Guide To The Causes Of Chronic Rhinitis

Rhinitis, more commonly called hay fever, is one of the most common ailments individuals suffer from daily and affects between forty million to sixty million Americans. Rhinitis is a mild allergic reaction that occurs when the mucous membranes on the inside of the nose come into contact with allergens or irritants. The most common symptoms are a runny nose, sinus congestion, swollen nasal passages, difficulty breathing, and itchy eyes. While this condition certainly isn’t life-threatening, it can still be highly annoying.

Outdoor Allergens

The most common reason individuals suffer from chronic rhinitis is a mild allergic reaction to outdoor allergens such as pollen, dust, trees, flowers, grasses, and airborne mold spores. Even if individuals think they don’t have any allergies, chronic hay fever could be a sign they have mild allergies that are too weak to be detected by some allergy tests. Symptoms some patients may experience associated with chronic rhinitis include swollen nasal passages, sneezing, congestion, and even difficulty breathing, along with a runny nose. For those who suffer allergies the most when they are outside, especially with constant sneezing and a runny nose, they have allergic rhinitis. However, individuals with nonallergic rhinitis will test negative for any specific outdoors allergies, as the great outdoors is not the main trigger for this condition.

Indoor Allergens

Aside from the more common outdoor allergies, many individuals suffer from chronic rhinitis due to allergic reactions to many indoor allergens. Try as we might to filter the air coming into our homes and businesses, the air we breathe indoors is full of tiny allergens such as pet hair or dander, dust or dust mites, and mold. These substances can cause the same level of allergic response as outdoor allergens. Thus, individuals should check their home’s air filters and consider getting an ionic air purifier to help with indoor allergens. In addition to indoor allergens, cleaning solutions, glues, hair spray, perfumes, laundry detergents, chlorine, and latex can also be a common trigger of chronic rhinitis or just a runny nose in general due to the chemical compounds of these items or from their scents alone.