Catarrh

Catarrh is a build-up of mucus in an airway or cavity of the body.

It usually affects the back of the nose, the throat or the sinuses (air-filled cavities in the bones of the face).

It’s often temporary, but some people experience it for months or years. This is known as chronic catarrh.

Catarrh can be a nuisance and may be difficult to get rid of, but it’s not harmful and there are treatments available.

Symptoms

Catarrh can lead to a:

constant need to clear your throat feeling that your throat is blocked blocked or stuffy nose that you can’t clear runny nose feeling of mucus running down the back of your throat persistent cough headache or facial pain reduced sense of smell and taste crackling sensation in your ear and some temporary hearing loss

These problems can be frustrating to live with and may affect your sleep, making you feel tired.