Postnasal drip

Postnasal drip is mucus from the nose or sinuses flowing into the throat. It can cause throat irritation, frequent throat clearing, or cough.

Nasal mucus: A fluid produced by the nasal lining that traps particles and helps protect and humidify the airways. Excess or altered nasal mucus can flow backward into the throat.
Allergic rhinitis: An immune reaction to airborne allergens that inflames the nasal lining and causes symptoms such as sneezing and congestion. Allergic nasal secretions are a frequent source of throat drainage.
Nasal irrigation: Rinsing the nasal passages with saline to loosen mucus and remove debris or allergens. Saline rinses can clear secretions that otherwise drain into the throat.
Chronic cough: A cough lasting longer than the usual period for an acute respiratory illness, commonly defined in adults as over eight weeks. Persistent cough attributed to drainage may have several overlapping causes.
Mucociliary clearance: The movement of mucus along airway surfaces by coordinated cilia, helping remove trapped particles and microbes. This normal clearance system moves nasal mucus toward the throat.
Common cold: A usually mild viral infection of the upper respiratory tract, commonly causing a runny or blocked nose and sore throat. A cold can increase nasal secretions and temporarily cause postnasal drip.
Intranasal corticosteroid: A corticosteroid medicine sprayed into the nose to reduce inflammation and nasal symptoms. Reducing nasal inflammation can lessen mucus production and drainage.
Upper airway cough syndrome: A clinical syndrome linking upper-airway disorders with cough, often involving nasal symptoms and throat clearing. The syndrome captures cough associated with nasal disease, though its mechanism is not fully settled.
Rhinitis: Inflammation of the nasal lining that commonly causes congestion, sneezing, and increased nasal secretions. Rhinitis can increase secretions that contribute to postnasal drainage.
Nonallergic rhinitis: Nasal inflammation and symptoms such as congestion or runny nose that are not caused by an allergic immune response. Irritants, weather changes, or other triggers can produce drainage without allergy.

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