DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My problem is excessive nasal drip. My nose runs constantly when I eat. I have to use napkins for the dripping because facial tissues become soggy too quickly. The nose drips frequently during the day too, but mealtimes are the worst. Do you have any suggestions? – W.B.

ANSWER: What you describe fits the picture of vasomotor rhinitis. The mucous glands of the nose work overtime for inexplicable reasons. This is not an allergic condition. It’s a condition where normal nose functions have shifted into an overproduction mode. Mealtime worsening of this problem has a special name – gustatory rhinitis. Some people with vasomotor rhinitis suffer only from it. You have it at times other than at mealtime. Things that don’t trigger mucous production for most people do so for you and fellow vasomotor rhinitis sufferers: hot food, spicy food, changes in temperature, strong odors, perfumes, cold air, sunlight, alcohol, irritants like cigarette smoke and smog.

You might control the mealtime outpouring by taking an antihistamine one hour before eating.

For the rest-of-the-day dripping, Astelin nasal spray could help. It’s an antihistamine that dries up mucous production. Rhinocort Aqua, another nasal spray, contains cortisone, which soothes the nasal lining and the nasal mucous glands. Atrovent nasal spray has a medicine that turns off nerve messages to mucous glands. It can be used one hour before meals in place of the antihistamine. All of these are prescription items, so your doctor has to agree that you’re a candidate for their use.

Try a treatment that doesn’t involve any medicines – a saltwater rinse for your nose. Add half a teaspoon of salt to a cup of boiled water while the water is still warm. Let the solution cool, and then, with a bulb syringe – obtainable in drugstores – gently flush each nostril with the saltwater twice a day.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Can any treatment relieve the symptoms of Raynaud’s syndrome? I am 79, and my symptoms are getting worse – cold fingers that go red, blue and white and numb just by taking something out of the refrigerator. Wearing gloves isn’t always an option. – S.B.

ANSWER: Raynaud’s (ray-NOSE) affects between 3 percent and 5 percent of Canadian and American adults. When exposed to cold, arteries clamp down to conserve body heat. People with Raynaud’s have arteries that clamp so tightly that no blood gets through them. Raynaud’s affects the fingers and sometimes the toes. They turn white when the arteries constrict. In a little while, they turn blue, and, when blood flow resumes, they turn red. The episode can be quite painful.

It’s not possible to avoid all cold exposure, and it’s not possible to wear mittens or gloves all the time, but as often as you can, do both. People with Raynaud’s must not smoke or be around smoke-filled rooms; nicotine constricts arteries. You might find help by taking the heart/blood pressure medicine nifedipine. It comes in an extended-release form, which lasts for a long time and cuts down on the need for repeated pill-taking. Prazosin is another remedy. So is nitroglycerin ointment.

If you want a drug-free treatment, do the windmill maneuver. At the first signs of an attack, swing your arms like windmills to force blood into the fingers.

In a few instances, Raynaud’s is associated with an underlying illness like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or scleroderma. If you have had it for a long time without any signs of these illnesses, you’re not likely to come down with one of them now.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a 64-year-old woman who has been a smoker for a good part of my life. I have recently been told that anyone who smokes or has been a smoker in the past should not take antioxidants because they increase the chance of developing lung cancer. Have you heard anything regarding this? – P.S.

ANSWER: I haven’t heard of such a sweeping statement banning smokers from taking antioxidants. Smokers should not take beta carotene supplements; they increase the risk of coming down with lung cancer for smokers.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com