Post-Nasal Drip: What Is, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Excess mucus in the throat can be uncomfortable and cause distress, but fortunately, it is not as dangerous as it seems. Several treatment options and home remedies help relieve the most bothersome symptoms and, with time, get rid of this condition.

Please continue reading to learn more about post-nasal drip, including causes, triggers, treatment options, and ways to prevent it from developing.

How Common is Post-Nasal Drip?

Post-nasal drip is a common complaint that accompanies many health conditions. Most people experience it because it can be triggered by the most mundane threats to human health, including allergies, common colds, viral and bacterial infections, spicy food, and pregnancy. Moreover, it can develop due to air pollution, so people living in the largest cities are particularly at risk of experiencing it at some point in their lives.

How Dangerous is Post-Nasal Drip?

Post-nasal drip is not dangerous and rarely becomes serious. However, if the mucus is black, it may indicate a severe health condition. Moreover, if you experience post-nasal drip a lot, it may mean that your body’s immune system is compromised. Nevertheless, only your healthcare provider can tell you whether that stems from something dangerous or a minor issue.

Is Post-Nasal Drip Contagious?

The post-nasal drip itself is not contagious, but the underlying conditions that may cause it, such as viral or bacterial infections, can be spread from person to person. However, if post-nasal drip develops due to other reasons, such as air pollution, certain medication, or pregnancy, it is not possible to transmit it to another person.

Mucus Color in Post-Nasal Drip

A change in mucus color usually indicates a health issue. It may mean that something is going on in your body, but you may not be able to connect the dots yet. If it changes its color to black, brown, white, green, pink, red, or yellow, it is a warning sign indicating a specific issue.

Here is what each color of the snot may indicate:

Clear Mucus

Clear mucus is a correct look of mucus. It is constantly produced by nasal tissues, even when you sleep. It consists of water, dissolved salts, antibodies, and proteins. Although clear mucus is considered a healthy color, some allergies may still occur without affecting it. 

Black Mucus

Black mucus is usually observed in people exposed to air pollution or smoke. Smokers, people who use illegal drugs, or workers who breathe in debris at their workplace may develop black mucus.

Often, black mucus may occur due to a severe fungal infection. However, they are not likely to affect a healthy person. However, if your immune system is compromised, you are at a greater risk of black snot, potentially indicating a dangerous infection of fungal origin.

Brown Mucus

Like black mucus, the brown color of snot can indicate exposure to smoke and pollution. Some people may also get it after inhaling paprika, dirt, or snuff.

Brown mucus may also occur if you blow your nose too hard, causing bleeding. In that scenario, the brown tint of your snot results from dried blood inside the nose. However, if other health issues appear along with brown mucus, it may indicate another health condition.

White Mucus

White mucus can be a sign of an infection or cold. It usually appears when the nose is swollen and inflamed, affecting the produced mucus. It can also be a result of exposure to smoke or pollution.

Green Mucus

If your mucus is green, it is packed with dead white blood cells. It usually occurs in people who have an infection and indicates that a body is fighting with a bacteria or a virus.

Pink or Red Mucus

Pink or red mucus appears when there is bleeding in the nasal passages. It can occur if the nasal tissue breaks, after you blow your nose too hard, or when you develop a severe health condition like cancer.

Based on the color alone, it’s difficult to determine if red mucus indicates a severe issue. In many cases, it happens because of minor damage or irritation of the nasal tissues and resolves quickly. However, if other symptoms accompany it, it could be a good reason to visit a doctor.

Yellow Mucus

Yellow mucus may mean that you have an infection or common cold that is gradually getting worse. The yellow color comes from the white blood cells, which got discarded after doing their job fighting an infection.

Causes

Post-nasal drip can occur due to health conditions. These include:

• Allergies (allergic post-nasal drip)
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Bacterial infections
• Viral infections (flu, common cold)
• A deviated septum (a structural abnormality in the nose)
• Hormone fluctuations
• Overly sensitive nose (vasomotor rhinitis)
• Sinus infections (sinusitis)
• Reflux

Post-nasal drip can also develop in children because of the object stuck in the nose.

Risk Factors

Several things may increase the risk of post-nasal drip. These are often called triggers because they either start or worsen the symptoms. Whether they cause short or long-term issues depends on a person’s response to these factors. They usually include the following:

• Heated or dry spaces
• Cold temperature
• Certain medications, including birth control pills or blood pressure meds
• Bright lights
• Spicy food
• Dry hair
• Changing weather
• Chemical fumes, perfumes, or smoke
• Pregnancy

Signs and Symptoms

A telltale sign of post-nasal drip is the feeling of a lump in your throat. This results in discomfort and a constant need to clear your throat. In addition, you may experience the following health issues:

• Cough that usually gets worse at night
• Sore throat
• Swallowing more often than normal
• Frequent throat clearing
• Gurgling speech
• Bad breath (halitosis)
• Hoarseness
• Swollen tonsils
• Scratchy throat
• Nausea due to excess mucus moving into the stomach

In healthy people, swallowing mucus is automatic and does not cause symptoms. This is because the amount of mucus is too small to result in discomfort and the mentioned health issues. But when the body starts producing too much mucus, you become more self-aware to swallow and clear your throat. It may occur as a response to an infection or health condition and become a long-term issue, or it can resolve within a day, causing only mild symptoms.

Diagnosis and Tests

Doctors can usually diagnose post-nasal drip after reviewing the symptoms and physical examination of a person’s nose, throat, and ears. If there is a need to rule out other conditions, they may order the following tests:

• Nasal endoscopy
• Imaging tests (magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography scan, X-ray)
• Allergy testing

Treatment

Determining an underlying cause of post-nasal drip is vital for choosing the right treatment strategy. For example, medications and procedures used to treat it are not the same for people who developed it because of allergies and those who have it due to infections. Health conditions that cause it, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or a deviated septum, require an even more personalized approach.

Here are the strategies doctors use to treat post-nasal drip depending on the cause:

Deviated Septum

If post-nasal drip develops due to deviated septum – a structural abnormality of the nose – you may need surgery to resolve this issue. The procedure is called septoplasty and aims to straighten the septum, which treats post-nasal drip once and for all.

Allergies

A post-nasal drip can be your body’s allergic response to various irritants. To address this issue, you must first learn your triggers. Avoiding things aggravating your symptoms is vital to eliminating post-nasal drip. To relieve symptoms, you may need to try some medicines, including:

• Oral steroids
• Steroid nasal sprays
• Decongestants
• Antihistamines
• Allergy shots and drops

Chronic Acid Reflux

Chronic acid reflux (GERD) may cause post-nasal drip. You will need to start treatment for GERD to get rid of post-nasal drip. Treatment strategies include:

• Avoiding caffeine and alcohol
• Losing an excess weight
• Taking acid blockers and antacids
• Not eating and drinking at least three hours before going to bed
• Avoiding smoking
• Eating slowly

Bacterial Infections

If bacterial infection causes post-nasal drip, treating it will also eliminate the symptoms of post-nasal drip. Your healthcare provider may recommend the following medications:

• Antibiotics
• Nasal sprays
• Nasal saline irrigations
• Decongestants

The prognosis for Post-Nasal Drip Patients

The prognosis for post-nasal drip depends on many factors, including underlying causes, exposure to air pollution and irritants, allergies, and immune system performance. In many cases, it is a symptom rather than a standalone condition, and treating the underlying cause improves the outlook for this condition.

In cases where the underlying cause is chronic or challenging to identify, management strategies may be needed to control symptoms. It’s essential to consult with a healthcare professional for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan. They may recommend lifestyle modifications, medications, or other interventions based on the specific cause of post-nasal drip.

When You Should See a Doctor?

If your symptoms do not improve after a few days or are very bothersome, you should not hesitate to schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider. Postnasal drip may indicate that your immune system is trying to fight a virus or bacteria or that your body is responding allergically to an irritant. Your doctor should determine which one is the case and provide an adequate treatment plan suited to your specific needs.

How to Prevent Post-Nasal Drip?

Preventing post-nasal drip may not be possible if your immune system is compromised or if you are suffering from chronic health conditions. However, you may still benefit from following specific guidelines and lifestyle tips to reduce the risk of post-nasal drip or make your symptoms less bothersome and less frequent. Here are some general tips that may help:

• Avoid smoke and other environmental irritants, as they can cause nasal congestion and contribute to postnasal drip.
• Keep your living space clean and well-ventilated. Consider using air purifiers to reduce indoor pollutants.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day to help thin mucus and prevent it from becoming thick and sticky.
• If you smoke, quitting can significantly improve your respiratory health and reduce the severity of post-nasal drip.
• Regular exercise can help promote overall respiratory health and decrease the risk of sinus congestion.
• Eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can support overall health and may help reduce the risk of postnasal drip.

Post-Nasal Drip – Key Facts You Should Know

Post-nasal drip is the accumulation of mucus in the throat, causing symptoms like coughing, sore throat, and a constant urge to clear the throat. Infections, allergies, and irritants like smoke and pollution commonly trigger it. While not dangerous in itself, it can result from various health conditions.

Common causes of post-nasal drip include allergies, GERD, bacterial and viral infections, deviated septum, hormonal changes, and sinusitis. Various triggers, such as heated or dry spaces, certain medications, spicy food, and chemical fumes, can worsen symptoms.

Post-nasal drip symptoms include a lump in the throat, coughing (often worse at night), sore throat, frequent throat clearing, and bad breath.

The treatment of postnasal drip depends on the cause. Allergies may require avoiding triggers and medications. GERD-related post-nasal drip may need lifestyle changes and medications, while bacterial infections may necessitate antibiotics. Structural issues like a deviated septum might require surgery.

Sources

• Harvard Health Publishing. (2022). Treatments for post-nasal drip.
  https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/treatments-for-post-nasal-drip
• Indiana University Health. Postnasal Drip.
  https://iuhealth.org/find-medical-services/postnasal-drip
• NIH. (2012). Chronic Cough, Reflux, Postnasal Drip Syndrome, and the Otolaryngologist.
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3332192/
• University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. (2023). What Does the Color of Your Mucus Mean?
  https://share.upmc.com/2022/12/mucus-color/