Post-Nasal Drip

Runny noses and associated coughs can be treated with antihistamines, a medication often reserved for pollen season.

Mucous...Ewwww 

Allergy season is probably the furthest thing from your mind right now. Here we are, in the depths of winter, far from any pollen allergies to speak of; but yet runny noses are uber prevalent. Every day, on a normal day, glands from your nose down to your stomach produce one to two quarts of mucous. Mucous moistens and helps trap and destroy bacteria and viruses before they can get into your body. Normally, you don’t notice the mucous from your nose because it mixes with saliva and drips harmlessly down the back of your throat.

So, What is Post-Nasal Drip? 

Simply, when mucous runs down the back of the nose to the throat, it’s called post-nasal drip. When your body produces excess mucous, it will run down the back of your throat and cause a persistent cough to develop, due to the feeling of liquid in your throat and an inflammatory substance contained in the mucous. One way to treat your cough is to actually treat the excess mucous production. Once you get the excess mucous production cleared up, the cough should clear up with it, unless there are other stimulating factors.

Histamines...Antihistamines? 

Your body produces chemicals called histamines in response to certain stimulants such as allergies or colds. These histamines cause your nose to run, along with causing the tissue in your nose to swell (making it stuffy) and your eyes itch. So, it goes without saying then, that antihistamines work by blocking histamines.

While I was in our Randolph pharmacy, I decided to ask the local pharmacist, Michelle Dreger, what she would recommend to treat post-nasal drip:

"I like to recommend either Claritin® (loratadine) or Zyrtec® (cetirizine) for antihistamines. Both products are non-drowsy and inexpensive. These products are usually taken one time per day and are acceptable for adults and children older than 2 years. There is also Benadryl® (diphenhydramine), however it can cause some drowsiness. Another antihistamine that is available is Allegra® (fexofenadine). Once you get the post-nasal drip under control, you may consider just switching over to using a NetiPot® daily to help keep things clear!"

 

<Photo courtesy of healthcentral.com>

All of our pharmacists are well-versed in post-nasal drip remedies, if you have any questions, simply stop by your local Hometown store and ask for a free one-on-one consultation!