Post Nasal Drip – Causes and Treatment

Is your nose constantly dripping? Perhaps you can feel something running down the back of your throat.

Are you familiar with that constant ‘eh hem’ sound you make whilst you clear your throat of mucus?

Constant coughing and chest infections can be caused from excessive dripping of mucus down the throat. Yep mucus is a great breeding ground for infections!

If you have the above symptoms, you may have what is termed ‘post nasal drip.’

Why Does Post Nasal Drip Occur?

There can be two forms of post nasal drip – thick and sticky that can often be yellow/green indicating an infection or it can be thin and watery. Both types of post nasal drip have very different causes.

Thick and Sticky

Thick and sticky post nasal drip can occur as a result of an infection usually triggered by upper respiratory infections during a cold. When the sinuses aren’t being cleared properly, the excessive mucus is forced to drip down the back of the throat.

Chest infections and coughing usually result from this type of post nasal drip.

Yellow/green post nasal drip usually corrects itself after the upper respiratory infection has cleared.

If the mucus is yellow or green long term in absence of a cold, there is still an infection which must be assessed and treated by boosting the immune system and using anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agents.

Where there is thick mucus without the yellow/green colour, it may be caused from the lack of moisture in the air which can dry out the mucus membranes of the nose.

This dryness forces your mucous membranes to work overtime to try and produce the mucous to protect the lining of the nose. Overcome this by ensuring you drink enough fluids to keep your body hydrated, and using a saline nasal drop to lubricate the nose.

Thin and Watery

The thin and watery type of post nasal drip tend to have it either daily or weekly in absence of an infection. There can be many triggers of this type of post nasal drip -

Food Sensitivities – I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but many people who have post nasal drip that is constant and quite chronic can be reacting to gluten or dairy. When these are eliminated, the post nasal drip tends to completely eliminate itself. If you think this may be you, going through a Naturopath or Doctor for an IgG antibody blood test will determine what foods you may be reacting to.
Environmental Irritants – Dust, dust mites, mould, animal dander and pollen can all act like an irritant in the nose in sensitive individuals. These allergens irritate the mucous membranes of the nose, making your nose produce more mucus to protect itself and trap the irritant to eliminate it. As a result post nasal drip can occur.
Cold air - Air conditioning, and cold climate can cause your nose to run more.
Spicy Foods – Spicy foods increases circulation and makes the mucus very watery causing your nose to drip

Natural Treatment

Avoid food you are sensitive to once you have been accurately tested through an IgG blood test
Bromelain – Assists with reducing swelling of the nose and inflammation that can make your nose feels like it’s blocked and you can’t blow the mucus out. It will also reduce the stickiness of the mucous if you have thick sticky post nasal drip
Quercetin - Reduces allergic responses by inhibiting histamine release from mast cells that trigger an allergic response to environmental allergens that can lead to a runny nose. This will assist those of you with post nasal drip commonly triggered by dust mites, mould, pollens and animal dander
Neti Pot - This is a tea pot shaped device that involves using a salt water solution that you use to wash out your nasal passages. Do this twice a day and it will help clear out allergens, excess mucus and any bacteria.
Avoid spicy foods- If you find that spicy foods can cause your nose to run, try to avoid it as much as you can. The worst is when you’re at a restaurant eating something super spicy and you are having to wipe your nose every 5 minutes! Curry powder, chilli,
Increase your immunity – If you are prone to sinus/chest infections caused from your post nasal drip then improving your immunity will be very beneficial to prevent these infections from occurring. Assess your diet by ensuring you are eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, minimise fried foods, junk foods and sugar, drink 1.5 – 2L of water daily. Zinc and Vitamin C are very important for healthy immunity. Herbs such as Echinacea, Olive Leaf, and Astragalus may be beneficial to take as a preventative.

Post nasal drip can be quite a mystery to treat at times, I hope that the above has given you a bigger picture into what may be causing your post nasal drip so you have a better chance of getting rid of it for good!

Please post your experiences on post nasal drip and what may or may not have worked for you.