Rhinitis

"Coryza" redirects here. For the genus of beetles, see Coryza (beetle).
Rhinitis
Other namesCoryza
Pollen grains from a variety of common plants can cause hay fever.
Pronunciation
SpecialtyInfectious disease, allergy and immunology

Rhinitis, also known as coryza,[3] is irritation and inflammation of the mucous membrane inside the nose. Common symptoms are a stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing, and post-nasal drip.[4]

The inflammation is caused by viruses, bacteria, irritants or allergens. The most common kind of rhinitis is allergic rhinitis,[5] which is usually triggered by airborne allergens such as pollen and dander.[6] Allergic rhinitis may cause additional symptoms, such as sneezing and nasal itching, coughing, headache,[7] fatigue, malaise, and cognitive impairment.[8][9] The allergens may also affect the eyes, causing watery, reddened, or itchy eyes and puffiness around the eyes.[7] The inflammation results in the generation of large amounts of mucus, commonly producing a runny nose, as well as a stuffy nose and post-nasal drip. In the case of allergic rhinitis, the inflammation is caused by the degranulation of mast cells in the nose. When mast cells degranulate, they release histamine and other chemicals,[10] starting an inflammatory process that can cause symptoms outside the nose, such as fatigue and malaise.[11] In the case of infectious rhinitis, it may occasionally lead to pneumonia, either viral or bacterial. Sneezing also occurs in infectious rhinitis to expel bacteria and viruses from the respiratory tract.

Rhinitis is very common. Allergic rhinitis is more common in some countries than others; in the United States, about 10–30% of adults are affected annually.[12] Mixed rhinitis (MR) refers to patients with nonallergic rhinitis and allergic rhinitis. MR is a specific rhinitis subtype. It may represent between 50 and 70% of all AR patients. However, true prevalence of MR has not been confirmed yet.[13]

  1. ^ "rhinitis | Definition, meaning & more | Collins Dictionary". www.collinsdictionary.com. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  2. ^ "coryza | Definition, meaning & more | Collins Dictionary". www.collinsdictionary.com. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  3. ^ Pfaltz CR, Becker W, Naumann HH (2009). Ear, nose, and throat diseases: with head and neck surgery (3rd ed.). Stuttgart: Thieme. p. 150. ISBN 978-3-13-671203-0.
  4. ^ "Nonallergic rhinitis". Archived from the original on 2008-09-24.
  5. ^ Settipane RA (2003). "Rhinitis: a dose of epidemiological reality". Allergy Asthma Proc. 24 (3): 147–54. PMID 12866316.
  6. ^ Sullivan JB, Krieger GR (2001). Clinical environmental health and toxic exposures. p. 341.
  7. ^ a b "Allergic rhinitis".
  8. ^ Quillen DM, Feller DB (May 2006). "Diagnosing rhinitis: allergic vs. nonallergic". American Family Physician. 73 (9): 1583–90. PMID 16719251.
  9. ^ Marshall PS, O'Hara C, Steinberg P (April 2000). "Effects of seasonal allergic rhinitis on selected cognitive abilities". Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 84 (4): 403–10. doi:10.1016/S1081-1206(10)62273-9. PMID 10795648.
  10. ^ "Inflammatory Nature of Allergic Rhinitis: Pathophysiology".
  11. ^ "Immunopathogenesis of allergic rhinitis" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-09. Retrieved 2012-01-11.
  12. ^ "Economic Impact and Quality-of-Life Burden of Allergic Rhinitis: Prevalence".
  13. ^ Bernstein, Jonathan A. (September 2010). "Allergic and mixed rhinitis: Epidemiology and natural history". Allergy and Asthma Proceedings. 31 (5): 365–369. doi:10.2500/aap.2010.31.3380. ISSN 1539-6304. PMID 20929601.