Post Nasal Drip and Bad Breath - What You Could Be Doing Wrong

Post Nasal Drip, or PND, is often the result of an infected sinus cavity. When the sinuses become irritated and inflamed, the cilia in the nose and throat, part of the body defense mechanism, slows down and mucus becomes thick. It drips into the throat where it becomes very difficult to pass. When mucus lays stagnant, especially in the presence of an infection, the mucus can also become infected and irritating to the throat. The body's natural solution is to try and clear the throat over and over of the phlegm and is exactly the wrong thing to do.

Mucus is comprised of dead cells which are very rich in protein. This provides a very desirable food supply to the anaerobic bacteria in your mouth which is the beginning of the digestive process. As the bacteria breaks down the protein into amino acids, they release what is called a volatile sulfur compound (VSC) which is the essence of bad breath.

Because post nasal drip alters your sense of taste and smell, it can be nearly impossible to know whether you have succumbed to having bad breath. More often than not, if you have the occasional problem of being unable to clear your throat, you probably suffer from post nasal drip and the halitosis which is often associated with it.

There are a few solutions to post nasal drip that you can try in your home.

1. Try mixing 4 cups of boiling water with one cup of vinegar in a large mixing bowl. Put your face over the bowl and breathe the steam in. The combination of steam and vinegar concentrations will help clear out the nostrils and kill bacteria at the source. Usually, the steam will only last for about 10 - 15 minutes and can be repeated every 2 - 4 hours as needed.

2. Make a saline nasal wash by combining warm water, deionized salt, and a small amount of baking soda. Squirt into each nostril using a squirt bottle, infant aspirator or any other device that can be exerted with pressure until the wash comes out of the other nostril. This often helps break down mucus pools while killing bacteria.

3. Always finish your oral hygiene routine by scraping your tongue with a tongue cleaning tool to help eliminate bad breath bacteria at the source.

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