﻿ Chronic Rhinitis and Post-Nasal Drip Symptoms, Causes, Treatment - What are rhinitis and post-nasal drip? - MedicineNet

Chronic Rhinitis (cont.)

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What are rhinitis and post-nasal drip?

Rhinitis is a very common condition and has many different causes. Basically, rhinitis may be defined as inflammation of the inner lining of the nose. More specifically speaking, it may be defined by the presence of one or more of the following symptoms:

A significant association exists between rhinitis (allergic), asthma, and chronic sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses for >12 weeks) in some individuals. Some evidence suggests that 1 to 3 of every 5 patients has multiple conditions.


What causes rhinitis?

Rhinitis has many possible causes. Rhinitis can be either acute orchronic, and is categorized into three areas: allergic rhinitis, non-allergic rhinitis, and mixed rhinitis, which is a combination of the previous two.

Allergic rhinitis is the most common cause of rhinitis, afflicting more than 32 million Americans. It is caused byenvironmental 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 (not typical).




Medically Reviewed by a Doctor on 11/27/2013

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