What is postnasal drip?

What causes it?

How can you care for a sore throat caused by postnasal drip?

• Gargle with warm salt water to help get rid of throat soreness. Stir 1 tsp (5 g) of salt into 8 fl oz (240 mL) of lukewarm water. Gargle as often as you like-the more often, the better.
• Drink more fluids to soothe a sore throat. Honey and lemon in weak tea may help. (Do not give honey to children younger than 1 year.)
• Take acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin to help the pain go away. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20 because of the risk of a rare but serious illness called Reye syndrome.

• Mix 0.5 tsp (2.5 g) salt and 0.5 tsp (2.5 g) baking soda in 1 cup (237 mL) of body-temperature water (too much salt dries out nasal membranes).
•  Place the solution in a clean bottle with a dropper (available at drugstores). Use as needed. Make a fresh solution every 3 days.
• Insert drops while lying on a bed. The person should be on his or her back and hang the head over the side of the bed. This helps the drops get farther back. To avoid reinfection, try to avoid touching the dropper to the nose.
• If the bottle does not have a dropper, the solution can be snuffed from the palm of the hand, one nostril at a time.