Are you troubled by excess sinus mucus that just won’t go away?
It’s possible this is being caused by Sjogren’s syndrome.
However, if you have Sjogren’s syndrome, chances are pretty high that you already have its more common symptoms – particularly a persistently dry mouth and dry eyes.
Sjogren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease that first attacks the saliva-producing and tear-producing glands of the mouth and eyes, respectively.
Other symptoms can occur such as an ongoing cough, dry skin, pain or stiffness in the joints and prolonged fatigue.
The nasal passage may be affected as well.
“Nasal passages are dry, and once they develop a sinusitis and postnasal drip it takes longer to resolve,” says Stella Bard, MD, a board certified rheumatologist with 20+ years of experience.
As a result there may be frequent clearing of the throat as the mucous drips down.
“Mucous hardens from the nasal passages being dry, and without that protection of irrigation of these drainage pathways from the sinuses, the infection and drip stick around longer because it’s trapped in there, blocking the paths — as they are not being cleared or washed out as fast,” explains Dr. Bard.
Treatment for Dried Nasal Passages
“A humidifier is the first thing I recommend to keep around all night to moisten the air,” says Dr. Bard.
A neti pot is also a must. There are a variety of these nasal irrigation systems on the market.
Nasal irrigation with a neti pot. Shutterstock/kavzov
However, says Dr. Bard, you should not use a liquid nasal decongestant, as this can cause more dryness.
You can try a saline spray, but should not use it more than twice a day.
You should also drink plenty of water every day.
Dr. Bard is an ABMS board certified rheumatologist with 20+ years’ experience. Rheumatologists often deal with whole-body problems due to the diseases they treat; patients find solutions to problems they didn’t originally come in for such as body aches and poor sleep. Dr. Bard uses cutting edge and natural remedies to achieve remarkable results with her patients.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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