Post-nasal drip

Infobox_Disease
Name = Post-nasal drip


Caption =
DiseasesDB =
ICD10 =
ICD9 = ICD9|784.91
ICDO =
OMIM =
MedlinePlus =
eMedicineSubj = ent
eMedicineTopic = 338
MeshID =

Post-nasal drip (PND) occurs when excessive mucus is produced by the sinuses. The excess mucus accumulates in the throat or back of the nose. It can be caused by rhinitis, sinusitis, or laryngopharyngeal acid reflux. It can be enhanced or sometimes even caused by allergies, whether in spring, fall or early summer.

Terminology

The term PND is considered obsolete by some sources and is now referred to as "Chronic Upper Airway Cough Syndrome".cite journal |author=Pratter MR |title=Chronic upper airway cough syndrome secondary to rhinosinus diseases (previously referred to as postnasal drip syndrome): ACCP evidence-based clinical practice guidelines |journal=Chest |volume=129 |issue=1 Suppl |pages=63S–71S |year=2006 |pmid=16428694 |doi=10.1378/chest.129.1_suppl.63S] However, the term "post-nasal drip" is still used in modern medical literaturecite journal |author=Chao TK, Liu CM, Huang WH |title=Significance of blood-tinged post-nasal drip in paranasal sinus disease |journal= The Journal of Laryngology & Otology|volume= |issue= |pages=1–4 |year=2007 |pmid=17888198 |doi=10.1017/S0022215107000394] cite journal |author=O'Hara J, Jones NS |title="Post-nasal drip syndrome": most patients with purulent nasal secretions do not complain of chronic cough |journal=Rhinology |volume=44 |issue=4 |pages=270–3 |year=2006 |pmid=17216744 |doi=] , though some do not consider the term to be well-defined.cite journal |author=Morice AH |title=Post-nasal drip syndrome--a symptom to be sniffed at? |journal=Pulmonary pharmacology & therapeutics |volume=17 |issue=6 |pages=343–5 |year=2004 |pmid=15564073 |doi=10.1016/j.pupt.2004.09.005]

Associated conditions

PND may be, in some cases, a contributing cause for halitosis - bad breath arising from the posterior tongue dorsum. cite journal |author=Rosenberg M |title=Clinical assessment of bad breath: current concepts |journal=Journal of the American Dental Association (1939) |volume=127 |issue=4 |pages=475–82 |year=1996 |pmid=8655868 |doi=]

ymptoms

An individual may be diagnosed as suffering from post-nasal drip if they suffer from the following symptoms.

*Swallowing constantly
*Spitting (mucus) constantly
*Tickling in the throat
*Constant clearing of throat
*Mucus feeling in the back of the throat
*Difficulty in breathing
*Congestion in the nasal and sinus passages
*Chronic sore throat
*Crystals found in the tonsils that are generally yellow or white (commonly called tonsil stones, or tonsilloliths)
*Bad breath
*Coughing
*Feeling nauseated due to accumulation of mucus in stomach
*Vomiting due to excessive mucus in stomach
*Cobblestone appearance of the oropharyngeal mucosa [cite web |url=http://www.mamc.amedd.army.mil/Referral/chroncough.htm |title=Chronic Cough RG |accessdate=2007-11-02 |format= |work=]

Treatment

A person seeking treatment for post-nasal drip should see an otolaryngologist or family physician.

Treatment may include antibiotics, nasal irrigation, or minor surgery. Some people use bulb syringes, squirt bottles, and neti pots for nasal irrigation. Other treatments, for the allergy aspect of the disorder, include the usage of antihistamines and/or decongestants to treat the most common effects. Steroids may also be prescribed for short-term usage, as extended use may cause harmful side effects.

A recent study has also shown that physiotherapy of the nasopharynx has been successfully employed to achieve a quick and effective treatment of symptoms cite journal |author=Cegla UH, Jost H-J, Harten A |title= Changes in postnasal drip, dry cough, airway resistance and bronchial hyperreactivity in asthmatic patients as result of oscillating pep (RC-Cornet-N) treatment of the nasopharyngeal cavity |journal= Atemwegs- und Lungenkrankheiten |volume=29 |issue=9 |pages=428–36 |year=2003 ] .

References