Post nasal drip syndrome (PNDS)

POSTNASAL DRIP

Postnasal drip (PND) is the drainage of secretions from the nose or paranasal sinuses into the pharynx (1).

• often the condition is described as a chronic condition associated with repeated episodes of cold and flu
• there is accumulation of mucus in the postnasal space due to an abnormality in the mucociliary clearance (patient refers to this as catarrh) (2)

It is recognized as one of the “pathogenic triad of chronic cough” (along with asthma and gastroesophageal reflux disease) and is thought to be the cause of chronic cough in up to 87% of patients (3).

American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) guidelines recommends the term “upper airway cough syndrome (UACS)” instead of PNDS induced cough although it is not clear if there is any difference between these two conditions (2).

In UK both chest physician and otolaryngologists recommend the term ‘rhinosinusitis’ for PNDS (2).

Reference:

• (1) Sanu A, Eccles R. Postnasal drip syndrome. Two hundred years of controversy between UK and USA. Rhinology. 2008;46(2):86-91
• (2) O'Hara J, Jones NS. "Post-nasal drip syndrome": most patients with purulent nasal secretions do not complain of chronic cough. Rhinology. 2006;44(4):270-3.