The sinuses, which are empty spaces in the bones of the face around the nose and nose, secrete 300 to 600 mm of mucus per day. This secretion not only softens the mucous membrane, but also plays a number of roles, such as removing foreign substances and preventing nasal infections. In its normal form, this mucus is swallowed unconsciously. However, if you have a feeling that this mucus is pooling or overflowing, you will feel a foreign body feeling as if something is caught in your throat, which is called postnasal drip. Post-nasal drip syndrome is a disease in which the amount of mucus secreted from the sinuses increases and the feeling of stagnant or passing through the throat develops into a chronic form.
The main cause of post-nasal drip syndrome is still unknown. Allergic rhinitis, non-allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngeal acid reflux, and anatomical structure abnormality of the sinuses are the main causes of the occurrence. In addition, several factors, such as colds and cold air intake, pregnancy and hormonal changes, are known to affect the occurrence. Now, let’s take a closer look at the main symptoms that appear when post nasal drip syndrome occurs, as well as various information about treatment and prevention.
Main symptoms of post nasal drip syndrome
When post-nasal drip syndrome occurs, the main symptom is a continuous feeling of mucus running down the back of the neck. Also, coughing or spitting is repeated due to the feeling of a foreign body with mucus in the throat.
Many of the symptoms of post nasal drip syndrome mentioned above appear more frequently during the time of sleeping while lying down, so it is a factor that makes it difficult to sleep by obstructing breathing and irritating nerves. In particular, if post-nasal drip syndrome symptoms persist in infants, children, and adolescents in the growth phase, they cannot get a good night’s sleep, which is said to act as a factor that prevents the secretion of growth hormone smoothly. It is said that it is important to first treat the underlying disease in order to treat such post-hospital syndrome. In addition, post-nasal drip syndrome is known to be sufficiently preventable in advance if managed well, so it is very important to improve various lifestyle habits and eating habits that affect its occurrence.
Post nasal drip syndrome treatment and prevention
1. Diagnosis and treatment
In order to diagnose post nasal drip syndrome, you must first check the medical history to accurately identify the patient’s symptoms. After that, if sinusitis or allergic rhinitis is suspected, sinus radiography and allergy tests are performed. In addition, various tests can be performed to distinguish post nasal drip caused by other diseases. Based on the diagnosis, the process of treating the disease that causes post nasal drip is carried out. In case of allergic rhinitis, it is treated with mucosal constrictors, antihistamines, and topical steroids. And if there is sinusitis, it is treated with sufficient antibiotics, and if there is no improvement, surgical treatment is considered. If the cause cannot be found, various treatment methods such as mucosal dissolving agents, topical steroids, and saline wash are applied.
2. Personal hygiene management
In order to prevent post nasal drip syndrome, it is important to minimize irritation to the nose as much as possible and to manage personal hygiene such as hand washing and brushing teeth well. And if you wash your nasal passages with saline 2 to 4 times a day, you can see a good effect in improving symptoms. In addition, it is recommended to be careful about exposure to temperature changes because the sudden change in temperature is also a part that affects the occurrence of post nasal drip syndrome.
3. Creating a comfortable indoor environment
It is also important to create and maintain a comfortable indoor environment in the prevention and management of post nasal drip syndrome. A low humidity and dry environment not only causes greater dryness of the nasal passages, but also weakens the function of the cilia in the respiratory epithelial cells, making the mucus more sticky. Therefore, it is recommended to use a humidifier or wet towel to maintain the indoor humidity at around 50%.
4. Drink plenty of water
If the body lacks water, the nasal mucosa also becomes dry and it is recommended to drink enough water on a daily basis, as it can make the symptoms worse. In addition, coffee and carbonated drinks promote diuretic action in the body and excrete more water from the body than ingested water, so it is said that drinking pure water is a good way.
In addition, it is recommended to avoid overeating, excessive drinking, and consumption of beverages containing a lot of caffeine as they cause acid reflux, and eating 3 hours before bedtime also causes acid reflux. And since the weakening of the immune system in the body leads to the weakening of the functions of the mucous membranes of the nose and throat, it is also very important to maintain sufficient rest, healthy eating habits, and regular exercise to manage immunity.
