Vasomotor Rhinitis

Vasomotor Rhinitis – General Information

Vasomotor Rhinitis is a medical condition in which the patient’s lining of the nose swells due to the expansion of the local blood vessels, causing the most common symptom in this medical disease, congested and drippy nose. There are cases in which this kind of disease can cause signs and symptoms similar to those of the hay fever, but with no allergic cause. The disease we refer to presents as an exaggerated response to irritants agents of the patient’s nasal lining. Vasomotor Rhinitis is more annoying than harmful, and that is why it can affect the patient’s quality of life. There are certain factors that can cause the signs and symptoms such as infections, medications used to treat certain diseases, hormonal changes, environmental irritant agents, temperature changes, stress and activity.

Usually, the diagnosis of the disease is made after an allergy cause is ruled out. In most cases, to determine the exact cause of the condition, the doctor needs to make several skin and blood tests. The most common risk factors that trigger Vasomotor Rhinitis can include exposure to irritant agents, usually smog, exhaust fumes or tobacco smoke, but there are also irritant agents that the patient comes in contact at his job, such as latex, wood dust, chemical fumes, cleansers and detergents; overuse of decongestant nasal sprays or drops, which can cause nasal inflammation and reappearance of nasal congestion once the sprays are not used anymore; for women, the disorder is due to hormonal changes, especially during menstruation and pregnancy.

Vasomotor Rhinitis – Symptoms

Vasomotor Rhinitis – Treatment

The treatment for Vasomotor Rhinitis depends on how much the disease affects the patient’s lifestyle. Usually, it is recommended to avoid the things that can lead to the appearance of certain signs and symptoms. In most cases, by just rinsing the patient’s nasal passages using an over the counter saline substance, such as Ayr or Breathe Right, the patient’s nose can be kept free of irritants. There are certain medicines and solutions that the doctor can prescribe to treat Vasomotor Rhinitis and can include oral decongestants, and the most common are the medicines that contain pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine, and can be prescribed as Sufaden or Actifed, which act by narrowing the patient’s blood vessels which leads to reducing the congestion in the nose; saline nasal sprays, which can be easily replaced with a homemade saltwater solution, used to flush the patient’s nose of irritants and helping thin the mucus and soothe the membranes in his nose; antihistamines nasal sprays, which can be prescribed as Azelastine or Astelin; there are cases in which the doctor can prescribe oral antihistamines but they are not always efficient, especially in the nonallergic form of the Vasomotor Rhinitis condition; however, antihistamine nasal sprays have proven to be quite effective in reducing the patient’s signs and symptoms; anti drip anticholinergic nasal sprays, which are usually prescribed as ipratropium or atrovent, and are often used in cases of asthma, acting as a inhaler medicine, which can act by reducing the symptoms of runny and drippy nose; and corticosteroid nasal sprays, which are applied when the patient’s symptoms are not easy to control by decongestants or antihistamines.

The most common prescription of corticosteroid nasal sprays can include budesonide or Rhinocort, fluticasone (Flonase) or mometasone (Nasonex) and triamcinolone or Nasacort. There are cases in which these medicines are used to treat and prevent inflammations. There are cases in which doctors can recommend over the counter oral antihistamines, prescribed as diphenhydramine or Benadryl, clemastine or Tavist and loratadine or Claritin. There are rarer cases in which the proper treatment option is surgery, applied especially when the patient presents complications such as a deviated nasal septum or persistent nasal polyps. Besides medicines and pharmaceutical solutions, there are certain lifestyle changes and home remedies that can have effect in treating Vasomotor Rhinitis and can include blowing the nose, which can help the patient to get rid of mucus and irritants; humidifying the nose, or it can be done by just breathing in the steam from a warm shower to help loosen the mucus in the patient’s nose; staying hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, such as water, juice and tea without caffeine; nasal wash, which can be done with a home made salt water solution; or using a decongestant, preferably pill form. In treating Vasomotor Rhinitis it is very important to take the medicines properly because decongestants can cause a stimulant effect by raising the patient’s blood pressure leading to several complications.