Chronic Rhinitis Treatment in Manhattan

If you have persistent nasal and sinus congestion, runny nose, and post-nasal drip – even if you don’t have a cold or sinus infection – it’s possible you have a condition medically known as chronic rhinitis. Learn more about this condition as well as what treatments are available for it for patients of Madison ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery.

ENT doctor Stacey Silvers, MD is board-certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology and has extensive experience helping patients with chronic rhinitis. If you’re struggling with symptoms of chronic rhinitis in the Manhattan area, don’t hesitate to see a specialist. Contact Madison ENT today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Silvers.

What Is Chronic Rhinitis?

Chronic rhinitis is frequent inflammation of the nose with symptoms such as a runny nose, nasal congestion, and post-nasal drip (mucus in the throat). But what causes it?

While the exact causes are unknown, out-of-balance nasal nerves play a contributing factor. The nerves in your nose transmit signals to your brain regulating all sorts of functions.

When these nerves become hyperactive or out of balance, they send more signals than are necessary for the nose to perform its normal jobs, such as protecting the body from infectious agents. This can cause your nose to respond like it’s fighting an illness.

The nasal linings will become inflamed (congestion) and mucus production will increase (runny nose), causing these annoying symptoms – even when you aren’t sick.

What Are Some of the Causes of Chronic Rhinitis?

• Rebound congestion. Often, people living with frequent rhinitis resort to taking decongestants such as pseudoephedrine (sold in many allergy and cold medicine capsules). Many use nasal decongestant or antihistamine sprays. However, when used for more than 3 or 4 days, sprays can contribute to a cycle of worsened swelling called rebound congestion.
• Chronic rhinitis. This persistent stuffiness and runny nose of chronic rhinitis is an extension of rhinitis caused by inflammation or viral infection. The seemingly relentless nasal obstruction can be accompanied in severe cases by crusting, bleeding and thick, smelly, pus-filled nasal discharge.
• Vasomotor rhinitis. This form of chronic rhinitis causes allergy-like symptoms of congestion, sneezing and runny nose, even when no allergies appear to be present. Some people experience strong reactions to irritants such as dust, pollen, perfumes, pollution, and even spicy foods. This condition can be worse with exposure to dry air.

How Is Chronic Rhinitis Diagnosed?

Dr. Silvers will assess your history of symptoms and family history of allergies and other conditions. The patient may be asked to undergo skin or blood tests as part of the diagnosis.

What Chronic Rhinitis Treatment Options Does Dr. Silvers Provide?

Madison ENT in Manhattan offers a procedure known as ClariFix® to treat Chronic Rhinitis. ClariFix® Cryotherapy is a safe, clinically proven and minimally invasive treatment that targets the source of your symptoms for lasting relief. Cryotherapy is a safe, minimally invasive procedure provided in-office that may provide long-lasting symptom relief.

How Does ClariFix Work?

To understand how ClariFix® Cryotherapy works, it’s important to understand the underlying cause of your symptoms. Out-of-balance nerves may be sending too many signals to the nose, telling it to drip, run and swell more than necessary.

The ClariFix® Cryotherapy device goes straight to the source of the symptoms – the out-of-balance nerves. Using a minimally-invasive treatment called ‘cryotherapy’, the ClariFix® device interrupts the signals from these nerves to reduce your runny, stuffy nose symptoms. When the cold temperature hits the out-of-balance nerves, the nerve signals are temporarily interrupted. The nerves are no longer telling the nose to drip, run and swell.