MYTH: Food can be left at room or outdoor temperature for more than two hours. REALITY: Because bacteria grow rapidly in the danger zone between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F, food left at room temperature for more than two hours should be discarded.
Postnasal drip also commonly causes excess mucus at the back of your nose and throat many times after eating. Excessive, thick phlegm or chest mucus can often be caused by viral or bacterial infections such as influenza, bronchitis and pneumonia, as well as irritants such as those inhaled during smoking. Chemotherapy also causes the immune system to overreact and excessive phlegm is often the result.
Most sore throats have infectious disease origins, but some can result from breathing in dry, cold air through the mouth (for example, during the winter) or from having a foreign object stuck in the throat (for example, a fish or chicken bone). Most sore throats are caused by viruses. Many occur at the beginning of a cold when runny noses drain down the back of the throat and irritate it. Sore throats can also be caused by actual infection of the throat, such as strep throat, which is caused by bacteria (Streptococcus).