You're sneezing, with a sore throat and mucus running out of your nose all day long; you know you're sick.
But you might not know what’s causing your symptoms. Sinus congestion and excessive mucus production arise as your body tries to defend itself against foreign invaders — or when infection strikes.
Call it what you will, but that substance that comes out of your nose when you're sick is mucus. The sinuses, which are hollow cavities filled with air located in the face, are lined with mucous membranes.
Mucous membranes are thin layers of moist tissues that produce the goopy material known as mucus, which you blow out of your nose or cough up when you have some sort of illness. It can be clear or yellow in color, and it has a thick, sticky consistency.
Mucus has an actual purpose. It's secreted by the mucous membranes in order to protect the respiratory tract from tiny invaders like bacteria, viruses, germs, and allergens that you breathe. Mucus captures these germs to keep them from getting deeper into the respiratory tract. But sometimes the mucous membranes go a little overboard, and excessive mucus production results.
What Causes Excessive Mucus Production?
Nasal congestion, or a stuffy nose, occurs when the tissues that line your nasal passages become irritated, inflamed, and swollen, making breathing a challenge. It's not mucus clogging your nose that causes those symptoms, although irritated nasal passages can lead to the production of excessive mucus. Sinus congestion occurs when the mucous membranes become irritated or infected and start to excrete more mucus than normal, filling those hollow areas with thick mucus.
Anything that irritates those mucous membranes can cause them to produce excessive mucus, including these health conditions:
- A bacterial infection
- A viral infection (like a cold or the flu)
- Allergies (including hay fever or sensitivity to dust mites)
- Asthma
- An object lodged inside the nose
- A sinus infection
- A head injury
- Excessive use of nasal sprays
When you've got too much mucus clogging your sinuses, it's common to experience other symptoms too. The mucus can drain down your throat, for example, causing a cough and a sore throat. Excessive mucus can also back up into the ears, clogging them, causing tenderness, and sometimes resulting in an ear infection.
Ways to Get Excessive Mucus Under Control
There are several things you can do to get rid of excessive mucus and its accompanying symptoms like cough and sore throat. If you have a bacterial infection or allergies, your doctor may prescribe medication to ease inflammation and swelling and reduce the production of mucus.
At home, you can take these steps to thin out mucus and ease your sinus congestion:
- Try using a saline (not medicated) nasal spray a few times a day.
- Consider using a neti pot to rinse your sinuses (make sure you only utilize sterile, pre-boiled & cooled, or distilled water in it).
- Drink plenty of water and other fluids each day.
- Run a humidifier in your home to keep the air moist (be sure to follow manufacturer directions to clean the humidifier daily to avoid it becoming a source of sinus problems).
- Try an over-the-counter antihistamine.
Excessive mucus production is just your body's way of protecting itself and keeping those germs out of your lungs — but the result can be serious discomfort until you can clear all of it up. Take care of yourself with home remedies to thin out the thick discharge, and see your doctor if your symptoms don't improve.