Excessive Mucus in Throat

Excessive mucus in throat or post nasal drip, can be a source of great irritation and discomfort for any person. Symptoms of excessive mucus in throat, include, a constant need on the part of the affected person to clear his throat, as well as a feeling that something is trapped inside the throat or that there is a lump in the throat. What causes the mucous membranes to produce excess mucus? Let us find this out by knowing the reasons behind excessive accumulation of mucus in the throat, followed by some effective home remedies to get rid of the same.

Excessive Mucus Causes

• Excessive mucus in throat can be caused by viral infections, such as measles, whooping cough, chickenpox and mononucleosis. Sinus infections, which cause inflammation in the paranasal sinuses, cause excessive mucus too.
• Allergies, such as those caused by pollens, smoke, pollution and even by food, such as those resulting from lactose intolerance, can cause excessive mucus production by the mucous membrane.
• Smoking is one of the primary causes of excessive mucus production in the nose as well as phlegm in the throat.
• Problems in nasal and throat functionality, can cause difficulty in removing mucus, resulting in accumulation of excessive mucus in throat.
• Bacterial infections such as strep throat can cause mucus build up too.

Excessive Mucus Treatment

Medical treatments for excessive mucus include decongestants, nasal sprays, nasal drops and expectorant cough medicines. If the mucus build up is due to some allergy or infection, treating it first with antihistamines in case of allergy and antibiotics, in case of an infection, is the usual course taken by the doctors. Besides the medical treatments, here are some useful home remedies which are quite effective in removing mucus.

Herbal Teas
If you want to know how to get rid of excess mucus naturally, the solution lies in drinking hot herbal teas such as lemon tea or chamomile tea, with a dash of honey. Honey will help in providing relief from any kind of irritation that might be there. Herbal teas, which are rich in antioxidants, help in boosting the immune system, thus, warding off all infections, and hence, are a nature's gift to us for curing respiratory problems.

Essential Oils
Rubbing essential oils on the chest and the throat, makes removal of mucus easier. Mix a teaspoon each of lavender oil, peppermint oil and thyme in two tablespoons of olive oil , and rub the mixture all over your throat and chest. This will loosen up the accumulated mucus in throat, making it easier to either cough it up or blow it out through the nose.

Gargle and Steam
Gargling with hot water, to which a bit of salt has been added, helps in soothing the throat irritation. Gargling also helps in warming up the throat area, thus, loosening the mucus, which can be coughed out thereafter. Taking steam with hot water, after adding eucalyptus oil to it, is another way of loosening and getting rid of excessive mucus in throat.

Garlic and Ginger
Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties so chew on a small piece of ginger to get rid of throat irritation and mucus. Eat five six cloves of garlic everyday as garlic is an all natural antibiotic, which helps in fighting infections. Thus, eating it will help you to get rid of excessive mucus which is caused due to a bacterial infection.

These are a few remedies to get rid of excessive mucus in throat. Besides these, keeping yourself healthy by eating a well balanced diet, drinking lots of fluids, and taking proper medication will help you to get rid of excessive mucus.