Overview and Symptoms of Chronic Rhinitis Ⅰ

Overview

In general, chronic inflammation inside the nasal cavity is called chronic rhinitis, but this is not an exact medical term and can be said to be a broad term that includes several types of rhinitis. Acute rhinitis often refers to infectious rhinitis, such as the common cold, and chronic rhinitis can be divided into infectious and non-infectious types depending on the cause.

In addition to chronic infectious rhinitis caused by bacteria, chronic rhinitis may include hypertrophic rhinitis, cold-induced rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, and others. The rhinitis people commonly encounter is often diagnosed as allergic rhinitis or chronic sinusitis (sinusitis).

Causes of non-infectious chronic rhinitis may include abnormalities in the nasal structure, nasal tumors, autonomic nervous system imbalance, hormonal abnormalities, medication, and emotional instability. Chronic rhinitis may also occur when there are nasal polyps, chronic sinusitis, nasal foreign bodies, or congenital nasal deformities.

Symptoms

Regardless of the cause, most patients with chronic rhinitis show similar clinical patterns, although the severity of symptoms varies.

In general, nasal congestion occurs frequently, a congested-sounding voice is heard, and loss of smell is common. Nasal congestion usually alternates between the left and right sides, and the degree varies. When symptoms are severe, both nostrils become blocked, making breathing through the nose difficult, so the patient breathes through the mouth. As a result, they become more susceptible to pharyngitis and often have a sore throat. They may complain of a heavy head, become easily distracted, and experience reduced concentration, which can interfere with work and study.

Another symptom is runny nose, which is usually clear and watery, but if infected by bacteria, it may turn yellow-green and purulent. If nasal secretions pass into the nasopharynx, it may create the unpleasant sensation of mucus running down the back of the throat; this is called postnasal drip. Long-term postnasal drip can cause chronic cough.

Chronic rhinitis may expose the nerves of the nasal mucosa because of inflammation, triggering paroxysmal sneezing, and it may also cause loss of smell or reduced smell. When examining the nasal cavity of a patient with chronic rhinitis, swelling of the nasal mucosa and watery or purulent secretions may be observed. If the swelling of the nasal mucosa persists for a long time, it may not improve with medication. It is often more uncomfortable at night than during the day, and when lying on one side, the lower nasal passage becomes blocked; this occurs because the lower mucosa becomes engorged with blood.

When chronic rhinitis occurs together with chronic sinusitis, yellowish or bluish-green nasal discharge may appear. When chronic rhinitis is caused by allergic rhinitis, the nose may itch, there may be a lot of clear nasal discharge, and the nose may become blocked frequently. In addition, because of the large amount of nasal discharge, the skin around the nostril openings and the area directly below the nose may become irritated and ooze. Chronic rhinitis may also cause complications such as dacryocystitis, conjunctivitis, eustachitis, otitis media, and pharyngolaryngitis.

So far, we have covered the overview and symptoms of chronic rhinitis I. In the next part, we will look at the symptoms of chronic rhinitis II.

Source: Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency National Health Information Portal