Is there any way to clean your throat? I mean I have post nasal drip and its stuck in the back of my throat. Ive been to my ENT and i got some nasal spray for my stuffy nose and it helped but i still have PND. Its nasty, i can taste it and its makin my breath smell. I need help. Is there any type of home remedy. I already drink lots of water and use a saline spray. So how do i clear it from the back of my throat and get rid of the taste and smell?
2006-11-22 11:38:56 · 38 answers · asked by John 2 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Allergies
Try swallowing a bullet.
(sorry I could not resist being a smart-***, just ignore)
2006-11-22 12:00:06 · answer #1 · answered by Charles C 2 · 1⤊ 3⤋
I don't think I have ever seen this many answers this quickly. Of course, no offense any one, but not many of them are worth much.
Post nasal drip has nothing to do with an infection. It is mucous that is draining from your nose and/or sinuses. This is not a bad thing, think how miserable you would be if it stayed in there.
Anyway, gargling with anything does not really hit the areas where this drainage is stuck. And I'm not sure how anyone could think drinking Ipecac would be beneficial. Last I checked vomiting didn't exactly give one pleasant breath.
The absolute best thing you can do is to increase your fluid intake. It will indeed make this mucous thinner. So it will still drain but it won't be stuck. A cool mist humidifier by your bedside at night would probably help quite a bit as well. However do not use a steam vaporizer. There are several reasons but two of the most important are the risk of burns and the risk of bacteria growing if it is not cleaned every day because it is warm and moist. This is not a problem in the cool mist.
You don't say whether or not you have allergies but if you do and you routinely take antihistamines this is making your problem worse. It will thicken the mucous and also makes you need even more fluids.
There are several medications available as someone noted, but the ones worth a damn are prescription and are usually used for someone that is very congested not someone with just PND. In other words if this drainage was staying in your sinuses or if it was in your chest and you needed to be able to cough it up.
Do not gargle with peroxide. I don't know why there are still so many people who think it is a miracle cure. I thought that idea died with my mother in laws generation. Anyway peroxide is not good for your gums or the enamel on your teeth. And even if it wouldn't hurt them what is peroxide in your mouth going to do for mucous in your throat?
Drinking hot tea or eating soup will probably give you some short term relief because the hot liquid will take off what is in your throat. And chicken soup truly does make your nose run and help thin that stuff. Don't try cream soup or hot chocolate though.
It is true that milk products increase mucous production so these certainly won't help.
This does not mean you can't have dairy products but that if you drink a glass of milk or eat ice cream drink a couple ounces of clear fluid to rinse it from your mouth and throat. Your stomach does not produce mucous so once it is there it won't matter.
PND doesn't usually cause bad breath in and of itself though it can cause a bad taste in your mouth. You can use a mild mouthwash a couple times a day, but I think a better idea would be to use Tic Tacs or some other small mint. For persistant bad breath it is usually a dental problem or a stomach problem.
Well now that I have given you so much to think about keep this in mind as well. PND often makes people constantly try to clear their throats. Not only does it usually not work but it can cause you to strain your vocal cords which can lead to laryngitis. It can cause your voice to change and could cause a sore throat. When you clear your throat it not only sounds disgusting to the people around you but it slams your vocal cords against each other.
Good Luck
K
2006-11-22 12:37:32 · answer #2 · answered by Nurse K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To continue with what Cadman196 wrote. Douching your nose and sinuses with saline can help. It is the same stuff in the your saline spray but in much larger volume. It is commercialy available as Neilmed Sinus Rinse, some chemists like the Coop pharmacy (in UK) (also available in US) keep it. Altrnatively you can make up some saline as Cadman advised, and use a 20 ml syringe to push the saline into the nostrils while sitting in front of a sink or basin. The solution should be just as salty as your tears. You can do the douching once or twice daily. Make sure you keep your mouth open and keep breathing as you do it. This is a cumbersome procedure but you get used to it soon and many have found it very useful.
If your PND contiues to be a problem, ask your doctor for a CT scan of your sinuses. This can reveal any persistent sinus obstruction or disease. Also it can tell whether an endoscopic operation is necessary.
2006-11-22 12:21:37 · answer #3 · answered by R S 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
hmmm... lol that sounds kinda nasty... i'd have to say either gargle with hydrogen peroxide and water mixed, salt and water mixed or apple cider vinigar (straight)... they all taste nasty, but should work...
if its farther back in your throat, i dont know... but i do know that there is something you can buy and smoke and it cleans out your lungs of all the crap smoking causes... so you could try that since your throats on the way to your lungs... (warning, if theres a lot of crap in your lungs, coughing it all up is very painful from what i've heard cuz it all comes out at one time, but i've never tried that myself)
2006-11-22 12:29:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Warm salt and water. Garlgle with that at least twice a day and you should be fine. Also, equal parts pf peroxide and water and gargle with that sometimes in lieu of the salt and water. Don't forget to change your toothbrush during all of this.
For your PND have you considered getting a humidifier for your room at night or house? They should be running pretty cheap now it is winter time.
2006-11-22 11:54:42 · answer #5 · answered by bklyn2808 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I have a friend that swears by the warm salt and water mixture...through the nose...this disinfects the sinus and the back of the throat....I can't do it...but he was having nasal infections 2-4 times a year and now none....I have also read that a hot steamy shower and nose blow in the morning is very good because the steam kills alot of the bacteria and the blow flushes the mucus from the night before...this is my solution...good luck
2006-11-22 11:52:10 · answer #6 · answered by Cadman1965 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
im sorry i dont know how or what to tell you to clean your throat BUT i would definitely try clariton. i have major sinus issues may and dec time frames and i use clariton every time...works like a charm! best!
2006-11-22 12:27:45 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
gargle a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water, it will kill all of the germs, it should help in at least a couple of days. just make sure you do not swallow the mixture!
also.. you may want to plug your nose when you do this so you dont taste the hydrogen peroxie, it is far from the best flavor. brushing your teeth afterwards will get rid of the after-taste.
another suggestion:
there is a medication on the market now that clears mucus from the throat called Mucinex.
2006-11-22 11:44:26 · answer #8 · answered by Fluffington Cuddlebutts 6 · 3⤊ 3⤋
Gargle with warm saline water. Do not shout. Do not drink chilled water or drinks. Learn and practise Lion Posture ( Yogic exercise ).
2016-03-12 21:30:49 · answer #9 · answered by Patricia 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
some very good answers here! But if all else fail, I'd urge you to go see a ENT specialist - don't wait too long before an infection sets in.
2006-11-22 11:58:34 · answer #10 · answered by PikC 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Consult a dentist or doctor, but try this, gargle with salt and water, or drink plenty of lemon and honey mixed. Lipton black tea may also help. I hope you get better.
2006-11-22 12:01:27 · answer #11 · answered by Jackie H. 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋