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Respiratory Disorders (Expert Forum)
Post Nasal Drip
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Post Nasal Drip
by eddyn818, Nov 05, 2004 12:00AM
Hello I have been suffering with Post Nasal Drip for the past 11 months. I have gone to see a doctor who referred me to an ENT. I got a CT scan done of my sinuses here are the results:
Technique: The slices were made in direct coronal plane at 2.5 mm intervals and formatted in soft tissue and bone windows.
Findings: The Study shows a small retention cyst in the floor of the right maxillary sinus. It us a 1 cm in diameter. The remaining paranasal sinuses are clear except for mild right maxillary sinusitis. The ostiomeatal complex is patent. The nasal septum is in the midline. There is no hypertrophy of the turbinates. No bone destruction or mass is obvious. The orbital rims are intact. No obvious orbital abnormality can be seen with there windows.
Impression:
Mild right frontal sinusitis. 1 cm mucous retention cyst, right maxillary sinus.
Can you tell me if that cyst they found is cousing my post nasal drip??
Thank you!
Eddy N.
Technique: The slices were made in direct coronal plane at 2.5 mm intervals and formatted in soft tissue and bone windows.
Findings: The Study shows a small retention cyst in the floor of the right maxillary sinus. It us a 1 cm in diameter. The remaining paranasal sinuses are clear except for mild right maxillary sinusitis. The ostiomeatal complex is patent. The nasal septum is in the midline. There is no hypertrophy of the turbinates. No bone destruction or mass is obvious. The orbital rims are intact. No obvious orbital abnormality can be seen with there windows.
Impression:
Mild right frontal sinusitis. 1 cm mucous retention cyst, right maxillary sinus.
Can you tell me if that cyst they found is cousing my post nasal drip??
Thank you!
Eddy N.
Doctor's Answer
by National Jewish, Nov 11, 2004 12:00AM
, Nov 11, 2004 12:00AM
Your mild right frontal sinusitis noted on the results of your sinus CT scan is most likely the cause of your postnasal drip. Sinusitis is an inflammation of the mucous membranes that line the sinus cavities. Inflammation of the sinuses could be due to an allergy, an infection, or ongoing exposure to an irritant, such as pollution or smoke. Symptoms can include a headache or pressure in the area of the sinuses, a stuffy nose, achy teeth, an odor coming from the nose, cough, sore throat, laryngitis, lightheadedness, constant low fever, and thick, yellow to green nasal drainage and postnasal drip.
The best way to identify a sinus infection is with a sinus CT scan, although sinus x-rays are a decent alternative. A sinus CT scan will also identify if any of the openings that drain your sinuses are blocked. If your postnasal drip is due to sinusitis, it will last as long as the inflammation continues. Please read our Sinusitis MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/sin.html for more information about ways to clear up the inflammation. Please check with your doctor to see which of these would work best for you.
The most common cause of sinusitis is an infection, especially when the mucus is green. Sinus infections can be difficult to treat since they respond slowly. When any of the openings that drain your sinuses are blocked it will take longer to clear a sinus infection. If a viral infection is the cause it’s a matter of time until the sinusitis clears on its own. When a bacterial infection is the cause you may need to take an antibiotic for at least 3 weeks.
This inflammation can block sinus drainage and cause increased mucus production. As the sinus infection clears, this mucus drains from the nose and sinuses down the back of the throat causing a constant or intermittent postnasal drip that can be irritating to the throat. Typically this is worse at night when you lay down to sleep. Generally this irritation feels the worst when you wake up and gets better as the day goes on. This mucus can fester sinusitis.
The fat content in dairy products can thicken mucus. Generally eating dairy products with less fat content is helpful. Drinking plenty of water will help to thin the mucus so that it moves more easily. As long as you are not on a fluid restriction you should be drinking 6 to 8 8-ounce glasses of non-caffeine non-alcoholic fluid daily.
An antihistamine can dry up the postnasal drip. However, it may make the mucus thicker and more difficult to move. A decongestant like Sudafed® (pseudoephedrine) can thin the postnasal drip and relieve your blocked sinuses by decreasing the swelling so they drain better. A combination antihistamine-decongestant will do both. Check with your doctor to see which would help you more. Often a prescription antihistamine and decongestant are taken only when the postnasal drip gets bad. It may be more helpful to take the antihistamine and decongestant on a regular basis. Check with your doctor to see if either of these would help you more.
A nasal wash helps remove mucus and germs from the nose and sinuses. This can temporarily decrease the postnasal drip and help your sinuses to drain better. Please read our Nasal Wash MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/nasal.html for more information about this technique. Share this information with your doctor to see if you would benefit from this daily treatment.
If your symptoms continue, your doctor may recommend a prescription nasal steroid spray. This can decrease mucus production and improve sinus drainage by decreasing the inflammation in the nose and openings that drain the sinuses. This generally provides a more lasting decrease in sinus pressure and improves sinus drainage. To get the most help from a nasal steroid spray use it after doing a nasal wash. A nasal steroid spray does not provide immediate relief of symptoms. It may take several weeks of routine use to become effective. Sometimes it takes the antihistamine, the decongestant, and the nasal wash followed by the nasal steroid spray ALL used routinely to keep the postnasal drip from bothering you.
The best way to identify a sinus infection is with a sinus CT scan, although sinus x-rays are a decent alternative. A sinus CT scan will also identify if any of the openings that drain your sinuses are blocked. If your postnasal drip is due to sinusitis, it will last as long as the inflammation continues. Please read our Sinusitis MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/sin.html for more information about ways to clear up the inflammation. Please check with your doctor to see which of these would work best for you.
The most common cause of sinusitis is an infection, especially when the mucus is green. Sinus infections can be difficult to treat since they respond slowly. When any of the openings that drain your sinuses are blocked it will take longer to clear a sinus infection. If a viral infection is the cause it’s a matter of time until the sinusitis clears on its own. When a bacterial infection is the cause you may need to take an antibiotic for at least 3 weeks.
This inflammation can block sinus drainage and cause increased mucus production. As the sinus infection clears, this mucus drains from the nose and sinuses down the back of the throat causing a constant or intermittent postnasal drip that can be irritating to the throat. Typically this is worse at night when you lay down to sleep. Generally this irritation feels the worst when you wake up and gets better as the day goes on. This mucus can fester sinusitis.
The fat content in dairy products can thicken mucus. Generally eating dairy products with less fat content is helpful. Drinking plenty of water will help to thin the mucus so that it moves more easily. As long as you are not on a fluid restriction you should be drinking 6 to 8 8-ounce glasses of non-caffeine non-alcoholic fluid daily.
An antihistamine can dry up the postnasal drip. However, it may make the mucus thicker and more difficult to move. A decongestant like Sudafed® (pseudoephedrine) can thin the postnasal drip and relieve your blocked sinuses by decreasing the swelling so they drain better. A combination antihistamine-decongestant will do both. Check with your doctor to see which would help you more. Often a prescription antihistamine and decongestant are taken only when the postnasal drip gets bad. It may be more helpful to take the antihistamine and decongestant on a regular basis. Check with your doctor to see if either of these would help you more.
A nasal wash helps remove mucus and germs from the nose and sinuses. This can temporarily decrease the postnasal drip and help your sinuses to drain better. Please read our Nasal Wash MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/nasal.html for more information about this technique. Share this information with your doctor to see if you would benefit from this daily treatment.
If your symptoms continue, your doctor may recommend a prescription nasal steroid spray. This can decrease mucus production and improve sinus drainage by decreasing the inflammation in the nose and openings that drain the sinuses. This generally provides a more lasting decrease in sinus pressure and improves sinus drainage. To get the most help from a nasal steroid spray use it after doing a nasal wash. A nasal steroid spray does not provide immediate relief of symptoms. It may take several weeks of routine use to become effective. Sometimes it takes the antihistamine, the decongestant, and the nasal wash followed by the nasal steroid spray ALL used routinely to keep the postnasal drip from bothering you.
