Every day, the glands present in the lining of the airways, throat, nose, stomach, and intestinal tract generate mucus. The nose alone is in charge of producing about a quart each day. What is this mucus? It is a thick and wet substance, which keeps these areas moistened so that foreign bodies such as virus and bacteria are trapped in and destroyed before they can infect the area.

In general, the mucus is not noticeable from the nose since it mixes with the saliva before dripping down the back of the throat for swallowing.

However, when the body produces more mucus than what is normal, it becomes noticeable and shows symptoms. The excess amount of mucus can come out of the nostrils and lead to a runny nose. Nevertheless, when it runs down at the back of the nose right to the throat, then it is termed as postnasal drip. At times, the real problem is not that you are producing an excess amount of mucus but that it is not being cleared up. These issues occur with age at times, or a blockage, or due to gastroesophageal reflux disease. When you have this problem, you feel a constant urge to clear your throat. In most cases, it triggers post nasal drip cough that tends to be severe at night. Excessive mucus production can make your voice feel hoarse and end up giving you a sore and scratchy throat. When the mucus plugs up the Eustachian tube, it could lead to an ear infection.

How to manage the condition effectively?
A person suffering from post nasal drip cough knows about the discomfort that entails the disease. If you are one such person, you would look for ways to alleviate it. Here are some easy yet effective ways to improve it.

Simple lifestyle changes
You should drink about 12 glasses of water or other fluids that do not contain caffeine or alcohol according to the experts of the National Institutes of Health.

It is important to avoid allergens that lead to the problem such as pollen, dust, mold, pets, plants, grass, cleaning agents, chemical fumes and all other items that you are specifically allergic to. According to the research of the American Academy of Family Physicians, if you are unsure of what is causing the post nasal drip cough, you must keep a journal for determining the symptoms so that you can detect the things which cause the allergy symptoms.

Mayo Clinic has suggested that when you are suffering from the issue, you should quit smoking and avoid being a passive smoker. This is because smoke irritates the mouth and the entire nasal passage. This leads to more coughing.

Make sure that the place where you spend the night is well humidified. Turn on the vaporizer or the humidifier to improve the humidity content of the room.

Few home remedies and over the counter medications
When the post nasal drip cough is severe, you can rub the chest with a menthol preparation or over the counter camphor. You may also inhale the vapors for soothing the cough. In addition, a cough preparation containing dextromethorphan can help in easing the discomfort, and when this is not available, you can have hot water, tea, or honey in hot water for some relief.

Saline or saltwater eye drops or nasal sprays that are easily available in the drug stores. However, some people develop reactions to these. They should stay away from products that induce allergy. It works by reducing the runny nose as well as a cough. In addition, when it comes to over the counter nasal sprays; it must not be used more than thrice to avoid unwanted side effects.

Taking over the counter antihistamines help in reducing the mucous production according to the reports of the National Institute of Health. These medicines cause drowsiness, and therefore, you should avoid driving or lifting heavy machinery under the influence of such medications. They are fine when consumed at night but make it difficult to function during the day.

You may also take oral decongestants and oral leukotriene receptor, antagonists. However, at times, the components present in the oral decongestants may make you feel jittery and hike blood pressure levels. The second class of medicine is quite expensive, but they work exceptionally well in post nasal drip cough.

The post nasal drip cough is medically termed as upper airway cough syndrome. It is characterized by a kind of a cough which denies going away and leaves behind a nasal congestion. These are some of the most effective treatments for post nasal drip cough which can help you get rid of the symptoms within a week or two after taking these measures. However, in case you follow these remedies, but you don’t get any results within two weeks, then you must consult your GP to diagnose other health issues.