Post Nasal Drip Treatment From Leading Expert

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Bad Breath is very closely related to post nasal drip, excess mucus, sinus problems, your tonsils, and tonsiloliths.

If you recall from my book 'The Bad Breath Bible', remember that the bacteria which cause bad breath and sour/bitter/metallic tastes are anaerobic (live without oxygen). Their goal in life is to break down the proteins in foods that we eat. However, under certain conditions, they will also start to break down the proteins found in mucus and phlegm.

Therefore, those people who suffer from post nasal drip, sinus problems, and other such ailments are more prone to bad breath and lousy tastes because the bacteria use the mucus as a food source and start to extract sulfur compounds from the amino acids that make up the proteins found in all this excess mucus.

Scientifically, the anaerobic bacteria that cause bad breath "love" the amino acids Cysteine and Methionine, which are the building blocks of the proteins that are found in mucus (and phlegm) and in dairy foods, too. In fact, many people notice that when they drink too much milk or eat too much cheese they end up with more mucous or phlegm in their throat. This is a natural reaction for many people and unfortunately, ends up causing more bad breath and lousy taste.

If you still have your tonsils, you may be harboring a higher number of the bacteria which can lead to an "interesting" and very often misunderstood phenomenon, called TONSILOLITHS. Literally translated, they are "tonsil stones" produced by the conglomeration of mucus draining down the back of the throat and the volatile sulfur compounds created by the bacteria which easily end up in the "nooks and crannies" of the tonsils, every time one swallows. I can't tell you how many stories I've heard from my patients who asked their dentist what these objects were, and more often than not the answer was 'food particles'. This couldn't be further from the truth!

If you suffer from excess mucus, sinus congestion and post nasal drip there are essentially only a few different routes that you can take:

1. Use medication and or drugs to dry up the sinuses and prevent mucus buildup - all the while being careful to avoid a dry mouth, a likely side-effect of virtually all antihistamines. Dry mouth is the most common initiator of bad breath because it mimics an anaerobic environment, perfect for the "bugs" to pump out Volatile Sulfur Compounds. You should be careful about using any antihistamine too frequently - many are habit forming!
2. Many patients will find relief by using the Hydropulse® (an amazingly effective Nasal-Sinus Irrigator, designed by an Ear Nose & Throat specialist) to flush the sinuses.

Medication and Drugs MAY help Prevent Post-Nasal Drip, But At What Cost?

There are dozens of different over-the counter nasal decongestants and antihistamines you can use to help relieve congestion and dry up excess mucus, and some of them are very good at what they claim… but mostly they are TOO GOOD! They create an extremely dry mouth, which exacerbates bad breath. And even in cases where the dry mouth side effect is minimal, when you stop taking that medication the problem comes back, and almost always with a vengeance! This is because in some cases, your body will actually develop a resistance to any antihistamines or nasal decongestants, especially nasal sprays because many sprays are habit forming.

Suffice it to say, this should NOT be an option that you pursue.

Use a Nasal-Irrigator such as the Hydropulse® to Flush Your Sinuses free from Excess Mucus

Nasal Irrigation is probably the most effective method of eliminating post-nasal drip and helping to control sinus infections. The Hydro Pulse Sinus Irrigator is an FDA registered device supported by over 37 published medical reports. The unique pulsatile irrigation of the Hydro Pulse helps to restore ciliary function and relieve post nasal drip. A short period of regular use can stimulate the cilia (the tiny hair-like fibers in the nasal sinus passages) to restore their natural protective "sweeping & cleansing" action.

When you feel a sinus condition come on, or feel that you have persistent post-nasal drip and excess mucus, consistent daily use for 10 days should result in a clearing of the condition.

Stop Bad Breath Associated with Post-Nasal Drip, Excess Mucus, and Sinus Problems

For people who don't really have sinus problems, just "off and on" or seasonal post-nasal drip, then an alternative (and better) solution might be to minimize the amount of excess mucus in the back of the throat and more importantly to make sure you neutralize the odor caused by this excess mucus.

You see, the proteins in mucus make an excellent food source for the anaerobic bacteria that cause bad breath. The bacteria feed off the amino acids, Methionine and Cysteine, and create extremely odorous and lousy-tasting Volatile Sulfur Compounds as by-products, which are the odors and lousy tastes found in the medical condition halitosis, which YOU (or maybe everyone around you) more commonly knows as bad breath.

When I first started treating my own daughter's breath problem 10 years ago, I never dreamed that I would end up helping so many people all over the world who had the same problem, which my fellow dentists ignored or misdiagnosed for far too long. It was only a few years into our clinical therapy that I realized that "Every case of bad breath is different and that there is no such thing as one formula to treat every case of halitosis."

We've been here for the last 10 years to help our patients prevent bad breath, sinus congestion, and lousy tastes, and we'll be here for many more years to come. If there is anythingwe can do to help, please don't hesitate to contact us - that's why we're here!

Warmest Regards,

Harold Katz, DDS

© Copyright 2004 Health Solutions Medical Products Corp. 
© Copyright 2005 Dr. Harold Katz, LLC. All international rights reserved.

Summary-

Dr. Katz only offers two solutions for post nasal drip treatment in his article, drug therapy and pulsating nasal irrigation.  And he says that drugs are not a good alternative!  This leaves only pulsating nasal irrigation, and you can obtain information about this at this link: Sinus-Irrigation, Also, you can find out how to purchase what you need here.  Good luck in pursuing an effective post nasal drip treatment!

Update: 1/28/07-

I was flattered to receive the following email this morning from the famous ENT specialist Dr. Murray Grossan, inventor of the Hydro Pulse Irrigation System.  He wanted to post this on our site blog, but I’ve had to turn off the comments function because of spammers.  Here is Dr. Grossan’s message.

“A reminder. Many persons with post nasal drip are cured by
drinking hot tea with lemon 8 glasses / day
Chicken soup
Adequate hydration
Using the sound "oooooommmmmm".
The goal is to get the cilia moving. I just learned from a patient another method - jumping jacks - jumping up and down and clapping your hands above your head.

By the way, if you buy the E book How to be free of Sinus Disease - Permanently from the Empty Nose Syndrome web site, 100% goes to support their program.
best wishes,

Murray Grossan, M.D.”

 Here is a link to the Empty Nose Syndrome site Dr. Grossan referred to:  Empty Nose Syndrome