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Chronic rhinitis (chronic runny nose)
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 12.07.2025
Chronic rhinitis (chronic runny nose) is a non-specific and specific inflammatory process of the mucous membrane and, in some cases, the bony walls of the nasal cavity.
ICD-10 code
- J31.0 Chronic rhinitis.
- J30.0 Vasomotor rhinitis.
Causes of chronic rhinitis
As a rule, the occurrence of chronic rhinitis is associated with circulatory and trophic disorders in the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity, which can be caused by such factors as frequent acute inflammatory processes in the nasal cavity (including various infections). Irritating environmental factors also have a negative effect. Thus, dry, hot, dusty air dries out the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity and inhibits the function of the ciliated epithelium. Long-term exposure to cold leads to changes in the endocrine system (especially in the adrenal glands), which indirectly affect the development of a chronic inflammatory process in the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity. Some industrial gases and toxic volatile substances (for example, mercury vapor, nitric, sulfuric acid), as well as radiation exposure, have an irritating toxic effect on the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity.
Symptoms of chronic rhinitis
The main symptoms - difficulty in nasal breathing and nasal discharge (rhinorrhea) - are expressed moderately. Patients usually do not complain of difficulty in breathing, and only after careful questioning it is possible to find out that they have difficulty breathing periodically. It should be noted that sometimes difficulty in breathing bothers patients, but this symptom is not of a permanent nature. Difficulty in breathing through the nose occurs more often in the cold, the most constant congestion of one half. In the position lying on the side, congestion is more pronounced in the half of the nose that is lower, which is explained by the filling of the cavernous vessels of the underlying turbinates with blood, the venous tone of which is weakened in chronic rhinitis. Mucous discharge from the nose, usually there is little of it, but during an exacerbation of the process it becomes purulent and abundant. Impaired sense of smell (hyposmia) is often temporary, usually associated with an increase in the amount of mucus.
Classification of chronic rhinitis
- Chronic catarrhal rhinitis.
- Chronic hypertrophic rhinitis.
- By prevalence of the process:
- diffuse;
- limited - changes in any part of one of the formations of the nasal cavity (anterior ends, posterior ends of the nasal conchae).
- According to pathomorphological signs:
- cavernous, or vascular form (usually diffuse):
- fibrous form - changes are observed more often in the lower or middle nasal concha:
- bone hypertrophy.
- By prevalence of the process:
- Chronic atrophic rhinitis (subatrophic rhinitis).
- Non-specific (simple atrophic rhinitis):
- diffuse;
- limited.
- Specific (ozena, or foul-smelling runny nose).
- Non-specific (simple atrophic rhinitis):
- Vasomotor rhinitis, neurovegetative (reflex) form.
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Diagnosis of chronic rhinitis
To make a correct diagnosis, it is necessary to carefully collect anamnesis - it is important to find out the time and nature of occurrence, duration and dynamics of development of the above symptoms, whether examination and treatment were carried out earlier, including independent, its adequacy and effectiveness.
What do need to examine?
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Treatment of chronic rhinitis
Indications for hospitalization for chronic rhinitis include the ineffectiveness of conservative treatment, severe true hypertrophy of the inferior nasal turbinates, which greatly impedes nasal breathing, and the presence of concomitant pathology requiring surgical treatment.
Treatment is reduced to the elimination of possible endo- and exogenous factors that cause and maintain rhinitis: sanitation of purulent-inflammatory diseases of the paranasal sinuses, nasopharynx, palatine tonsils; active therapy of general diseases (obesity, cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases, etc.); improvement of hygienic conditions at home and at work (elimination or reduction of dust and air pollution, etc.).
Patients with chronic rhinitis are prescribed physiotherapy (thermal procedures on the nose), including exposure to UHF currents or microwaves endonasally. Endonasal ultraviolet irradiation through a tube, a helium-neon laser; endonasal electrophoresis of 0.5-0.25% zinc sulfate solution, 2% calcium chloride solution, 1% diphenhydramine solution; endonasal phonophoresis of hydrocortisone; magnetic therapy; acupuncture and other effects on biologically active points.
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