How does a runny nose manifest? What is a runny nose and why does it occur? How to treat rhinitis with medications

Runny nose (rhinitis) is a response of the nasal mucosa to an irritant. Its inflammation syndrome is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms: congestion, copious discharge of a watery or purulent nature. Recovery time and treatment options depend on the type of rhinitis.

At first glance, a runny nose is a harmless disease that can be ignored. In fact, this disease has serious consequences in the form of complications and transition to a chronic form.

3 stages of the process

A runny nose does not develop rapidly, but gradually, going through three stages of development:

1. Reflex stage. The sick person develops dryness, burning, itching in the nasopharynx, breathing through the nose becomes difficult, the person sneezes - these signs are the body’s reaction to the onset of inflammatory processes. Lasts from several hours to a couple of days. At timely treatment and strong immunity, the disease passes quickly at this stage.
2. Catarrhal. Inflammation becomes obvious. The above symptoms intensify and are joined by: nasal congestion, discharge, the sense of smell is dulled, and in some cases there is tearing. It lasts no more than three days, but if left without treatment, it drags on for a week or more.
3. Bacterial. Breathing through the nose becomes easier, but purulent discharge, from yellowish to green shades, and a specific smell from the nasal cavity. This way you can understand that the runny nose is going away. With proper therapy, the bacterial infection subsides within a couple of days. With advanced pathology, a chronic runny nose develops.

If after a week the disease has not been overcome

Normally, a runny nose goes away within six to ten days.

Rhinitis is not the main disease, but more often a side sign of a certain pathology. In order to recover faster, it is necessary to correctly diagnose the cause and begin to treat the underlying disease in time.

Depending on the pathogen, the types of rhinitis and the time of its healing differ:

1. Bacterial runny nose is caused by a viral infection; with proper diagnosis and timely treatment, it can be cured in 4 to 7 days. When time is lost, the bacteria penetrate the larynx, then descend into the trachea and further to the lungs, the treatment period increases to two weeks.
2. passes much faster, from two hours to two days. It all depends on the speed of identifying the allergen and its immediate elimination.
3. A runny nose caused by long-term use of vasoconstrictor drugs goes away within two days after stopping the drops that were the consequences of rhinitis. This type of runny nose is called medicinal.
4. occurs due to a violation of the neuro-reflex mechanisms of the nasal mucosa, disappears immediately after the removal of the stimulus.
5. A runny nose is common in pregnant women, as a result hormonal changes. It goes away within two weeks after birth.

Age differences are important to all of us.

In an adult, nasal inflammation usually goes away faster than in a child. This is due to certain reasons:

1. Firstly, in an adult stronger immunity. The body is able to overcome on its own harmful bacteria and contribute to the rapid cure of rhinitis. The immunity of children is underdeveloped, especially in infants. Period full recovery drags on for weeks.
2. Secondly, an adult immediately detects signs of incipient inflammation. At proper treatment A runny nose is healed already at the first stage of formation. Children show signs of rhinitis in the second stage, when the nose is stuffy and discharge begins. The inflammation process is more difficult to stop, and accordingly, the healing period is delayed.
3. Thirdly, it is more difficult for a child to strictly follow the doctor's instructions than for an adult. A small child has to be persuaded to rinse his nose or use drops and take the prescribed medicine on time. This complicates the treatment process and increases recovery time.

Treatment helps reduce pain

When a runny nose persists, there is a danger of developing chronic form rhinitis, and subsequently - sinusitis, sinusitis, tonsillitis or adenoid. If the illness lasts more than ten days, you must consult a doctor again to find out the cause and change treatment.

First of all, you need to find out the causative agent of the disease and begin complex therapy. Self-medication in the case of prolonged rhinitis is inappropriate; serious consequences are possible, for example, purulent chronic forms, which are treated in a hospital hospital.

With prolonged runny nose, when drug treatment does not bring results, they resort to surgical intervention(laser therapy, cryosurgery, blockade), punctures, washing of the nasal passages.

These procedures are painful and unpleasant. Careful attention to the body, timely and professional treatment will help you avoid them.

If rhinitis is a consequence of the underlying disease and the doctor has correctly identified the causative agent of the disease, suitable simple ways cure the disease:

• inhalation;
• plenty of warm drinks;
• instillation of saline solution;
• use of vasoconstrictor drops before bedtime;
• rinsing the nasal cavity (this method is not suitable for everyone).

Traditional methods help well:

• warm up your feet;
• chop the onion and breathe over it;
• drip the juice of beets, carrots with garlic, aloe or Kalanchoe into your nose (observing the proportions of mixing the juice with water).

The main forces must be directed to the fight against viral infection, allergic reaction or another cause of rhinitis.

We alleviate the condition and restore the sense of smell

During rhinitis, various ways help relieve the unpleasant condition of nasal congestion:

• sleeping on a high pillow;
• excluding coffee from the diet, drinking mint tea;
• humidifying the air in the room using a humidifier or wet towels, a sprayer for caring for flowers;
• hot shower or inhalation before bed (when there is no elevated temperature body);
• regular ventilation of the room, walks fresh air(in the absence of fever).

Of course, I would like to know how many days it takes for a child or an adult to have an annoying runny nose, but it is more important to understand that this period depends on our attitude towards our health.

A runny nose is probably the most unpleasant manifestation of a cold. It creates a lot of inconveniences: it deprives you of appetite, interferes with breathing, prevents you from sleeping normally and even communicating. And if we take into account frequent occurrence runny nose, then we can seriously state that a runny nose poisons our lives. And the point is not at all in the countless scarves that make us swell...

A runny nose also affects us on a psychological and emotional level. 80% of women believe that during a runny nose, not only does the romantic mood disappear, but also external attractiveness disappears. 90% of women think that a runny nose affects their performance and almost 100% talk about the impact of a runny nose on relationships with the opposite sex. At least for this sake, you need to fight a runny nose with all available means. This is what this article will be about.

IN medical terminology A runny nose is rhinitis or inflammation of the nasal mucosa. There are two types: chronic and acute. The cause of an acute runny nose, in most cases, is viruses that cause ARVI (acute respiratory viral infection). Bacteria that affect the nasal mucosa after viruses cause complications.

Also, one of the reasons for the development of a runny nose may be hypothermia. There are others, more rare causes: injuries to the nasal mucosa, foreign bodies, surgical operations in the nasal cavity, irritants, etc.

Entering the nasal mucosa along with air currents, viruses penetrate the upper layer of cells and begin to develop within 1-3 days. As a result of their activity, the functionality of cells is disrupted, including the removal of harmful bacteria.

The fact is that the surface layer of the nose is lined with cilia, which, making flickering movements, drive any foreign body “to the exit”, so it is difficult for bacteria to infect the body through healthy nose. But viruses disrupt the functioning of cells and create all the conditions for bacterial infection, and this is already much worse than a common cold.

Stages of a runny nose

Groups of drugs against the common cold

• bacterial vaccines;
• antibacterial;
• homeopathic and complex preparations;

Vasoconstrictor drugs against the common cold

To reduce nasal congestion, in the complex treatment of a runny nose, vasoconstrictor drops, capable of influencing the constriction of the blood vessels of the nose, which reduces the swelling of its mucous membrane. This widens the nasal passages and makes breathing easier.

It is worth remembering that this type of drops has strict contraindications and can be used for no more than 7 days. Otherwise, you risk provoking structural changes in the cells of the mucous membrane, which can impair olfactory function in the future.

Pay attention to the release form of the medicine. When treated with drops, the liquid flows into the nasopharynx, so an overdose of the drug is especially dangerous. If you have a choice between drops and aerosol, it is better to choose the latter. It's more secure.

For atrophic rhinitis, vasoconstrictor drugs are prohibited.

Moisturizers against runny nose

This group, in fact, is not drugs; their purpose is an auxiliary effect - facilitating the passage of mucus by improving its properties. Moisturizers are good in combination with any medications and for any form of runny nose, they are especially in demand for chronic atrophic rhinitis. They are prepared from mineral or sea ​​water. The rich mineral composition of moisturizers increases the activity of cilia and normalizes the function of the glands of the nasal mucosa. Daily norm not limited, because they have no contraindications.

Antiviral drugs for the common cold

Antiviral drugs are means of prevention and initial stage runny nose diseases. They are obtained from white blood cells or created using genetic engineering. Their purpose is to eliminate the cause of the disease - to suppress the development viral infection.

At prophylactic use, antiviral drugs You should start taking it when there is a threat of infection and stop taking it when the threat is lifted. During treatment, treatment begins as soon as the first signs of infection appear - sneezing, coughing, malaise. Antiviral agents come in the form of capsules, drops, suppositories, etc.

Homeopathic and complex preparations against the runny nose

These are preparations with essential oils, such as peppermint oil (menthol). Inside the nasal cavity, this kind of oil has an antiseptic effect (in mild form) and a refreshing effect. Menthol itself does not cure - it does not expand the nasal passages or reduce swelling, but its effect allows you to feel easier breathing due to the effect of menthol on the receptors of the nasal mucosa.

Also popular are drops containing silver, which have an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect. They can be taken for a long runny nose, especially if it is a protracted initial stage of a hypertrophic runny nose.

Homeopathic medicines are widely used in the form of drops, sprays and other forms. They have a complex effect on the body - decongestant, immunostimulating, antiviral. They should be used for acute rhinitis at the initial stage, for a couple of hours, every 15-20 minutes, following the age recommendations on the packaging.

Antibacterial drugs against runny nose

To treat complications that arise from a runny nose or bacterial infection, antibacterial medications are used, which are available in the form of aerosol dispensers. Thanks to his small size Aerosol particles are able to penetrate deeply into the distant parts of the nose and even into the paranasal sinuses. This group of drugs has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects, fighting the cause of complications - bacteria. The effect of such treatment does not apply to the entire body, but it allows targeted treatment of infected areas. Due to its limited action, this kind medications are not prohibited for pregnant and nursing mothers. There are also antibacterial drops. There is also a separate group of combination drugs, in chemical composition which are included as antibacterial agents, and vasoconstrictors and/or hormonal drugs.

Bacterial vaccines against the common cold

This is a group of drugs that contain antigens of infectious agents (bacteria). When a vaccine from such a medicine enters the body, the latter produces antibodies (protective substances). Bacterial vaccines are produced in the form of an aerosol with a dispenser; it is advisable to use them as a means of prevention even before the disease. In this case, antibodies developed in a timely manner can prevent the disease itself or significantly shorten its duration. The use of bacterial preparations is indicated for frequent or prolonged runny noses.

Treatment methods for chronic runny nose

In case of chronic runny nose, it is imperative to involve a specialist in treatment - an ENT doctor. The treatment tactics for a runny nose largely depend on the reasons that caused it. It consists of physiotherapeutic, restorative and medicinal methods. Even if complex treatment does not help, then there is only one option left - surgery.

Recently, treatment of runny nose with laser has become widespread. With its help, swelling of the mucous membrane is relieved, which allows you to improve breathing and reduce mucus secretion.

If you have an allergic chronic runny nose, you should consult an allergist. It will help identify the allergen, and based on this, you can select treatment tactics.

In any case, if a runny nose continues for more than 3 weeks and there is no noticeable success in healing, you should consult a doctor. Also, if after the second week of treatment for a runny nose, there is still discomfort, difficulty breathing, lacrimation, pain in the eyes, headache, purulent discharge, this means that some complications have developed and you should visit the ENT doctor again.

It is worth remembering that although there are many remedies and methods against chronic and acute runny nose, you cannot use them all at once in the hope that at least something will help. This path is harmful and even dangerous. It is better to consult a specialist if you cannot understand the causes and identify the form of the runny nose.

Complications with a runny nose

Sinusitis

Sinusitis - inflammation of the maxillary mucosa paranasal sinuses nose It can occur with acute runny nose, measles, flu and other infectious diseases, as well as diseases of the back teeth.

Symptoms: difficulty breathing through the nose, a feeling of pain and tension in the affected sinus, a disorder of smell, purulent nasal discharge, lacrimation and photophobia. Pain that is vague or localized in the forehead and temples occurs periodically at the same time of day. Fever.

Otitis

Otitis is an acute inflammation of the middle ear, which is caused by microbes penetrating through the auditory tube into the tympanic cavity, which is facilitated by inflammation in the nose, its sinuses, nasopharynx, as well as infectious diseases - influenza, measles and others. Slightly less often, the infection enters the middle ear along with the bloodstream during injuries or infectious diseases.

Symptoms: Acute otitis media begins unexpectedly and is characterized by: sudden, severe pain in the ear, fever, malaise, sensations of ear congestion, noise in it, hearing loss.

Myth. Whether the body will be able to defeat viruses on its own, without drugs, depends on the immune system and many other factors. It’s better not to take risks and not to let things take their course: if you don’t treat a runny nose, it could easily turn into sinusitis, otitis media, pharyngitis, laryngitis, and it could even end in bronchitis or pneumonia.

2. You can catch a runny nose if you are cold or get your feet very wet.

Myth. At good immunity neither hypothermia nor wet feet will in themselves lead to a runny nose. But if, due to these factors, the immune system weakens, it can easily become a target for viruses that attack it.

3. Rinsing your nose and gargling with saline solutions helps you avoid getting sick, and if you do get sick, you can recover faster

Is it true. This simple procedure helps to moisturize the nasopharyngeal mucosa, strengthening its local immunity, and cleanses it of mucus and germs. The main thing is not to be lazy and do this every day, at least in the morning and evening, and if you feel like you are getting sick, once every hour or two. If you start gargling and rinsing your nose at the first sign of a cold, you can quickly defeat the virus.

4. A runny nose can be chronic.

Is it true. A runny nose, or scientifically called rhinitis, is usually just a symptom. It all depends on the cause of the disease. And if, for example, we are talking about allergies, then this symptom can actually accompany for a long time, and in some cases (for example, with a deviated nasal septum or some endocrine diseases) you can suffer from a runny nose for the rest of your life. But if we are talking about a runny nose as a symptom of a cold (that is, ARVI), and it does not go away a week after the start of treatment, and the discharge has become yellow or gray, then microbes are actively multiplying in the sinuses, and this is not a chronic runny nose. Not far from sinusitis, sinusitis, etc. See a doctor urgently!

5. To get a runny nose, you need to be sneezed on.

Myth. If this is a symptom of ARVI, an acute respiratory viral infection, then you can become infected by airborne droplets, and in direct contact with the carrier of the virus or even just his things.

6. Cold drops can be addictive

Is it true. It is no coincidence that when treating a runny nose, doctors advise using such remedies only in the first 2-3 days, during acute stage When the nose is stuffy, it pours and it’s impossible to breathe. Vasoconstrictor drops, if used for a long time, disrupt the nutrition of the nasal mucosa and the tone of blood vessels, which become more fragile. The elasticity of their walls is noticeably reduced, and chronic atrophic rhinitis may eventually occur.

Evgenia Shakhova

Doctor of Medicine, Professor, Doctor highest category, chief otorhinolaryngologist of the Health Committee of the Administration of the Volgograd Region

Acute rhinitis most often occurs viral etiology. The first period of the disease lasts from several hours to a day and is characterized by a feeling of tension and dry nose. The second stage is characterized heavy discharge from the nose, stuffiness. At this stage, vasoconstrictor drops are usually used to improve breathing. But it is important to remember that without a doctor’s prescription they can only be used for a few days.

7. If you have a runny nose, it’s better to avoid using a handkerchief.

Both truth and myth. If we are talking about a cloth handkerchief, then this is absolutely true: after the first use, it becomes a real breeding ground for germs. So disposable paper tissues are not only more convenient, but also more hygienic. If the skin becomes red or irritated due to their frequent use, use an emollient cream or ointment with panthenol.

8. If you drip onion or garlic juice into your nose, you will recover quickly

Myth. There is not a single one serious scientific research, confirming this. But in this way you can easily cause serious irritation of the already inflamed nasal mucosa or even a burn. It is much healthier to eat onions and garlic: phytoncides will help you recover faster.

9. If you warm your nose and feet, you will be able to get rid of a runny nose faster

Both truth and myth. In the acute stage of a runny nose, warming the nose really helps to “dry up the runny nose” - largely by improving the blood supply to the nasal mucosa and reducing swelling. But if microbes begin to actively multiply in the nasal sinuses, heat will accelerate their reproduction, and sinusitis or sinusitis may develop. That is why you can warm your nose only in the initial, acute stage of the disease. As for hot foot baths, they are really useful at any stage of a cold: there are many reflex points, closely related to respiratory system and at the same time helping the immune system cope with viruses faster.

Acute rhinitis strikes a person suddenly, in the company of a cold or flu. Caused by pathogenic viruses and bacteria: by secreting mucus, the body tries to cope with the invaders.

Acute rhinitis is treated together with the cold against which it arose, bed rest, drinking plenty of fluids, honey, lemons and vitamins. However, keep in mind that:

Warm milk, which is traditionally considered a panacea for colds, not only does not help with a runny nose, but, on the contrary, increases the flow. Other mucus-forming foods include sweets, wheat bread, smoked meats, White rice, pasta, muesli and bananas.

Garlic, onion, horseradish, mustard, ginger, cranberry, carrot juice, and lemon help “turn off the tap.”

One of the most useful products for a runny nose is honey, which works as well as antibiotics as a bacteria killer.

Cabbage also helps to cope with a runny nose - due to the sulforaphane it contains, which has antibacterial activity. Most of this substance is found in broccoli and cauliflower.

Sometimes a chronic runny nose occurs against the background of a love of alcohol; usually this reaction to alcohol occurs in men over 50 years of age, but women are also at risk. According to scientists from the Danish Institute of Public Health, if a woman drinks more than 14 servings of alcohol per week, her risk of developing food-related rhinitis increases by 78%. One serving is equivalent to a glass of wine or a bottle of beer.

Healthy drinks

Place 1 tbsp in a cup of hot water. a spoonful of grated fresh ginger and honey, add a little black pepper, a couple of spoons lemon juice, fresh mint. Stir and drink before it cools down.

Mash frozen cranberries or lingonberries in a mug, pour hot water, add a spoonful of honey and stir.

Brew dried rose hips with hot water (not boiling water!) in a thermos and let it brew for 3 hours.

Brew echinacea, chamomile, thyme, linden, mint, raspberry leaves or St. John's wort in a thermos - these herbs give a good antibacterial effect.

Be careful, newlyweds!

Common reason chronic rhinitis- an untreated cold, “unfinished” bacteria that disturb the body. There is only one recipe - to recover.

A constant runny nose can be caused by dry air from central heating - the body tries to moisturize dry mucous membranes. A humidifier will help.

Another one possible reason chronic runny nose - dust, dirt and gas pollution in the city atmosphere. It’s not always possible to escape into the ecological wilderness, but buying an air purifier is easy.

Vasomotor rhinitis is also classified as chronic. The cause of a constant runny nose can be cold, tobacco, too strong odors, tobacco smoke, alcohol, too hot or spicy food (the so-called food rhinitis), hormones, and stress. There is even “honeymoon” rhinitis!

Immunity pranks

If your nose runs during or after eating, then most likely you have allergic rhinitis. That is, the cause of the runny nose was a reaction to a specific product. Modern Western medicine associates up to 80% of cases of chronic runny nose with food allergies.

Typical allergens are nuts, citrus fruits, sugar, milk, strawberries, chocolate, chicken eggs, fish, soy. A person can react to almost anything - it depends on the characteristics of the job immune system. To identify the allergen, allergists perform skin tests and other tests.

In addition to true allergies, there is also a false one, otherwise it is called food intolerance. It can be caused by problems with the gastrointestinal tract or insufficient production of digestive enzymes.

Typical examples are milk intolerance and celiac disease. In the first case, there is not enough lactase enzyme to break down milk sugar - lactose. In the second, the body cannot cope with gluten - a protein that is abundant in grains, especially wheat, oats, and rye.

Food intolerance can be caused by preservatives, flavorings and food colorings.

Often the culprit is products containing histamine (a substance that plays an important role in the development of allergic reactions) and other substances with similar properties: wine, beer, hard cheeses, smoked sausage, sausages, liver, canned tuna, herring and herring caviar, ketchup, sauerkraut, eggplants, bananas.

Also dangerous are foods that increase the amount of free histamine, which is usually in a bound, inactive state in the body: chicken eggs, fish, chocolate, strawberries, spinach, tomatoes, cocoa, ham, peanuts.

An examination will help you figure out what exactly you are having an allergic reaction to. gastrointestinal tract and management food diary, which should record everything that was eaten and with what consequences.

A runny nose, or it is also called rhinitis in medicine, is a pressing problem in any off-season and cold time. During this period, the human body is weakened and adjusts to a different time of year. Many people consider the topic of nasal congestion as an extraordinary problem and do not seriously ask themselves how to quickly get rid of a runny nose and not provoke the appearance of various complications.

A runny nose is dangerous for a person because it has serious consequences. A common cold can lead to decreased sense of smell and decreased appetite, as well. For many people, a runny nose is not a serious threat to health, which is why patients do not give due importance to the treatment of the disease. However, this opinion is wrong. Therapy must necessarily include drops for the common cold, inhalations, physiotherapy and taking medications that will affect not only the symptoms, but also the causes of the disease.

Etiology

A runny nose develops in the human body due to colds, for example, etc. Allergies can also provoke the appearance of the disease.

Before taking any remedy for a runny nose, the patient needs to understand the cause of the disease. Doctors include additional provoking factors:

• hypothermia;
• performing surgical intervention in the nasal cavity;
• prolonged use of vasoconstrictor drugs;
• the effect of chemical or other irritants on the nasal membrane;
• nasal injuries;
• changes in weather, seasons and climatic conditions;
• weakened immune system;

A runny nose during pregnancy is a fairly common occurrence because a woman’s body undergoes hormonal changes that can cause a weakened immune system. Therefore, women succumb to viral infections much faster. Also, a runny nose during pregnancy can occur due to allergic reactions or inhalation of cold or damp air.

A runny nose in a newborn has the same causes as in an adult. Most often, the disease progresses with the development of a cold. In 95% of infants, the formation of a runny nose is viral.

The infant is exposed inflammatory process in the adenoids, if he develops. Its development becomes the formation of a chronic runny nose in childhood. Quite often, along with adenoid hypertrophy, doctors diagnose sinusitis. An increase in the volume of the tonsils leads to the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, which provoke inflammation of the tissues of the nasopharynx.

A runny nose may also appear from exposure to foreign body. This reason is a characteristic factor for the development of atypical rhinitis. The appearance of nasal discharge is associated with the following objects:

Before treating a runny nose in a child, you need to understand the cause of its manifestation.

Doctors identified that another factor in the progression of a runny nose can be. The cause of their growth is chronic damage or allergies. Benign formations grow to significant sizes and overlap nasal cavity and interfere with normal breathing. Polyps are often diagnosed in adult patients, but can also occur in children. The disease may be accompanied by bronchial asthma, allergic reaction to acetylsalicylic acid or yellow fruits and other allergens.

Classification

There are many types of runny nose, depending on the causes of its occurrence, namely:

• - pathology progresses from external stimuli, for example, weather changes or aggressive influence of the external environment. The disease can be eliminated by eliminating all irritants;
• - manifests itself when exposed to a particular allergen, for example, during the flowering period of plants, when consuming foods, or from contact with dogs or cats. How to distinguish allergic runny nose The doctor will tell you about other types of illness during the examination. Often this type of pathology occurs in people suffering from any allergies. It is quite easy to distinguish an allergic runny nose from a cold, since it appears sharply and also quickly subsides. It can be eliminated by simply changing the environment, excluding all allergens; sometimes, to quickly reduce an attack of rhinitis, doctors suggest using antihistamines;
• infectious - manifests itself in acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections and influenza. The patient is prescribed antiviral treatment, which eliminates the symptoms. Colds are easily cured within a week. As part of home therapy, you can do salt baths and inhalations are allowed for a runny nose;
• - formed from frequent use drugs that provoke swelling and atrophy in the nose. This type of runny nose differs in that when you stop using medications, rhinitis subsides almost immediately. It is advisable to treat the disease in a hospital so as not to provoke complications;
• traumatic - manifests itself with mechanical, chemical or temperature damage to the nose and mucous membranes. With mild exposure to irritants, rhinitis goes away on its own, but with a prolonged and painful runny nose, the patient should seek the help of a specialist;
• hypertrophic - the walls of the nose grow and thicken. During this period, a huge amount of unpleasant mucus is released from the nose. A mild remedy for a runny nose, taken at home, will not help to fully eliminate such rhinitis, since the patient only needs prompt help;
• - the tissues of the nasal passages become depleted and dry out. Delayed therapy can cause complete or partial loss of smell. Self-medication is contraindicated.

Depending on the course of the disease, doctors also identified two types of rhinitis:

• acute - manifests itself during colds, allergies;
• chronic runny nose - manifests itself with frequent relapses of viral pathologies.

Since a runny nose during pregnancy, in an adult and a child, often manifests itself precisely from damage to the body by infection and bacteria, doctors have identified three main stages in the development of an acute attack:

• initial;
• catarrhal - manifests itself after a few days;
• recovery - after a week of full treatment, nasal congestion completely disappears.

The chronic form of the disease also has several forms:

• catarrhal;
• hypertrophic;
• atrophic.

Symptoms

At the initial stage of the formation of the disease, the patient develops a characteristic burning sensation in the nose, itching, dryness, and may experience headache, sneezing, etc. The disease then develops over several days, and watery discharge is added to the initial symptoms. The patient may have severe... When developing, a runny nose during pregnancy in women, children or adult patients is often characterized by discharge mixed with blood.

At the last stage of rhinitis, the patient experiences relief. It appears after a week of effective therapy. The patient's condition improves significantly, the amount of nasal discharge decreases, breathing becomes clear and uniform. 10 days after therapy, rhinitis completely disappears without complications.

Sometimes doctors diagnose the development of a runny nose without an increase in temperature. This is due to the progression of the viral infection. This disease can be characterized by the following manifestations:

• stuffy nose;
• mucous discharge;
• headache;

With an allergic lesion of the nasal sinuses, the patient experiences the following symptoms:

• stuffy nose;
• runny nose with mucous, purulent, bloody discharge;
• sensation of fluid transfusion in the sinus when tilting the head;
• sneezing;
• headache;
• fever;

With neurovegetative runny nose, to general symptoms Pathology is also added by the frequent secretion of a significant amount of liquid mucus after sleep.

You can recognize a viral runny nose by the following indicators:

• dryness and swelling of the mucous membrane in the nasal cavity;
• sneezing;

Bacterial infection of the nose, unlike other types of diseases, manifests itself in a cloudy, thick secretion of yellow or green mucus.

And with traumatic rhinitis, the patient is bothered by the difficult secretion of viscous mucus, which flows down the wall of the larynx into the pharynx.

A remedy for a runny nose should be chosen solely based on the symptoms of the disease. Before starting treatment, it is necessary to identify the root cause of the disease after diagnostics.

Diagnostics

A runny nose in a newborn or adult patient is diagnosed based on symptoms. To distinguish one type of illness from another, the doctor needs to clearly understand what the clinical picture of each type of rhinitis is and whether the person has individual characteristics body.

If a frequent runny nose is detected, the patient should seek help from a doctor. An otolaryngologist will examine the nasal cavity and be able to give an accurate diagnosis and prescribe therapy.

Treatment

Every person has at least once encountered the problem of rhinitis, so everyone is interested in the question of how to get rid of a runny nose, what are there effective ways for therapy at home. Mucus secretion, as a rule, is eliminated at home, because the disease often manifests itself from viral disease. In this case, the patient can get by with nasal drops or folk remedies. However, if the pathology appears more complex and atypical clinical picture, then you can’t do without the help of a specialist.

For symptomatic therapy The patient is prescribed the following procedures:

• cleansing the nasal passages of mucus - the procedure can be carried out by blowing your nose or rinsing;
• relief of nasal congestion - a vasoconstrictor for a runny nose is used.

If rhinitis caused by a virus is detected, it is advisable for the patient to use antiviral drugs, drops for the common cold, and medications to strengthen the immune system.

A runny nose is also common during pregnancy. The etiological factors for the development of such a disease are quite different, but the treatment of all of them should be as gentle as possible so as not to harm the fetus. A runny nose during pregnancy can be eliminated by rinsing the nasal cavity. Therapy is based on moisturizing the mucous membrane, and when rinsing the nose with salt water, the effect is improved by eliminating water from the mucous membranes and enlarging the respiratory passages.

Women are also allowed to carry out warming procedures. You can warm your sinuses with warm salt or warm them with blue light. Doctors also approve of inhalations for a runny nose. They can be made based on medicinal herbs And essential oils, but no more than 4 times a day for 10 minutes.

Drug treatment of a runny nose during pregnancy is undesirable and is used with the permission of a physician only if it worsens. general condition future mother.