When you have a cold, your body tries to remove mucus and other gunk from your nose, throat, and airways. (www.bottomlineequipment.com) It does this by making you cough or sneeze. Then, it also starts producing lots of mucus in preparation for the next attack. This can result in frequent bouts of slimy discharge, which is known as post-nasal drip. Regularly releasing excess mucus is not something to fear. In fact, it’s a common consequence of having a cold or flu virus and is a sign that your body is trying its best to get better and recover. In this article, we look at why you get mucus after eating and what you can do about it.
Why Do I Get Mucus After Eating?
When you eat, your body produces enzymes that help break down your food. In addition, your mouth also produces enzymes that help dissolve the proteins in your saliva. When these enzymes come into contact with your mucus, they can make it more liquid. This happens because mucus is made up in part of proteins and salt. So, when you swallow your mucus, the salt and proteins in your food can make the mucus in your throat and airways more watery. This is why you can get mucus after eating. This is fairly common after a viral infection, such as the common cold when the body is already producing excess mucus. However, you can also get mucus after eating if you have allergies or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Getting regular bouts of mucus after eating is not necessarily a sign that you have a serious health issue. It can, however, be a sign that you need to make some changes to your diet. As we’ve seen, there are several potential causes of mucus after eating. Let’s take a look at some reasons for mucus after eating, and how you can try to prevent or reduce it. These include:
- Diet: If you’re eating a diet that’s too high in sugar or carbohydrates, this may result in mucus after eating.
- Dry Air: If you live in a very dry area, or if you’re regularly using air conditioning in the summer, you may find that you produce excess mucus after eating.
- Environment: If you’re regularly in contact with pollutants, such as car fumes or cigarette smoke, you may produce excess mucus after eating.
- Exhaustion: If you regularly don’t get enough sleep, this can result in your immune system becomes weakened. This can, in turn, result in you producing excess mucus after eating.
What Causes Mucus After Eating?
As we’ve seen, there are many potential causes of mucus after eating. Let’s take a look at the most common causes of mucus after eating and how you can treat them. These include:
- Allergies: If you’re allergic to certain foods or substances, such as pollen or dust, that you come into regular contact with, your immune system may mistake those for a threat. In response to this, your body releases histamines, which are chemicals that can result in post-nasal drip.
- Bacterial Infection: If you have a bacterial infection, it may result in mucus after eating. Bacterial infections are typically more severe and last longer than colds do. When you have a severe bacterial infection, you may also experience fever, headaches, body aches, and a general sense of feeling unwell.
How Does Mucus After Eating Happens?
- When you eat a meal, the enzymes in your saliva break down the proteins in your food.
- When these enzymes come into contact with your mucus, they can also make it more liquid.
- If you regularly experience this, it can result in post-nasal drip, where you regularly cough up or get slimy mucus in your throat or airways.
- When you get a post-nasal drip, you can experience coughing and feelings of congestion in your throat and airways.
- You might also regularly have a runny nose and experience other allergy symptoms.
How To Manage Mucus After Eating?
Eat a well-balanced and nutritious diet: A healthy and well-balanced diet can help you avoid getting regular bouts of mucus after eating. This is especially important if you have allergies.
- Avoid foods that trigger mucus production: Some foods can actually trigger your body to produce excess mucus. The most common trigger is dairy products. If you have allergies, you might also have a reaction to certain proteins in foods.
- Use over-the-counter medications: If you regularly experience mucus after eating and it’s interfering with your life, you can talk with your health provider about taking over-the-counter medications.
- Make dietary changes: If you regularly experience mucus after eating, you might want to consider making dietary changes. You can try cutting out all dairy products for one week and see if the mucus goes away.
- See your health provider: If the mucus after eating is interfering with your life, it’s a good idea to talk with your health provider. They can help you determine if it’s something serious or if there are changes you can make to manage it.
What To Do About Excessive Mucus After Eating?
- When you get a cold, your body tries to remove mucus and other gunk from your nose, throat, and airways. When you eat, your body also makes enzymes that dissolve proteins in your saliva, including the proteins in your mucus. When the enzymes in your saliva come in contact with your mucus, they can make it more liquid. This is why you can get mucus after eating.
- Preventing post-nasal drip is better than trying to treat it. Therefore, taking steps to prevent it can be helpful. You can do this by eating smaller meals and chewing your food well. This helps your body digest your food better. In turn, this helps reduce the amount of mucus your body produces.
A Tips To Reduce Post-Eating Mucus
- Stay hydrated: If you get a post-nasal drip, you’re likely to also experience dry mouth. Drinking plenty of water can help you stay hydrated and avoid dry mouth and throat.
- Choose nutritious foods: When you have a cold, it’s not a good time to be eating junk food. Instead, you should be eating a well-balanced, nutritious diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and proteins.
- Add citrus fruits to your diet: Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruit have properties that can actually help decrease mucus production.
- Avoid dairy products: If you experience mucus after eating, it’s likely due to being lactose intolerant. Avoiding dairy products for a short time can help you determine if you have this condition.
- Take probiotics: Probiotics can help strengthen your immune system and keep you healthy. They can also help decrease mucus production.
Conclusion
Mucus is a thick, sticky substance that is produced by your nose, sinuses, and lungs. It helps trap and remove unwanted substances from your airways, such as dust and pollen. When you have a cold, your body tries to remove mucus and other gunk from your nose, throat, and airways. It does this by making you cough or sneeze. This article looks at why you get mucus after eating and what you can do about it.
