Post nasal drip is the feeling of excess mucus sliding down the back of your throat, often causing a chronic need to clear your throat, cough, or swallow.

What post nasal drip is

Post nasal drip happens when the nose and sinus glands make more mucus than usual or when the mucus becomes thicker and more noticeable.

People often describe it as “mucus stuck in the back of the throat” rather than a typical runny nose.

Common symptoms

Typical symptoms include:

  • Constant throat clearing and a “lump in the throat” feeling.
  • Chronic cough, hoarseness, bad breath, and sometimes a sore or scratchy throat.
  • Sensation of dripping/streaming mucus when lying down, and sometimes nausea if a lot of mucus is swallowed.

Main causes

Frequent causes are:

  • Allergies (allergic rhinitis), colds, and sinus infections, which inflame the nasal lining and increase mucus.
  • Irritants (smoke, pollution, strong smells), weather changes, and dry air, which can thicken mucus.
  • Less commonly, acid reflux, structural nose issues, or chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Treatment and home care

Treatment depends on the cause, but key approaches include:

  • Saline nasal rinses or sprays to thin and flush mucus from the nose and sinuses.
  • Allergy-focused options such as oral antihistamines, steroid nasal sprays, and sometimes montelukast or immunotherapy (allergy shots/drops) when allergies drive symptoms.
  • For infections, short-term decongestants and, if a bacterial sinus infection is confirmed, antibiotics; chronic cases may occasionally need procedures like turbinate reduction or sinus surgery.

When to see a doctor

Medical review is important if:

  • Symptoms last more than about 10 days, keep coming back, or significantly affect sleep or daily life.
  • You notice fever, facial pain, thick green or bloody mucus, trouble breathing, or swallowing, which can signal infection or another condition that needs targeted treatment.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.