Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHome RemediesOTC TreatmentWhen to See Your Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Home Remedies
OTC Treatment
When to See Your Provider
Post-nasal driptreatment often includes things you can do at home. The common cold, a sinus infection, or allergies can cause post-nasal drip. Finding the right post-nasal drip treatment will depend on why you have the condition.
This article will go over post-nasal drip treatments you can do at home as well as when you should talk to your provider.
What Causes Post-Nasal Drip?
Home Remedies and Lifestyle
There are several all-natural remedies you can use for mild cases of post-nasal drip. However, know that there is a lack of research on using home remedies to treat post-nasal drip and they should not be used in place of medical care from your healthcare provider.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
Stay Hydrated
One of the easiest treatments for post-nasal drip is simply making sure that you’re getting enough fluid throughout the day.
Having thick mucus can be uncomfortable and can affect your breathing. Thinning out the mucus can reduce blockages and lower your risk of sinus or ear infections. Drinking enough fluids can help keep the mucus thin.
Checking the color of your urine is an easy way to tellif you’re well hydrated. Your urine should be a pale yellow (“straw”) color. Darker urine can be asign of dehydration.
Don’t Smoke (and Quit if You Do)
If you experience post-nasal drip,quitting smokingmay treat the condition.
The chemicals in cigarettes can irritate your nasal passages and cause mucus to build up. This is the case whether you are a smoker or areexposed to secondhand smoke.
Not only is cigarette smoke an irritant, but it has been found to interrupt our body’s natural process ofclearing our airways.
Use a Humidifier
A post-nasal drip treatment that requires a little more investment is buying acool mist humidifierfor your home.
Dry air can worsen postnasal drip symptoms. The mist from a humidifier helps to moisten the tissues inside your sinuses and thin the secretions.
How to Choose a Humidifier for Your Home
Sip on Soup
Chicken soup is one of the oldestsniffleremedies in the book, but it can also be a home treatment for post-nasal drip.
Studies have shown that chicken soup may have some anti-inflammatory effects if you have a cold, especially if it contains herbs and spices.
On another note, some people find dairy products like milk and yogurt make post-nasal drip worse. If it seems like somefoods and beveragesare causing post-nasal drip, it might actually be a sign that you have another condition like a food allergy, intolerance, oracid reflux.
Take a Hot Shower
Try hopping in a hot shower if your post-nasal drip symptoms are acting up. Some people find thatthe steam helps to decongest their sinuses. The warm air can also help moisturize dry sinuses and airways.
Sleep With Your Head Elevated
If your post-nasal drip is bothering you at night, try sleeping propped up with some pillows under your head. This will let gravity do some of the work keeping the fluid draining instead of getting stuck at the back of your throat.
Dust and Vacuum Regularly
A post-nasal drip treatment for your home, rather than your body, is simply keeping things clean—especially ifallergiesare causing your symptoms.
Dusting and vacuuming your house regularly can help manageyear-round allergenslike animal dander, dust mites, mold, and cockroaches.
Home Remedies for Post-Nasal Drip
Over-the-Counter Therapies
You can getover-the-counter (OTC) treatmentsfor post-nasal drip at the pharmacy without a prescription.
Medications
Saline Nasal Mist
Asaline nasal sprayas a post-nasal drip treatment can be very helpful because it directly moisturizes your sinuses and thins secretions.
Saline is more like the natural fluids in your body and it has no medication—it’s just salt and water.
Neti Pot
Some people use aneti potas a home treatment for post-nasal drip.
Nasal irrigationinvolves using a sterile salt-water rinse to clear your nasal passages. A neti pot is a useful tool for this purpose. It’s usually made of ceramic or plastic and looks like a flattened teapot.
Irrigating your sinuses may help with post-nasal drip if you havechronic sinusitisand allergies—especially if you use saline (for example, in products like syringes, squeeze bottles, and neti pots).
Use asterile saline solution for the rinse. Do not use tap water or any liquid that is not sterile in your neti pot.
Touse a neti potto treat post-nasal drip:
Can a Saline Rinse Treat Post-Nasal Drip?
Salt Water Gargle
Similar to rinsing your nose, doing a salt water gargle can help treat post-nasal drip.
Gargling with warm salt water may help clear mucus from the back of your throat. It’s also a classichome remedy for a sore throat.
Just like a saline rinse, salt water mouth rinses and gargles can help moisturize tissues because the liquid is more like the ones our body makes naturally.
To make a saltwater rinse at home, just stir 1 teaspoon of salt into 8 fluid ounces (1 cup) of lukewarm water. The water does not need to be sterile like it does with a neti pot.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
If at-home post-nasal drip treatments don’t help your symptoms, you’ll need to get medical treatment.
Call your healthcare provider if:
How to Tell If Post-Nasal Drip is From Asthma
Summary
You can often treat post-nasal drip at home with remedies like doing salt water rinses, using a neti pot, and taking over-the-counter medications. It also helps to stay hydrated, keep the air in your home moist, and clean regularly to prevent allergens from building up.
If your post-nasal drip is becoming a chronic problem rather than an occasional annoyance, home remedies may not be enough to treat it. You’ll want to see your provider. They can help you find a better post-nasal drip treatment that addresses the cause of your symptoms.
How to Pick the Right Post-Nasal Drip Treatment
10 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.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Fast facts: data on water consumption.Gordon B.How much water do you need?Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.Reh DD, Higgins TS, Smith TL.Impact of tobacco smoke on chronic rhinosinusitis – a review of the literature.Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2012;2(5):362-369. doi: 10.1002/alr.21054Rennard BO, Ertl RF, Gossman GL, Robbins RA, Rennard SI.Chicken soup inhibits neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro.Chest. 2000;118(4):1150-1157. doi:10.1378/chest.118.4.1150Troisi JD, Gabriel S.Chicken Soup Really Is Good for the Soul: “Comfort Food” Fulfills the Need to Belong.Psychological Science. 2011;22(6):747-753.University of Missouri.Understanding Food Allergies and Treatment Options.Harvard Health.Treatments for Post-Nasal Drip.Hamilos DL.Patient education: Chronic rhinosinusitis (Beyond the Basics).Food and Drug Administration.FDA clarifies results of recent advisory committee meeting on oral phenylephrine.Piromchai P, Puvatanond C, Kirtsreesakul V, Chaiyasate S, Suwanwech T.A multicenter survey on the effectiveness of nasal irrigation devices in rhinosinusitis patients.Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2020;5(6):1003-1010. doi: 10.1002/lio2.497
10 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.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Fast facts: data on water consumption.Gordon B.How much water do you need?Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.Reh DD, Higgins TS, Smith TL.Impact of tobacco smoke on chronic rhinosinusitis – a review of the literature.Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2012;2(5):362-369. doi: 10.1002/alr.21054Rennard BO, Ertl RF, Gossman GL, Robbins RA, Rennard SI.Chicken soup inhibits neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro.Chest. 2000;118(4):1150-1157. doi:10.1378/chest.118.4.1150Troisi JD, Gabriel S.Chicken Soup Really Is Good for the Soul: “Comfort Food” Fulfills the Need to Belong.Psychological Science. 2011;22(6):747-753.University of Missouri.Understanding Food Allergies and Treatment Options.Harvard Health.Treatments for Post-Nasal Drip.Hamilos DL.Patient education: Chronic rhinosinusitis (Beyond the Basics).Food and Drug Administration.FDA clarifies results of recent advisory committee meeting on oral phenylephrine.Piromchai P, Puvatanond C, Kirtsreesakul V, Chaiyasate S, Suwanwech T.A multicenter survey on the effectiveness of nasal irrigation devices in rhinosinusitis patients.Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2020;5(6):1003-1010. doi: 10.1002/lio2.497
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.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Fast facts: data on water consumption.Gordon B.How much water do you need?Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.Reh DD, Higgins TS, Smith TL.Impact of tobacco smoke on chronic rhinosinusitis – a review of the literature.Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2012;2(5):362-369. doi: 10.1002/alr.21054Rennard BO, Ertl RF, Gossman GL, Robbins RA, Rennard SI.Chicken soup inhibits neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro.Chest. 2000;118(4):1150-1157. doi:10.1378/chest.118.4.1150Troisi JD, Gabriel S.Chicken Soup Really Is Good for the Soul: “Comfort Food” Fulfills the Need to Belong.Psychological Science. 2011;22(6):747-753.University of Missouri.Understanding Food Allergies and Treatment Options.Harvard Health.Treatments for Post-Nasal Drip.Hamilos DL.Patient education: Chronic rhinosinusitis (Beyond the Basics).Food and Drug Administration.FDA clarifies results of recent advisory committee meeting on oral phenylephrine.Piromchai P, Puvatanond C, Kirtsreesakul V, Chaiyasate S, Suwanwech T.A multicenter survey on the effectiveness of nasal irrigation devices in rhinosinusitis patients.Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2020;5(6):1003-1010. doi: 10.1002/lio2.497
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Fast facts: data on water consumption.
Gordon B.How much water do you need?Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Reh DD, Higgins TS, Smith TL.Impact of tobacco smoke on chronic rhinosinusitis – a review of the literature.Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2012;2(5):362-369. doi: 10.1002/alr.21054
Rennard BO, Ertl RF, Gossman GL, Robbins RA, Rennard SI.Chicken soup inhibits neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro.Chest. 2000;118(4):1150-1157. doi:10.1378/chest.118.4.1150
Troisi JD, Gabriel S.Chicken Soup Really Is Good for the Soul: “Comfort Food” Fulfills the Need to Belong.Psychological Science. 2011;22(6):747-753.
University of Missouri.Understanding Food Allergies and Treatment Options.
Harvard Health.Treatments for Post-Nasal Drip.
Hamilos DL.Patient education: Chronic rhinosinusitis (Beyond the Basics).
Food and Drug Administration.FDA clarifies results of recent advisory committee meeting on oral phenylephrine.
Piromchai P, Puvatanond C, Kirtsreesakul V, Chaiyasate S, Suwanwech T.A multicenter survey on the effectiveness of nasal irrigation devices in rhinosinusitis patients.Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2020;5(6):1003-1010. doi: 10.1002/lio2.497
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