Causes and Diagnoses

Causes and Diagnoses of Rhinitis

The most common causes of both allergic and non-allergic rhinitis are environmental irritants.

For allergic rhinitis, those irritants may include:

• Pollen from trees, grass, flowers and weeds
• Dust mites
• Animal dander
• Mold
• Cockroach waste

For non-allergic rhinitis, irritants may include:

• Smoke
• Perfume
• Chemical fumes
• Alcohol
• Spicy food
• Temperature or humidity changes
• Medications, including:
  • Aspirin
  • Ibuprofen
  • High blood pressure medications
  • Sedatives
  • Antidepressants
  • Oral contraceptives
  • Drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction
• Hormone changes

Risk factors that make it more likely you’ll develop rhinitis include:

• Long-term exposure to environmental irritants
• Long-term use of nasal sprays
• Being pregnant or undergoing hormonal changes
• Prolonged stress
• Other conditions, such as hypothyroidism and chronic fatigue syndrome
• Being older than 20 years of age

Diagnosing rhinitis

If seasonal or allergic rhinitis is expected, your physician may recommend allergy tests to determine what irritants will trigger a reaction. Allergy tests may include skin tests or blood tests.

Non-allergic rhinitis is often diagnosed when allergies have been eliminated as a cause. Your physician may also want to rule out other causes, such as a deviated septum or nasal polyps. Imaging tests may include:

• Endoscopy: An endoscope (a thin, flexible tube with a light and camera on the end) is inserted through your nostrils and progressed through your nasal passages and sinuses.
• Computed tomography (CT) scan: This test combines X-ray and computer technology to produce detailed cross-sectional images of your sinuses.