Q & A

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Is post nasal drip curable?

Is post nasal drip curable? Can you get antibiotics for it? And does sinus infections cause it?

The short answer is yes, post nasal drip is curable once one finds the cause.

Post nasal drip is one of the more common symptoms people complain about to their Ear Nose and Throat doctor. Much of the time doctors consider this a diagnosis. It is not a diagnosis, but a symptom with many causes.

We make mucous in the nose and sinus cavities, about a quart a day. It serves as a lubricant, think motor oil, that traps particles in the nose- dust, virus, contaminants, bacteria- and is swept back by cilia into the back of the nose and then down the throat into the stomach. The stomach acid then destroys or inactivates these contaminants. The mucous is usually a thin lubricating layer.

However, sometimes we make the wrong consistency of mucous- think thick old motor oil- and there are multiple causes that should be able to be diagnosed by your ENT or sinus doctor.

One of the more common causes of post nasal drip is gastric reflux. If acid comes up as high as the nose or throat, the membranes make extra mucous, trying to delicate nasal lining tissues from the acid. Patients often feel the need to clear the throat with this.

A sinus infection can cause post nasal drip. In this case the examiner can see pus coming out of the sinus openings, being swept down the throat.

Allergies can cause post nasal drip by making “the wrong kind of mucous”. Typically with allergic nasal conditions one may make excess watery- or at other times overly thick- mucous that one feels in the throat.

Mucous can become thick from drying and cause a post nasal drip. This can occur with dry air- such as heated air in cold weather or often from drying medication such as a diuretic (water pill).

Any individual can have one or more of these problems simultaneously. Appropriate treatment, when aimed at the cause or causes, should be able to help alleviate your post nasal drip.

Robert Pincus MD

NY Sinus Center

Q & A

Robert L. Pincus, MD, FACS

View articles by Dr Robert Pincus

Doctor Robert Pincus is a founder of the New York Sinus Center and one of Manhattan’s most highly regarded, board-certified otolaryngologists.

Dr. Pincus earned his medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School. He completed his training at New York’s Lenox Hill Hospital and Mount Sinai Medical Center.

In addition to his private practice work, Dr. Pincus is an Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at New York Medical College and a Lecturer at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Earlier in his career, Dr. Pincus was Vice Chairman at New York Medical College, Director of the Department of Otolaryngology at New York’s Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, and Director of the Head and Neck Service at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. He has extensive teaching experience.

Dr. Pincus is a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons, the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The American Rhinological Society, and the American Society for Head and Neck Surgery, as well as a Diplomate with the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. He is currently an active member in numerous professional associations, including the American Broncho-esophagologic Association; Physicians for Social Responsibility; Society for Ear, Nose and Throat Advances in Children; and Association of Physicians in AIDS Medicine.

Dr. Pincus has authored more than 40 articles and book chapters in the field of otolaryngology and shared his insights in presentations before dozens of prestigious professional organizations and medical staffs. He has frequently been recognized as one of metro New York’s leading otolaryngologists and sinus specialists by New York magazine, Castle Connelly Medical LTD, and Super Doctors.

Download a pdf of the Curriculum Vitae

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New York Best Doctors: 1998, 1999, 2001

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Castle Connelly Top Doctors: Ten Years

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America’s Top Physicians: 2006, 2007, 2008

Q & A

Lane D. Krevitt, MD

Dr. Lane Krevitt is a board certified Otolaryngologist – Head and Neck Surgeon, who specializes in Head and Neck Oncology Surgery, including Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery and Endoscopic Sinus Surgery. He is the director of Head & Neck Surgery, Thyroid and Parathyroid disease at the New York Otolaryngology group. He received his undergraduate degree at Tufts University in Boston and his medical degree from Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. He completed his Internship in General Surgery and Residency training in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine / Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Krevitt also completed a Fellowship in Head and Neck Oncology and Endocrine Surgery (Thyroid and Parathyroid) at Montefiore Medical Center, under the direction of Dr. Carl Silver, M.D., a pioneer in the field of Head & Neck Surgery and Laryngology.

Dr. Krevitt is an Attending physician at Beth Israel Medical Center, Montefiore Medical Center and Staten Island University Medical Center. He has an academic appointment as Assistant Clinical Instructor and member in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, at Beth Israel Medical Center, Manhattan campus, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Castle Connelly Guide has recognized Dr. Krevitt as one of New York’s leading Otolaryngologists for many years. He has also consistently been included in Super Doctors, as seen in the New York Times Magazine. He was also included in the “Best Doctors” edition in New York Magazine in 2010. He has also been consistently been included in America’s Top Physicians and recipient of Patients Choice Award. Dr. Krevitt is a participant in the Beth Israel Continuum Head and Neck Tumor Board in New York City that meets weekly, discussing treatment planning with many of the other leading Head & Neck cancer specialists in our region.

Dr. Krevitt has published and presented at numerous meetings both regionally and nationally on a wide array of topics. In addition, he co-authored the chapter, “Morpho-Physiology of the Thyroid and Parathyroid Glands,” in Science Review for Otolaryngology, published by Thieme. He is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, New York Head and Neck Society, American Rhinolgic Society.

Dr. Krevitt treats many types of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck conditions. He has expertise in Minimally Invasive Surgeries of the Head & Neck and Sinuses. His area of special interest includes:

Thyroid / Parathyroid Disease
Image Guided Minimally Invasive Sinus Surgery
Comprehensive management of Sinus/Nasal Disease
Cancers of the Larynx
Cancers of the Head & Neck
Sleep Apnea

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Super Doctors: 2008-2011
New York Magazine’s Best Doctors: 2010

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Best Doctors®: 2008-2010
Castle Connelly New York’s Top Doctors: 2006-2012
America’s Top Physicians: 2003-2012

Q & A

Scott D. Gold, MD

Scott Gold, M.D., one of New York’s premiere otolaryngologists and a founder of the New York Sinus Center in Manhattan, specializes in sinus disease and minimally invasive endoscopic sinus surgery.

Dr. Gold received his M.D. degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, where he is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor of Otolaryngology. He completed his residency training in General Surgery and Otolaryngology at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Gold was formerly Chief of Otolaryngology at Beth Israel Medical Center, North Division.

Dr. Gold has been recognized numerous times by New York magazine and Castle Connelly Medical LTD as one of the New York area’s leading otolaryngologists and sinus specialists. He is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.

An active lecturer, Dr. Gold has presented before many prestigious medical bodies. He has organized and taught at several postgraduate endoscopic sinus surgery courses for Otolaryngologists. He is a member of the American Medical Association, the New York Medical Society, the American Rhinological Society and The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

Dr. Gold is an attending physician at major New York teaching hospitals, including Beth Israel and Lenox Hill Hospital.

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Top Doctors: 2001, 2009

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Castle Connelly America’s Top Doctors: 2012

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NY Best Doctors: 1998,1999,2002-2012

New York Sinus Center } The New York Otolaryngology Group

Is post nasal drip curable?

Robert L. Pincus, MD, FACS

Lane D. Krevitt, MD

Scott D. Gold, MD