Lima Memorial Health System Logo
Approximate ER WAIT TIME WAIT TIME MACRO

Health Library

Nonallergic rhinopathy
     
Print-Friendly
Bookmarks

Nonallergic rhinopathy

Rhinitis - nonallergic; Idiopathic rhinitis; Nonallergic rhinitis; Vasomotor rhinitis; Irritant rhinitis

 

Rhinitis is a condition that includes a runny nose, sneezing, and nasal stuffiness. When environmental allergies (such as hayfever) or a cold are not causing these symptoms, the condition is called nonallergic rhinitis. One type of nonallergic rhinitis is called nonallergic rhinopathy. This condition used to be known as vasomotor rhinitis.

Causes

 

Nonallergic rhinopathy is not caused by an infection or allergy. The exact cause is unknown. Symptoms are triggered by something that irritates the nose, such as:

  • A dry atmosphere
  • Air pollution
  • Alcohol
  • Certain medicines
  • Spicy foods, and in some cases, while eating in general
  • Strong emotions
  • Strong odors, such as perfumes, cleaning products (especially bleach) among others

 

Symptoms

 

Symptoms include:

  • Runny nose
  • Nasal congestion (stuffy nose)
  • Sneezing
  • Watery nasal drainage

 

Exams and Tests

 

Your health care provider will ask about your symptoms, when they occur, and what seems to trigger them.

You will also be asked about your home and work environment. Your provider may look inside your nose to check if the tissues lining your nose are swollen due to inflamed blood vessels.

A skin test may be done to check for specific allergies as a cause of your symptoms.

If your provider determines you can't have skin testing, special blood tests may help with the diagnosis. These tests, known as IgE allergen tests, can measure the levels of allergy-related substances. They also measure total IgE levels, which correlate to allergy or lack of allergy. A complete blood count (CBC) test can measure eosinophils (allergy-type white blood cells) to get a total eosinophil count. This may also help diagnose allergies.

 

Treatment

 

The main treatment is simply avoiding the things that trigger your symptoms.

Ask your provider if decongestants or nasal sprays containing an antihistamine are right for you. Corticosteroid nasal sprays may be useful for some forms of nonallergic rhinopathy.

Play
Fullscreen
0:00
/
0:00
-0:00
Loaded: 0%
Progress: 0%
00:00
Mute
 

 

When to Contact a Medical Professional

 

Contact your provider if you think you have symptoms of nonallergic rhinopathy.

 

 

References

Corren J, Baroody FM, Togias A. Allergic and nonallergic rhinitis. In: Burks AW, Holgate ST, O’Hehir RE, et al, eds. Middleton's Allergy: Principles and Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 40.

Sur DKC, Plesa ML. Chronic nonallergic rhinitis. Am Fam Physician. 2018;98(3):171-176. PMID: 30215894 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30215894/.

Yan CH, Hwang PH. Nonallergic rhinitis. In: Flint PW, Francis HW, Haughey BH, et al, eds. Cummings Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 39.

BACK TO TOPText only

  • Nasal mucosa

    Nasal mucosa

    illustration

 

Review Date: 5/7/2023

URAC Seal
Health Content Provider
06/01/2025
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, for Health Content Provider (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics. This site complied with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information from 1995 to 2022, after which HON (Health On the Net, a not-for-profit organization that promoted transparent and reliable health information online) was discontinued.
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- 2025 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
© 1997- 2025adam.comAll rights reserved.