Rhinitis can be non-allergic also

In people complaining of rhinitis or a continued nasal inflammation, allergy may not be the only cause. Rhinitis can be non-allergic as well. Rhinitis is one of the most common diseases afflicting people. The primary symptom of rhinitis is a runny nose. It is caused by chronic or acute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose due to viruses, bacteria or irritants. Patients with rhinitis can be separated into two groups; those with allergies (allergic rhinitis) and those without allergies but still have nasal symptoms (non-allergic rhinitis). It is believed that one-fourth cases of rhinitis among adolescents and adults may not be attributable to allergies. To understand the difference between allergic and non-allergic rhinitis, researchers at the Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen studied 1186 subjects, between the age group of 14 and 44 years, who had a reported history of symptoms suggestive of asthma and/or allergy, or were using medications for these conditions. These subjects were interviewed about respiratory symptoms, and were tested for asthma and allergies. The results indicated that overall, 77 percent of the subjects with rhinitis had allergic rhinitis and 23 percent had non-allergic rhinitis. Compared to subjects with allergic rhinitis, those with non-allergic rhinitis were more likely to be female, to have persistent symptoms within the last 4 weeks, and to have recurring headaches. It was also found that allergic and non-allergic rhinitis produced similar symptoms and were comparable in severity. However, sneezing and itchy eyes were more common with allergic rhinitis especially during season of allergy.