Postnasal Drip

After a viral cold, it takes 4 to 8 weeks to restore mucosal ciliary movement and rebuild mucosal immunity. If postnasal drip resolves within this period, it can be considered a temporary phenomenon following the cold. However, if it persists for more than two months, one must consider the possibility that the mucosa has become entrenched in a chronic hypersensitive state or that a secondary bacterial infection (sinusitis) has occurred. Natural recovery is more difficult if co-existing causes such as smoking, allergies, or reflux are present. At this stage, initiating Western or Korean medical treatment to rapidly restore the mucosal environment is effective in preventing progression to chronic rhinosinusitis. If pathogenic factors remaining after a cold persist in the lungs, a state of lung deficiency persists, preventing the postnasal drip from healing. By using herbal medicines designed to clear cold energy and phlegm to resolve residual pathogenic factors and restore lung energy, significant improvement is often observed within 4 to 8 weeks of treatment, even in cases that have persisted for more than two months.