Chronic Rhinitis Treatment Options

We’ve all had a runny nose. But what if those annoying symptoms don’t go away, even with over-the-counter medications and nasal sprays? 

You don’t have to suffer with the constant sniffing or drainage down the back of your throat.  

Four Solutions for Chronic Rhinitis

For long lasting relief, there are four potential solutions for the condition we call chronic rhinitis.

1. Cryotherapy involves freezing specific nerve endings in the nose. This is done in the clinic or the operating room with local anesthetic. It’s a quick procedure with minimal side effects, with the most common difficulties including some minor bleeding from the nose and an ice cream style headache. The results can last up to 2 years, with a 30-50% reduction in symptoms.
2. Radiofrequency ablation therapy disrupts specific nerve endings by applying radiofrequency waves to tiny areas inside the nose. This quick procedure can be done in the clinic or the operating room with local anesthetic. This procedure has the added benefit of an improved nasal airway and does not have the associated ice cream headache when compared to cryotherapy. It is well tolerated, with the most common risks being some temporary congestion and short term sinus drainage. It also has a 30-50% reduction in symptoms. 
3. Operative postnasal neurotomy is a 1 ½- to 2-hour minimally invasive surgery. Using an endoscope, we create space in your nasal passage and use special instruments to cauterize specific nerve endings at the back of the nose. Side effects include temporary bleeding and dryness. This procedure offers a 75-80% reduction in symptoms.
4. A vidian neurectomy is an endoscopic procedure that involves removing the vidian nerve. It’s 95% effective and an option for severe rhinitis that has not responded to other treatments. Because the affected nerve also serves some nerve branches to the eye, it may cause decreased tearing or dry eye. 

These procedures are generally covered by Medicare and also some private payers. Which procedure is right for you depends on many factors. To find out how you can get relief from your chronic runny nose go to CHIhealth.com/ENT.