Doctor, Doctor...

By Dave Hall

For all you hypochondriacs out there, Dave Hall continues his regular look at a some of the more unusual medical conditions, as well as some you thought you knew all about.

This week: POST NASAL DRIP.

Condition – This condition (shortened handily to PND) occurs when the sinuses produce too much mucus. This then accumulates at the back of the nose or throat and usually has to be removed by some nasty hacking, coughing action that we all hate to see and hear. Symptoms can include tickling in the throat, congestion, nausea, swallowing, spitting and vomiting. Nice! It is now, apparently, known as ‘Chronic Upper Airway Cough Syndrome’ – CUACS. That’s catchy!
Contagion – Nothing catchy about this condition either, so no danger of contracting it off anyone else.
Danger of death – Unless you drown on your own mucus (which, strangely enough, has been documented), you’ll be just fine.
Incurability? – Luckily, help is at hand for this one, and treatment can include antibiotics, steroids, nasal irrigation (which sounds like some African agricultural strategy) or minor surgery.
Likelihood of getting time off work – When you have dribbled and dripped your mucus around the canteen, into the photocopier, all over the fax machine and into your colleagues coffee cup, you’ll either be asked to leave, or given a desk of your own near the toilets. Surely good news either way?
Brag-ability – You’ll have a hard time keeping this from your friends while you sniff every ten seconds to stop the steady stream of snot.
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		Overall ridiculousness – It’s <sniff> not <sniff> all that <sniff> funny <sniff> if you <sniff> have [ok, that’s enough] to stop all the time to hack up the mucus. Not all that deadly, but annoying none the less

More conditions to come soon:

Foreign Accent Syndrome, Whooping Cough and more.

Find more curious conditions in Doctor Doctor. If you can't wait for the next Doctor Doctor, then why not find a phunny phobia to keep you going?

Photo: JF1288, Wiki

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