My mother is having mucus build up that is making her have to clear her throat more. Any advice?

I have actually had the problem in recent weeks, annoying those around me.

I have tried Flonase, saline sinus rinses (homemade) and take Theraflu at night and that helps.

But a couple things that contribute to my problem. I have acid reflux, and in some people acid can get back up into sinuses and cause the post nasal drip. So I take meds for that.

But another BIG thing that has caused my issue and I read often is an issue Anxiety

Initially a person clears their throat out of real need, but it ends up becoming a nervous habit, Once I realized that I was really able to deal with it

Take note if she is phleming up after eating a particular meal or food.
Also, she could have developed an intolerance for a med that she had no trouble with until now.

PS...I forgot to mention Neil Med Sinus Rinse bottle works well to clear the nasal passages which stops me from clearing my throat. Good luck at the docs!

jemfleming, I have that problem for myself. It's a combination of air borne allergies [mainly dust] and sometimes it is something I eat.

Drinking water every now an then can help except for the side effect of dashing to the bathroom. I use prescribed nose spray for a few days, then I use over the counter allergy pills.

Regarding food, I found dairy products will cause a mucus issue.

Vacuuming helps, so does dusting. But I am no domestic goddess, so such chores do get put on the back burner, and I feel it.

Glad you are seeing her doctor today, but this is a problem for many. Sometimes the secretions just get so sticky they are difficult to move. While a neti pot with mild saline solution can work it can often be difficult work for an elder. Some have relief with a bit of lemon juice, the acid of which tends to break up the mucus a bit; some mid it with a bit of honey (the old recipe had whiskey, so let that ingredient OUT!!!!).
Hope you'll update us on what doc suggests. Helps with answering others with these problems.

Please have her checked out ASAP as that could be a sign of aspiration pneumonia.
That's how my late husbands aspiration pneumonia started with him just clearing his throat more often. By the time I realized that something wasn't quite right and had EMS come take him to the hospital I was told that he had aspiration pneumonia and wouldn't make it through the night, as his blood pressure was dropping drastically.
Now he did survive the night but because he almost died suffered sepsis and septic shock and came home completely bedridden and under hospice care for the last 22 months of his life.
I hope that's not what's going on with your mom as aspiration pneumonia is most often fatal.
Wishing you and your mom the very best.

IF she can handle a netti pot… it’s fairly simple but people forget to keep their mouth open while using it.. it won’t get to the core of the issue but may help..

Is it mucus from her head/sinuses or phlegm from her chest, or saliva? My 103-yr old Aunt suffers from an overflow of (we believe) phlegm (or, it could be saliva -- it's clear) whenever she eats. So much so that she needs to stop and continuously spit it out until it subsides. Sometimes it causes her vomit. The only thing that helps is taking a large dose of Mucinex 2x a day (pill form). Even then it isn't 100% effective, but allows her to eat most of the time. It isn't a problem any other time of the day... only when she eats. If she has a very hot soup/broth first, this also seems to stop/minimize the problem for her. She's been to doctors but none have been able to figure it out.

Mucinex or its generic equivalent helps me.

Sinus drip often causes mucous buildup in the back of the throat. Tylenol Sinus Extra Strength tablets do a good job clearing up the mucous. Or if you don't need the Tylenol, try the decongestant tablets alone, on Amazon:

GoodSense Maximum Strength Nasal Decongestant PE, Phenylephrine HCl 10 mg, Sinus Congestion Relief; Relieves Nasal Congestion Due to Hay Fever, Common Cold and Upper Respiratory Allergies, 72 Count

Worth a try, perhaps.

Good luck to you