What is up with my throat?

What would cause a persistent amount of phelgm in the upper throat/nasal cavity?

• I work inside of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport...home of 300,000 people that go in and out on a daily basis. It's a pretty disgusting place...people sneezing and coughing everywhere without even attempting to cover their mouth at all. Also, the air is apparently recirculated. I work inside of a retail store and we have to dust multiple times a day (with swiffers that attract it, as opposed to a simple duster that scatters it everywhere) to get the thick layer of dust off from the products we sell. All of the shops there seem to have this problem. I've had strep throat 3 or 4 times in the 9 months that I've worked there. I've also had Herpangina once. Several months ago I had what was thought to be an upper respiratory infection. Tons of phelgm that just seemed to constantly build up back there in between the nose and the throat - which would cause me problems when trying to talk because the air would be trying to force it through my nose or something. A couple of weeks ago, I had this same thing with an extremely sore throat. The doctor prescribed me an antibiotic, even though the rapid strep test was negative. My throat is no longer sore, but I cough up a LOT of phlegm every morning. It resides in the same place...a little in the nose, none in the throat...but a lot of that unknown area (not sure what to call it) between the nose and throat. If I breathe in very heavily through my nose and then try to clear my throat, it brings that phlegm up - and it's almost like a glue-like consistency. Probably a few tablespoons or more each morning. I am healthy, otherwise...never any medical problems. I'm only 27, so fairly young still. I keep myself in good shape physically and try to eat decent food. The antibiotic that I was prescribed about 12 days ago (which I'm done with now - it was 10 days worth) was Amoxicillin 800mg taken twice per day. What would cause a persistent amount of phelgm in the upper throat/nasal cavity? In the 9 months that I've worked there, I haven't always had this. It sort of came and went, sometimes worse than others. Like for instance this morning, I woke up and felt it in the area between the throat and nose. I coughed a lot of phlegm up, my throat and post nasal cavity feels a little sore since that's where the phlegm was apparently just sitting all night. It'll be sore for a few hours, and then it goes away.

• Answer:

  Get some Zantac. You may have fluid in your ear caused by the dust. It could be allergies, but some antihistamine is good for that. I have it all the time. Take Zantac (which should be taken at night because it causes some drowsiness), and see if that does not work for you. If not, I would see an ear, nose, and throat specialist.