Nonallergic rhinitis comprises of chronic sneezing and a congested as well as drippy nose without any relevant cause. Major symptoms related to nonallergic rhinitis are more or less similar to the one suffering from allergic rhinitis and Hayfever. However, you may not find any usual evidence related to allergic reactions. Nonallergic rhinitis may affect both adults and children, but in most of the cases, it takes place only after 20years.(1)
How To Diagnose Nonallergic Rhinitis?
Discussion About The Symptoms: Your doctor or general practitioner will ask your symptoms. If you have muscular pains, sneeze, and cough, they indicate that you have rhinitis because of viral infection.
Medical History: Before your doctor recommends you for any further diagnose procedure, he or she will collect details related to your medical history. The reason for this is that rhinitis may take place as a side effect of any specific medicine or any type of medical problem.
Tests To Differentiate Nonallergic And Allergic Rhinitis
If your medical history and your underlying symptoms do not highlight any relevant cause, you have to undergo additional tests to check whether you have symptoms because of an allergy. Accordingly:
Blood Test: Your pathologist will conduct a blood test to detect whether you have an allergy. In case the allergy is detected, your doctor will refer to you an allergy clinic or hospital, where you will undergo additional specific tests. On the other side, if no allergy is present, your doctor will conclude that you have nonallergic rhinitis.
Skin Prick Test: Skin prick test is another important test, in which your doctor pricks a suspected allergen in small amount in your skin to see whether it reacts or not. If your skin reacts, it becomes itchy, raised or turns red. On the other side, if the skin prick test does not suggest an allergy, your doctor will recommend for diagnosing and treatment with a nonallergic type of rhinitis.
Additional Tests To Detect Complications
Depending on the specific condition of a patient, he or she has to undergo additional tests to help in the diagnose of nonallergic rhinitis and to detect complications, like sinusitis and nasal polyps.
Endoscopy: Endoscopy is done by using an endoscope i.e. a thin tube equipped with a video camera and source of light at one end and inserted in the nose to view its inner areas.
Nasal Inspiratory Flow Test: Pathologists insert a small device on the nose and mouth of a patient to measure his/her airflow while the person inhales from the nose.
CT Scan: CT scan uses a computer device and X-rays to create detailed pictures and images of inner areas of your body.(2)
What Is the Best Medicine for Nonallergic Rhinitis?
If you fail to get any benefit from nasal irrigation and other lifestyle changes, your doctor may recommend the combination of following medicines:
Nasal Glucocorticoids: Doctors recommend the daily use of fluticasone, budesonide, triamcinolone, and other similar nasal glucocorticoids medicines to relieve your nonallergic rhinitis symptoms. You may easily buy these nasal sprays over the counter and you need a few days to weeks to observe its effect.
Nasal Antihistamines: Doctors may give you a few of the prescription products, such as olopatadine and azelastine to relieve various symptoms related to congestion, postnasal drip and sneezing that too within only a few minutes. These are effective when you use it regularly.
In some cases, people may benefit a lot by using a combination of nasal glucocorticoids and nasal antihistamines both.
Decongestants: Pseudoephedrine and other oral decongestant medicines may help you in relieving congestion. However, doctors may not recommend decongestants until and unless patients get relieve from their symptoms with the intake of nasal glucocorticoids and nasal antihistamines. Besides, decongestant nasal sprays, which contain phenylephrine and oxymetazoline should never be useful for a maximum of 2 to 3 days at one time. Doing this may result in a rebound or overuse of congestion.(3)
Conclusion
Diagnose of nonallergic rhinitis depends on different tests, which include differentiating nonallergic ones from allergic rhinitis and sinuses.
Also Read:
- Is Nonallergic Rhinitis A Disability & Can You Die From It?
- What Is The Best Treatment For Nonallergic Rhinitis?
- Is Nonallergic Rhinitis A Progressive Disease & Alternative Treatments For It?
- How Dangerous Is Nonallergic Rhinitis & Is It Contagious?
- Lifestyle Changes For Nonallergic Rhinitis
- What To Eat & Avoid When You Have Nonallergic Rhinitis?
- What To Eat & Avoid When You Have Nonallergic Rhinitis?
