Mucus in my throat can't seem to get rid of the mucus in my throat. swallowing and coughing them won't take care of the problem. i enjoy drinking ice cold water. could this be the problem.

First : First of all, you must know that mucous is normal. It's necessary to lubricate our membranes and help fight infection. We produce up to 1-2 quarts per day. Normally it is produced by the sinuses and nasal passages and we end up swallowing it or spitting it out. The problem arises when we produce too much of it or it becomes too thick. This is particularly a problem at night when we lie down and the mucous layers out in the back of the throat. Causes of thick and/or colored mucous are lack of hydration, infection (nasal or sinus), allergies (allergic rhinitis), non allergic rhinitis (vasomotor, a sensitivity to environmental stimuli), and sometimes medications such as blood pressure meds which work by eliminating water from our systems. Treatment includes hydration and salt water rinses. Sometimes antihistamine/decongestant combinations are successful but can make one drowsy. Decongestants alone are sometimes successful but should be taken with care by people on heart/bp meds. Salt water rinses at night via netty pot or a water pick type apparatus are particularly helpful if one has had past nasal or sinus surgery. Also, sometimes I have found that a very small amount of sea salt placed on the tip of the tongue has helped thin the mucous enough just prior to sleep to allow throat comfort. If none of these seem to be be of help, an evaluation by an ENT doctor may be warranted to rule out a deviated septum, enlarged nasal turbinates, and/or sinus disease. Sometimes he/she will recommend a nasal steroid spray and possibly a work up for nasal/sinus allergies. Ultimately, a surgery on the septum and or turbinates to reduce their size may be of benefit. I hope this is of help.

I : I agree with the comments my colleague has made about the causes of mucous in your throat that may arise in the nose or from allergies, but it is very important that you see an ENT to rule out among other things a very common condition, called laryngopharyngeal reflux. We are all aware of heartburn being caused by acid that comes up from the stomach into the esophagus and causing that uncomfortable sensation in the chest. But one of the more unrecognized conditions to elude many patients but also their care takers, ENT specialists, allergists, pulmonologists and primary medical care physicians alike is acid reflux that affects the throat and ocassionally the sinuses. If you are clearing your throat frequently, feel there is mucous in your throat mainly when you wake up in the morning and occasionally feel a sort of foreign body sensation as if something is tuck in your throat you may have laryngopharyngeal reflux which is easily treated without any surgery. Your symptoms may or may not be accompanied by an acidic taste in your mouth or heartburn. The treatment involves a slight change in your diet to reflect low acid foods mainly removing things such as tomato, onion, chocolate, caffeine, smoking, alcohol, peppermint, spicy, fatty foods and citrus and then starting a medication that reduces the acid in your stomach.