infections, it can be treated with antibiotics. But these drugs can only provide temporary relief from this problem. When the ailment has taken a turn towards sinusitis, surgery can be helpful in opening the blocked sinuses.
• Allergies stemming from post-nasal drip can be managed by eliminating the causes. Antihistamines, decongestants and steroid medicines serve as post-nasal drip treatment and can offer great relief from the discomfort. Oral, as well as injectable steroids, don’t produce any serious complications if it can be used in a regulated manner. Since long-term use of steroid can lead to numerous unwanted side effects, it must be monitored carefully when you are required to take it for over seven days.
• Immunotherapies such as shots and sublingual which are kept under the tongue can also alleviate the condition. But it is seen that in some people, the sedating antihistamines tend to dry up and thicken the post-nasal drips even more. Therefore, many doctors prescribe the newer formulations which don’t have this undesired effect.
• When you are suffering from post-nasal drip, and the doctors are not able to identify the cause of too much of secretion, then doctors may take measures to keep the mucus secretion under control.
• Many people, particularly those belonging to the senior age group require more water and other fluids for thinning out the mucus secretions. You should aim to drink more fluids and reduce the intake of caffeine and diuretics to help the condition.
Besides undergoing a proper post-nasal drip treatment, you should also take some measures in alleviating the cause of this problem. You can bring about small changes in your environment to help prevent further aggravation of this condition.
Check your surrounding
Allergens include pollen, dust, mold, pet dander and many other things can irritate the nasal passage and cause post-nasal drip.
• If you have pets, you should bathe them regularly to remove the dander which is a significant source of irritation in the nasal passage. In case your post-nasal drip treatment is not working and becoming severe day by day, you may have to take a drastic step of removing pets from your home.
• You should stay away from all kinds of flowering as well as non-flowering plants and make sure that there are none at your home or workplace.
• You should keep unused pillows and mattresses under plastic covers for minimizing the allergens when you are sleeping.You can bring home a humidifier that can add some necessary moisture for relieving the irritation in the nasal passage. When your nasal passage is inflamed or irritated, it will produce a lot of mucus in response.
It is probably your last resort to seek advice from a doctor, and only an expert can help you understand why your post-nasal drip is not getting alleviated. You should follow your doctor’s recommendations about the post-nasal drip treatment to remove excess mucus from your nasal cavity and get relief from the discomfort.
