ABSTRACT
Chronic rhinitis symptoms result from diverse underlying disease mechanisms and are among the most common problems presenting to physicians (1). According to the Joint Task Force Parameters on Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, rhinitis is defined as inflammation of the mucous membrane lining of the nose, and it is characterized by nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, sneezing, itching of the nose, and postnasal drainage (2). These guidelines further classify rhinitis as allergic or nonallergic, each of which is further subclassified. Allergic rhinitis is divided into seasonal, perennial, episodic, and occupational. Nonallergic rhinitis is a diverse syndrome that encompasses a complex and broad variety of disorders, the subclassification of which shall be reviewed in this chapter.
