How to Relieve Postnasal Drip

As far as most sufferers of postnatal drip are concerned, the person who put the word drip after postnatal has a cruel sense of humour. Ever wonder where all the fluid comes from your experience at these times of deluge? You see, in the course of a single day, 2,500 gallons of air pass through the average adult nose.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Salt and warm water
• Infant size aspirator
• Fluids
• Distilled water
• Humidifier

1. Blow your nose regularly. The simple act of flowing eliminates some excessive postnasal drainage from the front of the nose. Just don’t go over board, cotton swabs and even tissues should never be placed inside the nose.
2. Flush often with saltwater. Salt, water and an infant size aspirator are all you need to wash away that mucus-clogged feeling, and the bad breath that usually accompanies it. Irrigate the nostrils three times a day for five days when needed and it should help.
3. Gargle with saltwater, this will help clear the throat and voice box problems created by excessive postnasal drainage.
4. Stay away from consuming lamb curry or red hot Mexican chili. Irritants in foods such as hot peppers and spices like curries can cause chronic nasal problems.
5. Cow’s milk is a totally different substance than human milk. The problem is it’s full of sugar, and this sugar, called lactose, feeds the bacteria in our throats and intestinal tracts and overgrowth of these organisms can adversely affect the immune system.
6. Drink lots of fluids, keeping the mucous lining moist is essential if the cilia are to do their job. Drinking lots of fluids helps to get at the mucus that’s stuck in the upper part of the pharynx.
7. Relax. Stress is a major cause of chronic nasal disease according to many experts. The job of warming and maintaining a proper lining for the nose falls to the parasympathetic nervous system, which is heavy influenced by stress. Stress can drive the process too hard, causing the nasal lining to produce more mucus than it needs. If you find your postnasal drip is worse when you’re under stress, relaxation techniques like progressive muscle relaxation or meditation can help you feel better all around.
8. Turn on the humidifier. It can help keep your nasal passages moist during the dry winter months, and this can help keep mucus from drying out and getting so thick you notice it. Use distilled water to fill the humidifiers and you won’t have impurities, just be sure to clean the humidifier weekly with water mixed with a little bit of vinegar to keep mold and mildew away.

Tips & Warnings

• Don’t use nose drops to control postnasal drainage, this is not what they were designed for, and they should never be used for more than a few days in a row.
• Consider other possibilities if these suggestions don’t seem to help, like what you think is excessive postnasal drip could actually be esophageal reflux, more commonly known as heartburn, which often gives the same symptoms as a postnasal drip. Many of the new antihypertensive medications today can cause people taking them to have symptoms of postnasal drip when they actually have heartburn.
• If you’re a women suffering from postnasal drip should consider your estrogen level, the hormone estrogen affects the mucus lining of the nasal cavity. Some oral contraceptives are high in estrogen and increasing the amount of estrogen circulating in the blood stream can cause the nasal lining to get puffy and produce excess mucus.
• If you have a postnasal drip problem and take the pill, discuss this with your gynecologist as he maybe able to give you a low dose prescription.

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