Best Exercises/Activities For Non-Allergic Rhinitis

Rhinitis is an inflammation of the nasal mucosa, resulting in nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, and associated symptoms that vary in etiology. Nonallergic rhinitis occurs when the nasal mucosa becomes swollen and inflamed, usually due to both the swelling of the blood vessels and a build-up of fluid in the nasal tissues.

The blood vessels inside the nose help control the flow of mucus through the expansion and narrowing of the nasal passages. The inflammation of nasal mucosa contributes to irritation, congestion, and activates the mucous glands present in your nose creating a nasal obstruction, fluid buildup, and runny nose, the usual symptoms of nonallergic rhinitis. The symptoms can stay permanent or may occur at any time of year. ⁽¹⁾

It is believed that exercise usually induces allergic and nonallergic rhinitis by increasing the probability of an individual to the cause of the disease. This is because while exercising you inhale more air from the surroundings than in the normal conditions. Therefore, you are more likely to get infected by the causative agent (which causes rhinitis).

Nonetheless, some breathing exercises are available that can help you feel better to avoid rhinitis in the future. Never try the nasal exercise without consulting the respective specialist. Contact your physician, make a proper diagnosis and be sure of the cause behind your rhinitis before seeking such treatment.

There are some effective over-the-counter medicines and herbal supplements available with no or limited side effects to control and ease out the symptoms of rhinitis. You can use them to get temporary relief. But, for proper cure and treatment, you need medical advice.

If you are suffering from other diseases, rhinitis can cause further complications and associated issues, increasing the cost of the treatment and delaying the recovery. ^{(4) (5)}

Some of the common symptoms are anosmia, pruritus, purulent or clear rhinorrhea, and sneezing. Rhinitis can allergic and non-allergic. The cause of non-allergic rhinitis is usually viral, although other irritants may be involved. The clinical examination is usually used for the diagnosis. The treatment may involve humidification of the surrounding air, vasoconstrictors (the use of sympathomimetic amines) and antihistamines. If you are suffering from associated bacterial superinfection, then it will require adequate antibiotic treatment.

Moderate to severe rhinitis has been shown to compromise professional and academic performance, contributing significantly to the indirect economic costs of this disease. The presence of rhinitis has significant effects on the development and severity of other conditions, particularly asthma, sinusitis, middle ear diseases, and dental malocclusions. ⁽²⁾

There are different types of non-allergic rhinitis – acute, chronic, atrophic, and vasomotor. Each of them has specific symptoms:

• Acute rhinitis induces cough, moderate fever, nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, and sneezing.
• The manifestations of chronic rhinitis are similar to those of acute rhinitis, but in prolonged or severe cases, patients may also have thick, nauseating, mucopurulent drainage; mucous crusts; and sometimes associated with nasal bleeding.
• Atrophic rhinitis results in increased volume of nasal cavities, scab formation and smelly bacterial colonization, nasal congestion, anosmia and epistaxis (nasal bleeding) that can be recurrent and severe.
• Vasomotor rhinitis induces sneezing and watery rhinorrhea. The color of the mucosa is often purple or reddish and turgid. The disease is characterized by recurrent periods of remission or aggravation.

The various forms of rhinitis are clinically diagnosed and additional testing is generally unnecessary. Vasomotor rhinitis is characterized by the absence of discharge and purulent mucosa and can be distinguished from the common viral and bacterial nasal infections. The lack of a known allergen differentiates it from allergic rhinitis.

The bacteria Klebsiella ozenae is typically responsible for causing nonallergic rhinitis and is commonly found in Egypt, China, and India.

• In viral rhinitis, decongestants and antihistamines are used
• In atrophic rhinitis, local treatment is sufficient
• In vasomotor rhinitis, humidification, and sometimes topical corticosteroids and oral pseudo-ephedrine can be administered ⁽³⁾

References:

Also Read:

• How Safe & Effective is Capsaicin in Treating Non-Allergic Rhinitis?