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The nasal passages are lined with mucous membranes. They constantly produce some mucus, to protect the underlying membranes from drying out and to remove and sterilise any irritant that enters the nose when we breathe. This natural production of mucus can be stimulated by various factors and lead to problems of excess mucus, such as catarrh and colds. The reason can lie in external irritants, like tobacco or petrol fumes, dust particles or bacteria, but most commonly stems from internal problems, from a state of internal build-up of toxins due to an inappropriate lifestyle, particularly an inappropriate diet (see the section on mucus-free diet in the chapter on the respiratory system under congestion). If this is the cause, the body will use the mucus of the upper respiratory tract as one of its vehicles for waste removal. The first step in a treatment of such conditions is to examine one’s diet. In all the following suggestions for herbal treatment it is assumed that a diet low in mucus is followed.