Postnasal drip

Many patients come in for an ENT consultation because of a postnasal drip. This is a symptom, and not a disease.

Postnasal drip is very difficult, even impossible, to completely eliminate, as mucous glands in your nose, sinuses and throat produce a normal quantity of physiological mucous every day that your body needs to function normally.

However, postnasal drip can be annoying and lead to chronic throat clearing, throat irritation or dryness, and colored sputum.

Postnasal drip can come from the nose and sinuses, but can also be due to acid reflux from the stomach all the way up to the back of the throat (called laryngeal reflux).

Here are some diseases that can cause postnasal drip :

– allergies

– chronic sinusitis

– acute infection such as a cold or sinusitis

– medication-induced dryness

– laryngeal reflux

– effect of age

An evaluation by an ENT specialist often includes endoscopy (looking at the back of the nose and throat with a camera) and sometimes more advanced tests such as allergy testing. Postnasal drip is difficult, and often impossible, to cure completely, but many treatment options are available depending on the most probable cause of your symptoms.