Sometimes when it’s cold, or if I eat a lot of dairy like ice cream, milk or cheese, I get more of that goop in my sinuses and throat. Spicy food makes it feel better, less stuck, and I have to cough less. Some vegetables seem to irritate it like green peppers and even lettuce. I always have menthol cough drops around. I like the cherry flavor, and the any brand is just fine. Something about menthol seems to help. I got rid of some curtains in my house because they just were too old and seemed to collect dust. The material made them too hard to keep clean. That really helped. I think every person might be different. Notice which seems to bug you the most . Good luck to you!