Post Nasal Drip (PND) is the sensation that mucus is building up in the throat or dripping from the rear of your nose. The condition starts in the nose for the majority of people, in fact, more than 90% of infection causing bacteria and irritants come into the body through the nose and flourish in the nasal passages.
Post nasal drip can be irksome and even painful. You can combat it with nasal sprays designed to aid in the relief and management of sinus infection caused by pollutants, allergens and infections of the sinus passages.
Postnasal drip occurs when the sinuses produce excessive mucus. In some cases, PND may be a contributing cause for halitosis – bad breath arising from the back of the tongue.
An individual may be identified as being ill with postnasal drip if he or she experiences the following symptoms:
- Swallowing frequently
- Prickling in the throat
- Blockages in the nasal and sinus passages
- Recurring sore throat
- Crystals found in the tonsils that are generally yellow or white
- Bad breath
Postnasal drip, excess mucus, sinus problems, and tonsil stones are all very closely related to bad breath. The bacteria that cause bad breath and sour, bitter or metallic tastes are anaerobic.
Those people who suffer from postnasal drip, sinus problems, and other such disorders are consequently more prone to bad breath and awful tastes because the bacteria use the mucus as a food source and begin to extract sulfur compounds from the amino acids that make up the proteins found in all this excess mucus. The most effective form of postnasal drip treatment is pulsating nasal irrigation with a saline solution.
Though postnasal drip is a common occurrence, failure to rinse or flush nasal cavities on a regular basis may allow the buildup to remain and fester, causing a long list of other health complications.
Nasal congestion may result from postnasal drip buildup. Sinus infection is another complication, and it can cause swelling to increase to the point of a sinus headache.
The bacteria that cause the bad breath that comes with post nasal drip actually have a function within the mouth. They assist humans by breaking down the protein found in certain foods.
The problem occurs when these “beneficial” bacteria come into contact with the amino acids known as cysteine and methionine, since this causes odorous sulfur compounds to be released from the back of the tongue and the throat, causing halitosis.