Runny Nose Breakthrough!!!  Dhummi.V.Sulapani

Updated on: Aug 15, 2008

6.Post Nasal Drip Blocking Device & 
Prevention Of Sore Throat!

Inflammatory Secretions And Sore Throat!

Inflammatory secretions generate in APNC area due to viral infection during common cold. These secretions get mixed up with mucus secretions and move towards throat due to rhythmic beating by cilia present in the nasal passages. These inflammatory secretions cause sore throat, which can lead to severe coughing. Post Nasal Drip Blocking Device by effectively stopping the flow of the inflammatory secretions can prevent the development of sore throat. In fact, this device reverses the flow of these secretions and make them flow towards the openings of nasal cavities and out of the nose. I made these devices by using plain paper which is usually available in every household. Please read about how this paper device evolved in the web page: "Genesis of the breakthroughs"

 

Reversal of mucus and prevention of sore throat!:  When a paper device is  placed in a nasal cavity, the thin and sticky mucus sticks to the outer surface of the device. The secretions will not go further upwards in the direction of throat even due to the sucking action of inspiration and due to the beating and pushing action of the cilia. Mucus will start moving towards outside openings of nasal cavities and come out of the nose. This reversal of mucus flow is due to: 

	Stickiness of secretions makes it to stick to the paper devices and prevent their  movement towards throat.
	The force of expired air make them flow out of the nose.
	The gravitational advantage due to the inclination of the anterior portion of nasal cavities towards earth also helps the reverse flow of  secretions.

As the secretions entering throat can be stopped by the use of device, sore throat will not develop. This can also stop remote stimulation of mucus secretions through the nerves present in the throat and leads to lesser secretion of mucus in APNC area and facilitates clear breathing.

Vanishing of headaches: Once the flow of mucus is inhibited by the paper devices, the sensory areas in the nasal passages responsible for triggering the headaches will not get the supply of mucus containing irritating/inflammatory secretions. Whatever, irritants present in the mucus adhering to those areas responsible for triggering headaches will get cleared up by the ciliary action in about 30 minutes, that is why headaches vanish after the insertion of paper devices.

Clear breathing:  The reason for this is: that the paper device keeps open some space between the lateral and septal walls in nasal cavity by pushing the lower turbinate towards lateral wall. 

I have given the details about the making of this simple device in the following. I have named this paper device as POST NASAL DRIP BLOCKING DEVICE.

Preparation Of Post Nasal Drip Blocking Device  

Method of Preparation of a simple but very effective device to inhibit post nasal dripping of the mucus is as follows:-

 

Take a piece of clean paper preferably around executive quality measuring about 1.2 cms by 6.5 cms (Fig.1). Now  by using the fingers of one hand and palm of the other hand, roll it to make a cylindrical roll with 2 to 3 spiral layers ( Fig.2 ). Then make the roll tapered at one end by rotating that end  between index finger and thumb, so that the paper roll shapes like a cone (and the narrower end is nearly closed  as in Fig.3). Now fold the conical paper roll at about 1.2 cms level from the broader end to make the paper roll look like a TICK MARK  (Fig.4). Press the paper roll at the spot of the folding by holding between index finger and thumb to soften the sharper edges formed due to folding. One can vary the above mentioned dimensions according to the size of the nose. Now, this is that very effective PND BLOCKING DEVICE (also referred as paper device) ready for use.

Insertion of paper devices in the nasal cavities:  Blow out the excessive mucus  in the nose gently and perform CWT. Afterwards, insert a device in each nasal cavity between lower turbinate and the nasal septum, so that, the tapered end occupies the upper portion somewhere above the the superior turbinate and the lower folded end occupies the position below the lower turbinate. In this position, paper devices will not be noticed easily by the people around you. The folded portion at the bottom gives some grip to make the paper devices to stay inside the nose. With little care one can make them stay inside the nose up to 4 hours. Keep few extra such paper devices as standby to replace those which come out due to sneezing or to be replaced when they become too wet. One should keep some tissue papers handy to wipe out the mucus which comes out of the nose.

NOTE:- One has to make sure the quality of paper used to prepare these devices is biologically inert and does not produce adverse reaction. Before starting the use of these devices, one must consult ENT specialist about the suitability of these devices for his/her individual nasal conditions. 

Use of post nasal dripping device to overcome the problem of thick mucus:  One experiences frequent nasal blockages due to thick mucus due to allergy or viral infection. One can use paper devices which nicely hide in the nasal cavities and make the thick mucus move out of the nose. These devices also keep some space open between septal wall & the lateral wall, and enable clear breathing.  One may continue to use them for about 2 hours, and are to be replaced with fresh ones when they come out due to sneezing, or when they are to be removed to perform CWT.

How To Overcome The Fear Of: 
Paper Stuck-ups In The Nasal Passage  

To overcome the fear of any problem like stuck up of these devices in the nasal passages, one can tie the lower ends of these devices with a string as shown in the adjacent figure.

If one is in lying down/sleeping in horizontal position in the bed, post nasal dripping could be more. In horizontal posture, nasal secretions can easily move towards throat due to beating and pushing action of cilia in the direction of throat and the force of inspiration. Paper rolls inhibit the movement of mucus as it sticks to them and hence the most of the mucus will only move towards the external openings of the nose during expiration and prevent sore throat. Paper rolls are also found to reduce the hyper nasal secretions to some extent, this may be due to some gap they form between the lateral and septum walls (by pushing the lower turbinate towards lateral wall) which enables breathing with less friction (If the mucus membranes make the nasal cavities too narrow, friction between the air we breathe and the mucus membranes can cause hyper nasal secretions). Another probable reason for the reduction of hyper nasal secretions is as follows:- There are nerves in throat which are capable of remotely stimulating mucus secretions in APNC area, since PND Blocking Devices stop the supply of stimulatory (inflammatory/irritating) secretions, these nerves remain passive and hence drastic reduction in mucus secretion. Therefore, this process leads to to clear breathing.   

Prevention of other secondary complications:  Reversal of mucus flow protects eustachian tubes, throat, and lungs from inflammatory/infecting agents in the mucus. So, the secondary complications due to post nasal dripping will not take place by the use of  PND- BLOCKING DEVICE.

Method Of Using PND Blocking Devices

The method of usage of these devices during common cold is as follows:-

Day time Use:  These paper tubes are to be used only for 2 or 3 days and intermittently. These devices should be used when the cough becomes uncontrollable and for a duration of 1 to 2 hours and remove them. This will give relief from cough for 1 or 2 hours. But, CWT should be performed few times after the removal of devices to nullify the inflammatory secretions. Repeat this process about 4 times during day time intermittently to control coughing. Fresh devices should be used with every repetition. This procedure gives protects throat from inflammatory secretions. Please check up with your ENT specialist about the suitability of these devices for your existing nasal conditions. 

Night time Use:  During night time, because of the longer duration of the 4 to 8 hours of sleep, huge amount of inflammatory secretions move towards throat. When, one gets up in the middle of the night/morning, he experiences severe burning, sore throat and coughing. Therefore, before going to sleep, one should gently blow out the excessive mucus and insert the devices. When one gets up in the middle of the night, he should remove the devices and perform CWT after blowing out the mucus gently. Fresh devices are to be inserted before going to sleep again. By following this procedure correctly, one will notice throat is free of any irritation/burning and hence no coughing. Do not worry, this is to be followed only for 2 or 3 days. Please check up with your ENT specialist about the suitability of using these devices for your existing nasal conditions.

NOTE: To overcome the fear of any problem like stuck-up of these devices in the nasal passages, one can tie the lower ends of these devices with a string as explained earlier.

What's Next: You will come across the details of precautionary measures to complement the treatments for allergy and common cold. Read the topic: Beware of pollution during common cold!  thoroughly.

DISCLAIMER

The information provided in this web site is to draw the attention of the people of the world and the concerned medical research institutes about my findings. If anybody wants to try Cold Water Treatment or any other treatments explained in this website, he or she should do it with the approval and under the supervision of the family doctor. Author has not experienced any adverse effects by using these methods.  Author or those people who have written about their experience/opinion with these methods will not be responsible for any adverse effects that might be caused to any one using these methods. All the details are subject to changes without notice.