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Medical Author:

Siamak T. Nabili, MD, MPH

Siamak T. Nabili, MD, MPH

Dr. Nabili received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), majoring in chemistry and biochemistry. He then completed his graduate degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His graduate training included a specialized fellowship in public health where his research focused on environmental health and health-care delivery and management.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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In this Article

• What is the purpose of the nose?
• What are rhinitis and post-nasal drip?
• What causes rhinitis?
• Is rhinitis always related to allergies?
• What conditions cause an abnormal production of nasal secretions?
• What conditions cause an impaired clearance of nasal secretions?
• How can chronic rhinitis and post-nasal drip be treated?
• What medications can be used to treat rhinitis and post-nasal drip?
• What can be used to treat non-allergic rhinitis?
• Does salt water have any role in the treatment of rhinitis and post-nasal drip?
• What are other options for the treatment of rhinitis and post-nasal drip?
• Terminology
• Chronic Rhinitis & Post-Nasal Drip At A Glance
• Patient Comments: Rhinitis - Causes
• Patient Comments: Chronic Rhinitis and Post-Nasal Drip - Causes
• Patient Comments: Chronic Rhinitis and Post-Nasal Drip - Treatments
• Patient Comments: Chronic Rhinitis and Post-Nasal Drip - Describe Your Experience
• Find a local Ear, Nose, & Throat Doctor in your town
• Chronic Rhinitis Index

Acute rhinitis: Inflammation of the nose that occurs for only a few days. Typically this is caused by a virus ("a cold"); if it goes on beyond a week then it is probably a bacterial infection.

Allergens: Normally harmless substances which cause an exaggerated allergic reaction (inflammatory response) in sensitive people.

Allergic rhinitis: Medical term for hay fever, a condition due to allergy that mimics a chronic cold. (Hay fever is a misnomer since hay is not a usual cause of this problem and there is no fever). Many substances cause the allergic symptoms in hay fever. Allergic rhinitis is the correct term for this allergic reaction. (Rhinitis means "irritation of the nose" and is a derivative of Rhino, meaning "nose.") Symptoms include nasal congestion, a clear runny nose, sneezing, nose and eye itching, eye redness, and tearing of the eyes. Post-nasal dripping of clear mucus frequently causes a cough. Loss of smell is common, and loss of taste occurs occasionally. Nose bleeding may occur if the condition is severe.

Chronic rhinitis: inflammation of the nose that goes on for weeks to months which is different from "a cold", and may be caused by allergy, nasal irritants, or structural or physiological problems.

Hay fever: A seasonal allergy to airborne particles characterized by runny/itchy nose and eyes, sneezing, itchy throat, excess mucus, and nasal congestion. It is a misnomer because it is not caused by hay and it does not produce a fever.

Non-allergic rhinitis: Inflammatory condition of the nose without an obvious allergy as the cause.

Post nasal drip: Mucous accumulation in the back of the nose and throat leading to or giving the sensation of mucus dripping downward from the back of the nose.

Summer cold: Similar to hay fever. Summer cold is also a misnomer because it is not caused by a virus.

Vasomotor rhinitis: Similar to non-allergic rhinitis, thought to be mediated by an abnormal neuronal control of the blood vessels supplying the nose.