Chronic Rhinitis (cont.)
What causes rhinitis?
Rhinitis has many possible causes. Rhinitis can be either acute or chronic.
Allergic rhinitis is a very common cause of rhinitis. It is caused by
allergies and is characterized by an itchy/runny nose, sneezing, and nasal
congestion. Other allergic symptoms include:
- itchy ears and throat,
- Eustachian
tube problems (the tube connecting the inner ear to the back of the throat),
- red/watery eyes,
- cough,
- fatigue/loss of concentration/lack of energy from loss
of sleep, and
- headaches or facial tenderness.
People with allergic rhinitis also
have a higher incidence of asthma and eczema, which are also mainly allergic in
origin.
Seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever) is usually caused by
pollen in the air, and sensitive patients have symptoms during peak times during
the year.
Perennial allergic rhinitis, a type of chronic rhinitis is a
year-round problem, and is often caused by indoor allergens (particles that
cause allergies), such as dust and animal dander in addition to pollens that may
exist at the time. Symptoms tend to occur regardless of the time of the year.
Is rhinitis always related to allergies?
No, rhinitis may have many causes other than allergies. Some of these other
types of rhinitis are listed below.
Non-allergic rhinitis occurs in those patients in whom an allergic or other
causes of rhinitis cannot be identified. Non-allergic rhinitis may be further
divided into three types;
- vasomotor rhinitis,
- gustatory rhinitis, and
- non-allergic rhinitis with nasal eosinophilia syndrome (NARES).
These conditions
may not have the other allergic manifestations such as, itchy and runny eyes and
are also more persistent and less seasonal.
- Vasomotor rhinitis is thought to occur because of abnormal regulation of
nasal blood flow and may be induced by temperature fluctuations in the
environment such as, cold or dry air, or irritants such as:
- air pollution,
- smog,
- tobacco smoke,
- car exhaust, or
- strong odors such as, detergents or fragrances.
- Gustatory rhinitis may presents predominantly as runny nose (rhinorrhea)
related to consumption of hot or spicy food.
- Non-allergic rhinitis with nasal eosinophilia syndrome (NARES) is
characterized by a clear nasal discharge. The nasal discharge is found to have
eosinophils (allergic cell type), although the patient may not have any other
evidence of allergy by skin testing or history or symptoms.
Occupational rhinitis may arise from exposure to irritants at a person's
workplace with improvement of symptoms after the person leaves the workplace.
Other causes of rhinitis may be related to:
- pregnancy,
- certain medications
(oral contraceptives,
- some blood pressure medications,
- some anxiety medications,
- some erectile dysfunction medications,
- and some anti-inflammatory medications),
or
- some nasal structural abnormalities (deviated septum, perforated septum,
tumors, nasal polyps, or foreign bodies).
Infections, mostly viral, are a common cause of rhinitis. Viral rhinitis
is
usually not chronic and may resolve by itself.
Sometimes rhinitis may be related to other generalized medical conditions
such as:
Next: What conditions cause an abnormal production of nasal secretions? »
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