Postnasal drip is among one of the most commonly occurring things that can affect anyone, anytime.
Every day the glands in our nose, throat, stomach, intestinal tract, continuously produce enough mucus in order to fight against the infection, moisture the membrane and helps in removing the foreign matters such as bacterias and viruses.
In simple words, our glands naturally produce mucus every day but we do not feel it as our body is in a habit of swallowing it. Postnasal drip is a condition when your body finds it hard to swallow the excess amount of mucus produced by your nose.
There can be many causes of postnasal drip such as weather change, cold, some kind of allergy, flu, sinus infection or sinusitis, certain food, some kind of medications, etc.
No doubt that Postnasal can cause a lot of irritation and you would want to get rid of it as early as possible. It comes with symptoms like cough, sore throat, sinus infection or sinusitis, some kind of problem in breathing and nausea.
But there is nothing to worry about as you can treat your postnasal drip just by using some simple and effective tips. Let’s see 5 best and effective tips to get rid of your postnasal drip.
- Drink water– Drinking plenty of water can help you in treating a lot of diseases and the postnasal drip is one of them. Researchers say that having 2.7 litres of water per day is enough for a person but one can go for more also as per body requirement. It can help you to thin your mucus which in result can reduce the chances of many symptoms like a sinus infection or sinusitis and ear infection. This formula can also work in preventing dehydration.
- Using humidifier or vaporizer – One of the most effective ways to get rid of the postnasal drips is to use humidifiers or vaporizer. As already said dry air can be one of the symptoms of this disorder so in order to treat this one can use a humidifier or a vaporizer. It will help you to increase the level of moisture in the air.
- Steam – Starting from our childhood we are many times advised to use a steamer in order to deal with a lot of health problems like cold and cough. It is also an effective and simplest way to get rid of the postnasal drip and the science behind this is also very simple. It helps in clearing and loosening the mucus which helps to feel some comfort. Also if you don’t want to go for vaporizer or humidifier then it could be the other option. You can simply take some amount of hot water in a bowl and can inhale the heat by covering your head from a cloth or you can sit under a hot shower for some time.
- Use saline nasal sprays – The most effective way suggested by a lot of people in dealing with post nasal drips is to use saline nasal sprays. It can help you to get rid of the symptoms of a postnasal drip by moisturizing the nasal passages and helps in thinning the mucus in the nose. Saline sprays contain some quantity of salt and sterilized water in it and are mostly drug-free. You can use these sprays as per your need and they do not come with any kind of side effects.
- Avoid smoking – Smoking is injurious to health and when you smoke while you are suffering from the postnasal drip can increase the level of discomfort while breathing. Therefore, it is always advised to avoid smoking or any kind of habit as the presence of chemicals can increase the discomfort or can cause irritation in your nasal passages. Trying cigarettes will lead to coughing.
- Aromatherapy – Aromatherapy works in the case of many diseases, infections and disorders. It is a simple science which uses natural plants to treat the symptoms of many diseases. Postnasal drip can be cured by the use of some essential oils which can help in clearing out the mucus. It is one of the most effective ways used by many people to cure the problem. Some of the essentials that you can use are Eucalyptus, Fennel 16 and Peppermint.
Postnasal drip occurs when you are unable to swallow the mucus produced by the glands of your body but it is easy to treat the symptoms. Above discussed are some of the ways that can help you to cure the symptoms of Postnasal drip but a lot of other ways are also available that can help you to get rid of the problem of Postnasal drip. Some of them are:
- It is good to avoid dairy products
- You can frequently use an over-the-counter saline nasal spray to cure the post nasal drip.
- A neti pot can also help you to get some relief from the symptoms.
- It is advised to avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks.
- Go for an allergy test
- You can avoid fatty and fried foods in order to cure the postnasal drip.
- Chicken soap cannot be used to treat the postnasal drip but it can help you to get some relief from the symptoms.
When should I consult a doctor
Although there is nothing to worry about postnasal drip, one can easily get rid of this with the help of some home-remedies and medications. But still, if you are not able to treat the disease it is advised to consult a doctor. It could be very annoying and irritating so the early you get rid of this, the better it would be. One is advised to consult a doctor in the following cases:
- If you are suffering from any kind of fever then it is good not to wait.
- Bloody mucus is the other thing which you should not ignore.
- If you are unable to get rid of the symptoms after the treatment also then do not wait for the symptoms to get worse
- In case you observe discoloured mucus then also do not ignore it.
- Foul-smelling and wheezing
In all the above conditions, it is good to always consult a doctor as they will help you with better treatment or medications. Do not ignore the symptoms for more than 10 days as they may get worse day by day.
Conclusion
Postnasal drip is not dangerous, it can affect anyone but it is also easy to get rid of the problem. It’s an old saying that precautions are better than cure so it is also advised to avoid postnasal drip. Studies and researchers say that one can avoid the post nasal drip by reducing the exposure to allergens. As most of the common causes of this disease include allergy and changes in the environment or in the body so try to avoid these causes as much as possible.
It is also true that postnasal drip can cause a lot of irritation and the symptoms can be painful and annoying so instead of waiting for it to go away by itself, you can use some simple ways to get rid of the problem. If you are suffering from the postnasal drip, try the simple ways discussed above to cure it. In case you are unable to get rid of your symptoms with the help of above-discussed home remedies or treatment then you can make an appointment with your doctor.
Lastly, it is advised not to ignore the symptoms for more than 10 days and consult a doctor before they get worse.