Postnasal drip is drainage from the nose and sinuses dripping down the back of the throat. There could be several reasons for this drainage. One is an allergic reaction to inhaling something. A second reason is a non-allergic, non-infectious inflammation in the sinuses that can linger after a cold. A third reason is chronic sinusitis. You may experience postnasal drip as a feeling of phlegm build up that causes you to clear your throat.
Inflammation in the sinuses can block sinus drainage. This can cause the phlegm to collect in your nose and sinuses so that your nose feels blocked all of the time. Over time this collection of phlegm can smell really bad. 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. This will thin the phlegm so that it moves more easily.
If this smell continues, check with your doctor to see if a decongestant like Sudafed
I have had a sinus infection for about a week now. I am on antibiotics, and it just is not helping. The mucus is not bothering me so much, but what is driving me crazy is the terrible odor and taste. The mucus is draining down my throat and the taste is unbarrible. What can I do?
Hi,
I found this thread by searching on google. Since I was 20, I have had a bad smell/taste coming from my nose. I am 27 now. A few months ago, I finally went to see my primary physician, and she had a CT Scan done, which showed fluids in my sinuses. I was put on biaxin for 2 weeks, which did nothing. I went to see an ENT that I saw a few years ago, and she gave me levaquin for 3 weeks .. No Improvement. Went back to my primary for a referal to another ENT. My current ENT, he gave me augmentin for 4 weeks, entex to take, and presdindone (SP?) for 4 days. No improvement. Had a 2nd scan, and it got worse. So, I had endoscopic sinus surgery on 11/19. He told me when I saw him a week later, that I had a cyst trapping some mucous. I saw him 10 days after that for another follow up to remove packing and gunk. I told him I am still having the smell/taste and he said for me to be patient, because I was still healing. I am supposed to go back and see him on 1/14 for another follow up. Does it sound like I have this atrophic rhinitis, too? This smell/taste comes and goes, but for the most part, when I do have it, it stays with me for days at a time ... I irrigate and there are no improvements. My ENT also gave me RhinoCort.
Any ideas??
Kim
Hello!
I understand, I had something similar starting in my puberty 50 years ago and it was really upseting. My mother and grandfather had it too. I was diagnosed atrophic rhinitis. I was given a nasal ointment which has the most awful taste one can imagine... a sympathetic GP gave me a hint. I started having castor sugar installed in both nostrils at night time. The taste was certainly much nicer... and in a few weeks the whole problem has disappeared, until today. One thing: make sure you have atrophic rhinitis before doing the trick with the sugar. Atrophic rhinitis is very rare an not many doctors perhaps know about it. An older doctor perhaps?
I wish you all the luck.
nomada
A related discussion,
Sinus Odor was started.
Thank you very much doc. Your have just said it all. All your answers are in the light of my trobles and am so happy i now know the course. But my case has take over 4 years now . Please how can you help me?.
A related discussion,
Bad Oder in nose was started.
A related discussion,
horbile smell and taste was started.
A related discussion,
bad smell in nose while inhaling was started.
A related discussion,
i have the same problem was started.
A related discussion,
nasal odor was started.
I recently had the whole nasal surgery done as well. The breathing thing is much better, however, the smell has returned. I know that before I had the surgery, my ENT who did the operation, gave me an antibiotic (Tequin?) that is for STAPH infections, which is likely what is causing many of your smelly nose symptoms. I think the smell is back now for me because I had a debriedment yesterday and they pulled out a lot of crusty, bloody, mucus that had built up behind a stitch. I hope the smell goes away soon. I too do the nasal wash, which helps.
One piece of advice I got from someone was to add a drop or two of vinegar to the nasal wash (salt/water). This can help supposedly eliminate Staph. Just be careful with using the vinegar, as it is acidic and if you've had any work done on your sinuses, you'd want to wait until it's healed.
i also have this nasal odor problem and my wife goes absoulutely bananas when it happens. she blames it on the food that i eat, particularly, chinese take out.
i don't think it's the food, since it doesn't seem to happen 100% of the time, but it might be something in the food that would cause nasal blockage?
from what i've been reading, everything seems to suggest a blockage in the nasal pasage, however, when the nasal odor happens, i don't have bad breath (from the mouth) and don't feel any blockage at all nor is there any nasal drip.
help!
Hey me too.. two weeks ago I asked my daughter in law if she could smell fumes coming from her truck.. this was while I was IN the truck. I have had this smell now for 2 weeks, it comes and goes. This was with a sinus infection and because I am a smoker I get them often grrrrr. I have tried every allergy and sinus med I can think of but since I have started taking the actifed again.. the tiny little white pills its a bit better and also I have been using salt water, with a spoon I sniff the salt water and tilt my head back and roll it around to help clean the sinus area and that has helped alot. They say to use uniodized salt and a pinch of baking soda in 4 oz of warm water and use the whole thing. I dont use the whole thing .. never have the time but I have been doing it sometimes twice a day. Just try it and see if it will help you out it has me. I have only had the smell once out of 2 days now so maybe it will work.
It drives you nuts huh.
HuffnPuff
Hey me too.. two weeks ago I asked my daughter in law if she could smell fumes coming from her truck.. this was while I was IN the truck. I have had this smell now for 2 weeks, it comes and goes. This was with a sinus infection and because I am a smoker I get them often grrrrr. I have tried every allergy and sinus med I can think of but since I have started taking the actifed again.. the tiny little white pills its a bit better and also I have been using salt water, with a spoon I sniff the salt water and tilt my head back and roll it around to help clean the sinus area and that has helped alot. They say to use uniodized salt and a pinch of baking soda in 4 oz of warm water and use the whole thing. I dont use the whole thing .. never have the time but I have been doing it sometimes twice a day. Just try it and see if it will help you out it has me. I have only had the smell once out of 2 days now so maybe it will work.
It drives you nuts huh.
HuffnPuff
I have also been suffering a somewhat similar condition for years.
Whenever i exhale through my nose, people seem to react by covering their nose or turning away which is a sign that there is a bad smell. I am quite ashamed about this situation and have only told it to my mum, which she replies saying that she doesn't sense any bad smell.
There is always a bad taste lingering in my mouth and i can feel that the taste is somehow coming out of my nose when i exhale. The smell becomes even more apparent when I am on an empty stomach and feeling hungry.
There is always thick clear mucuos from the back of my nose and i have the habit of sniffing it down my throat and swallowing it all the time.
I have seen an ENT and he says that the mucuos is very thick in my nose. He has prescribed antibiotics and a nasal spray but my condition is still the same.
Going through everyday life has become hell for me. I really wanna change this situation.
Any useful suggestions?
I'm so glad I am not on my own with this awful condition. I have it so much worse when I sit down and find it hard to breath as though I can't get enough air into my lungs and I can't tell why I can't breath. I know it isn't astma as I used to suffer with this and it is different. The smell does somtimes change and is with me all the time. Does anybody else get this as I do, It is making my life a misery.
I'm so glad I am not on my own with this awful condition. I have it so much worse when I sit down and find it hard to breath as though I can't get enough air into my lungs and I can't tell why I can't breath. I know it isn't astma as I used to suffer with this and it is different. The smell does somtimes change and is with me all the time. Does anybody else get this as I do, It is making my life a misery.
There is a God!
I have been prescribed various antibiotics in the past couple of years by my GP. This was for what we thought was sinusitis. Nothing seemed to make any difference, including decongestants/nasal sprays. I was thn referred to a specialist , given a scan & told my sinuses were clear. I
questioned this as I have a slight hearing problem & guessed this was
because of the sinus problems I thought I had. I have always had this
hearing problem according to the specialist and have just gotten used to it. Sorry to go on, my point is, I thought I was mad as there doesn't seem to be a reason for this terrible smell in my nose, that I get regularly and it
lasts for days at a time & my nose always feels blocked. My boyfriend thinks I'm mad & I am embarrassed to go back to a doctor as it sounds like I'm making this up since my scan was clear. Would anything other than blocked sinuses have shown in my scan? Please help.......
There is a God!
I have been prescribed various antibiotics in the past couple of years by my GP. This was for what we thought was sinusitis. Nothing seemed to make any difference, including decongestants/nasal sprays. I was thn referred to a specialist , given a scan & told my sinuses were clear. I
questioned this as I have a slight hearing problem & guessed this was
because of the sinus problems I thought I had. I have always had this
hearing problem according to the specialist and have just gotten used to it. Sorry to go on, my point is, I thought I was mad as there doesn't seem to be a reason for this terrible smell in my nose, that I get regularly and it
lasts for days at a time & my nose always feels blocked. My boyfriend thinks I'm mad & I am embarrassed to go back to a doctor as it sounds like I'm making this up since my scan was clear. Would anything other than blocked sinuses have shown in my scan? Please help.......
I have been experiencing similar situation. It sometimes comes with a onesided headache(pressure on one side of my head)/facial/eye pain.
But one thing I have noticed is that, When I drink hot tea while I'm experiencing this bad taste/odor mucus, it seems to go away for a while.
is atrophic rhinitis the same as a condition called ozena? What others symptoms did you have beside that bad smell?
thanks.