Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsThick MucusThin MucusAromatherapyWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Thick Mucus
Thin Mucus
Aromatherapy
When to See a Provider
Home remedies for postnasal drip include foods and diet, using a neti pot, trying aromatherapy, and staying hydrated.Causes of postnatal drip can include infection and allergies. Postnasal drip can also occur with hormonal changes (such as with pregnancy) or as a medication side effect.
Postnasal dripoften occurs with other symptoms, such as sore throat. Your body produces between one and two quarts of mucus per day and it’s normal for mucus to drain, but when it becomes abnormally thick or thin, you feel it in the back of your throat.
Remedies For Thick Mucus
The following home remedies are most helpful if you have thick mucus:
Honey may reduce inflammation but it is not clear whether honey specifically helps with mucus and postnasal drip.You also can try gargling with salt water or sleeping on propped-up pillows to elevate your head and help mucus to drain.
Remedies For Thin, Watery Mucus
If you have thin, watery mucus, try these home remedies for postnasal drip:
Common essential oils for congestion that may help with postnasal drip include:
Prescription TreatmentsHome remedies may not always work to relieve postnasal drip symptoms. Your healthcare provider may want to try prescription medications likemucolyticsor other interventions.Self-care may offer benefits when used alongside these treatments.
Prescription Treatments
Home remedies may not always work to relieve postnasal drip symptoms. Your healthcare provider may want to try prescription medications likemucolyticsor other interventions.Self-care may offer benefits when used alongside these treatments.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Postnasal drip is not always a cause for concern and can often be handled at home. However, you should see a healthcare provider if:
Seek immediate care if you are unable to breathe because of mucus in the airway.
Some people may experience mucus changes and postnasal drip due to the side effects of medications, or because of an underlying health condition like acid reflux. Talk with your healthcare provider about the drugs you take and their dosages if you think a medication (like a diuretic) is contributing to your problems with mucus.
Summary
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.Post-nasal drip.Gupta KK, Anari S.Medical management of rhinitis in pregnancy.Auris Nasus Larynx. 2022 Dec;49(6):905-911. doi:10.1016/j.anl.2022.01.014Medical University of South Carolina.Post-nasal drip.Harvard Health Publishing.Treatments for post-nasal drip.Principi N, Esposito S. Nasal Irrigation:An Imprecisely Defined Medical Procedure.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017;14(5):516. doi:10.3390/ijerph14050516University of Missouri.Understanding food allergies and treatment options.Cohen HA, Hoshen M, Gur S, Bahir A, Laks Y, Blau H.Efficacy and tolerability of a polysaccharide-resin-honey based cough syrup as compared to carbocysteine syrup for children with colds: a randomized, single-blinded, multicenter study.World J Pediatr. 2017;13(1):27-33. doi:10.1007/s12519-016-0048-4National Health Service.Catarrh.Food and Drug Administration.Is Rinsing Your Sinuses With Neti Pots Safe?Lai K, Shen H, Zhou X, et al.Clinical Practice Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Cough-Chinese Thoracic Society (CTS) Asthma Consortium.J Thorac Dis. 2018;10(11):6314–6351. doi:10.21037/jtd.2018.09.153D’Amato M, Molino A, Calabrese G, et al.The impact of cold on the respiratory tract and its consequences to respiratory health.Clin Transl Allergy. 2018;8:20. doi:10.1186/s13601-018-0208-9Valussi M, Antonelli M, Donelli D, Firenzuoli F.Appropriate use of essential oils and their components in the management of upper respiratory tract symptoms in patients with COVID-19.J Herb Med. 2021;28:100451. doi:10.1016/j.hermed.2021.100451Aaron SD.Mucolytics for COPD: negotiating a slippery slope towards proof of efficacy.Eur Respir J. 2017;50(4). doi:10.1183/13993003.01465-2017Hill DB, Button B, Rubinstein M, Boucher RC.Physiology and pathophysiology of human airway mucus.Physiol Rev. 2022 Oct 1;102(4):1757-1836. doi:10.1152/physrev.00004.2021
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.Post-nasal drip.Gupta KK, Anari S.Medical management of rhinitis in pregnancy.Auris Nasus Larynx. 2022 Dec;49(6):905-911. doi:10.1016/j.anl.2022.01.014Medical University of South Carolina.Post-nasal drip.Harvard Health Publishing.Treatments for post-nasal drip.Principi N, Esposito S. Nasal Irrigation:An Imprecisely Defined Medical Procedure.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017;14(5):516. doi:10.3390/ijerph14050516University of Missouri.Understanding food allergies and treatment options.Cohen HA, Hoshen M, Gur S, Bahir A, Laks Y, Blau H.Efficacy and tolerability of a polysaccharide-resin-honey based cough syrup as compared to carbocysteine syrup for children with colds: a randomized, single-blinded, multicenter study.World J Pediatr. 2017;13(1):27-33. doi:10.1007/s12519-016-0048-4National Health Service.Catarrh.Food and Drug Administration.Is Rinsing Your Sinuses With Neti Pots Safe?Lai K, Shen H, Zhou X, et al.Clinical Practice Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Cough-Chinese Thoracic Society (CTS) Asthma Consortium.J Thorac Dis. 2018;10(11):6314–6351. doi:10.21037/jtd.2018.09.153D’Amato M, Molino A, Calabrese G, et al.The impact of cold on the respiratory tract and its consequences to respiratory health.Clin Transl Allergy. 2018;8:20. doi:10.1186/s13601-018-0208-9Valussi M, Antonelli M, Donelli D, Firenzuoli F.Appropriate use of essential oils and their components in the management of upper respiratory tract symptoms in patients with COVID-19.J Herb Med. 2021;28:100451. doi:10.1016/j.hermed.2021.100451Aaron SD.Mucolytics for COPD: negotiating a slippery slope towards proof of efficacy.Eur Respir J. 2017;50(4). doi:10.1183/13993003.01465-2017Hill DB, Button B, Rubinstein M, Boucher RC.Physiology and pathophysiology of human airway mucus.Physiol Rev. 2022 Oct 1;102(4):1757-1836. doi:10.1152/physrev.00004.2021
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.Post-nasal drip.Gupta KK, Anari S.Medical management of rhinitis in pregnancy.Auris Nasus Larynx. 2022 Dec;49(6):905-911. doi:10.1016/j.anl.2022.01.014Medical University of South Carolina.Post-nasal drip.Harvard Health Publishing.Treatments for post-nasal drip.Principi N, Esposito S. Nasal Irrigation:An Imprecisely Defined Medical Procedure.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017;14(5):516. doi:10.3390/ijerph14050516University of Missouri.Understanding food allergies and treatment options.Cohen HA, Hoshen M, Gur S, Bahir A, Laks Y, Blau H.Efficacy and tolerability of a polysaccharide-resin-honey based cough syrup as compared to carbocysteine syrup for children with colds: a randomized, single-blinded, multicenter study.World J Pediatr. 2017;13(1):27-33. doi:10.1007/s12519-016-0048-4National Health Service.Catarrh.Food and Drug Administration.Is Rinsing Your Sinuses With Neti Pots Safe?Lai K, Shen H, Zhou X, et al.Clinical Practice Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Cough-Chinese Thoracic Society (CTS) Asthma Consortium.J Thorac Dis. 2018;10(11):6314–6351. doi:10.21037/jtd.2018.09.153D’Amato M, Molino A, Calabrese G, et al.The impact of cold on the respiratory tract and its consequences to respiratory health.Clin Transl Allergy. 2018;8:20. doi:10.1186/s13601-018-0208-9Valussi M, Antonelli M, Donelli D, Firenzuoli F.Appropriate use of essential oils and their components in the management of upper respiratory tract symptoms in patients with COVID-19.J Herb Med. 2021;28:100451. doi:10.1016/j.hermed.2021.100451Aaron SD.Mucolytics for COPD: negotiating a slippery slope towards proof of efficacy.Eur Respir J. 2017;50(4). doi:10.1183/13993003.01465-2017Hill DB, Button B, Rubinstein M, Boucher RC.Physiology and pathophysiology of human airway mucus.Physiol Rev. 2022 Oct 1;102(4):1757-1836. doi:10.1152/physrev.00004.2021
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.Post-nasal drip.
Gupta KK, Anari S.Medical management of rhinitis in pregnancy.Auris Nasus Larynx. 2022 Dec;49(6):905-911. doi:10.1016/j.anl.2022.01.014
Medical University of South Carolina.Post-nasal drip.
Harvard Health Publishing.Treatments for post-nasal drip.
Principi N, Esposito S. Nasal Irrigation:An Imprecisely Defined Medical Procedure.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017;14(5):516. doi:10.3390/ijerph14050516
University of Missouri.Understanding food allergies and treatment options.
Cohen HA, Hoshen M, Gur S, Bahir A, Laks Y, Blau H.Efficacy and tolerability of a polysaccharide-resin-honey based cough syrup as compared to carbocysteine syrup for children with colds: a randomized, single-blinded, multicenter study.World J Pediatr. 2017;13(1):27-33. doi:10.1007/s12519-016-0048-4
National Health Service.Catarrh.
Food and Drug Administration.Is Rinsing Your Sinuses With Neti Pots Safe?
Lai K, Shen H, Zhou X, et al.Clinical Practice Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Cough-Chinese Thoracic Society (CTS) Asthma Consortium.J Thorac Dis. 2018;10(11):6314–6351. doi:10.21037/jtd.2018.09.153
D’Amato M, Molino A, Calabrese G, et al.The impact of cold on the respiratory tract and its consequences to respiratory health.Clin Transl Allergy. 2018;8:20. doi:10.1186/s13601-018-0208-9
Valussi M, Antonelli M, Donelli D, Firenzuoli F.Appropriate use of essential oils and their components in the management of upper respiratory tract symptoms in patients with COVID-19.J Herb Med. 2021;28:100451. doi:10.1016/j.hermed.2021.100451
Aaron SD.Mucolytics for COPD: negotiating a slippery slope towards proof of efficacy.Eur Respir J. 2017;50(4). doi:10.1183/13993003.01465-2017
Hill DB, Button B, Rubinstein M, Boucher RC.Physiology and pathophysiology of human airway mucus.Physiol Rev. 2022 Oct 1;102(4):1757-1836. doi:10.1152/physrev.00004.2021
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