oh and stay away from dairy (which thickens mucous) - that means cream, icecream, milk, white tea, white coffee, chocolate etc etc. Alcohol also dries up moisture in the nasal and throat cavities, causing mucous to become thick and gluggy. Cut right back on wine, spirits, beer etc and also any perfumes which will irritate the nasal cillia. If you are going to be drinking, try to stay as hydrated as possible by drinking lots of water! Maybe try cutting these things out of your diet/environment for 2 weeks and see if there's an improvement.
Oh and have you tried a Neti-pot (saline solution rinse)? These are great for instant nasal relief, flushing out allergens and moistening the mucous membranes.
Thats about it I think! ;-)
hi danni,
Research something called candida albicans (I searched in google using the terms "candida albicans throat phlegm"). Its a yeast infection that you can get both in the mouth and can also cause vaginal thrush. If you've ever had any thrush infections, it'd be an idea to discuss this with your doctor and see if it could be linked to your throat problems. There are lots of treatments for yeast infections you could try - ask your doctor. I also recommend coming off the birth control pill if you're worried about it - the pill messes around with your natural hormone levels which can increase the frequency of yeast infections. The use of birth control pills could also explain your recent mood swings and nerves.
The lump in your throat may indicate the presence of tonsiliths, or 'tonsil stones'. These are hardened formations of bacteria that get lodged and develop in your tonsils. You may have coughed them up before - they're small yellow things and stink something shocking when you crush them! The excess mucous in your throat creates the perfect environment for these things to develop. What I do is take a look in the back of my throat every week in front of a mirror. Grab a free-standing torch or find a lamp or something that will give you enough light to see the back of your throat (you might even be able to see the tonsiliths straight away), pull your tongue out and hold it (I suggest using a towel or something), and then using a cotton bud stick or your finger, have a poke at your tonsils at the back of your throat and see if you can dislodge anything. Takes a bit of practice to stop yourself from gagging!
Good luck!
x