Rhinorrhea Treatment: Get the FIX for your runny nose!
Most people experience an occasional runny nose. However, millions of Americans experience constant nasal drip that negatively impacts their quality of life. If your nasal cavity regularly produces excess mucus, you may have rhinorrhea.
Thankfully, there is a fix for your constant runny nose. The experienced physicians at Sinuplasty Center for Excellence can help you breathe easy again.
What is Rhinorrhea?
Some may think that rhinorrhea is simply another word for runny nose, but it is so much more. The drip and sniff of a runny nose are the body’s response to a complicated chain of events. For some, these events are rare and are directly associated with specific short-term triggers.
However, for those who suffer from chronic rhinorrhea, the causes and symptoms are much more difficult to manage. These patients may have a runny nose for no apparent reason. They may experience a clear runny nose or nasal discharge that is thick with mucus. Their nasal drip will last for extended periods of time and the mucus can cause breathing issues and physical pain. In addition, a runny nose causes sleep disruption and other difficult symptoms.
Why Does My Nose Run?
A runny nose can be triggered by anything that irritates the nasal cavity. When the nose is inflamed, the nerves naturally respond by creating mucus. Mucus is critical to good health as it helps to provide moisture to the nose and the air that you breathe. However, too much mucus can cause major health problems. Common causes of a runny nose may include:
- Cold Weather: When it is cold and dry, the body responds by creating extra mucus to keep the nasal passage warm and moist.
- Common Cold or Flu: When you are sick your body produces excess mucus which can fill the nasal passage and cause blockages.
- Allergy Attack: The body responds to allergens by creating mucus during an allergy attack.
- Medication side effects: Some medication side effects include the creation of excess mucus that results in a runny nose.
- Crying: When you cry, tears drain through the tear ducts and into the nasal passage.
- Sinus Infection: When the sinuses are infected, they will often drain mucus through the nose.
- Physical abnormality: These could include issues such as nasal polyps, deviated septum, nasal cyst, or other physical conditions.
Chronic Rhinitis
Chronic rhinitis is the frequent inflammation of the nose. This condition is one of the leading causes of long-lasting rhinorrhea. Unlike the specific causes of runny nose listed above, a runny nose caused by chronic rhinitis is not fully known. It is understood that when a patient suffers from chronic rhinitis, the overactive nerve cells inside the nose produce excess mucus.
Patients who suffer from chronic rhinitis may experience rhinorrhea even when sickness or other medical triggers are not present.
Rhinorrhea Treatment Options:
You don’t have to live with a runny nose
Depending on the cause and severity of your runny nose, there are treatments available. You don’t have to live with the coughing, sniffling, and breathing problems that come with your runny nose. Rhinorrhea treatments are safe, effective, and can be designed to meet your individual needs. Some common treatment types include:
Natural Rhinorrhea Treatments: Home remedies for your runny nose
For those who experience the occasional runny nose, there are effective natural solutions that may reduce or prevent symptoms. These include:
- Avoiding known allergies or pollutants to prevent the onset of allergy-related rhinorrhea.
- Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and keep the body from overproducing mucus.
- Saline sprays may help break up mucus and prevent an excessively runny nose. Keeping the nose hydrated in the cold winter months may also prevent the overproduction of mucus.
- Suction the excess mucus with a rubber nasal bulb.
Medication Treatments for Rhinorrhea
Most cases of rhinorrhea will clear up naturally, but some patients may seek medication to resolve the symptoms of a runny nose. Medication treatment is often effective in temporarily covering up the symptom. All medications have potential side effects and must be discussed with your doctor as part of your overall health plan.
Medication rhinorrhea treatments may include:
- Nasal Sprays - many common nasal sprays work by shrinking the blood vessels in the nose. These are known as vasoconstrictor nasal sprays and they can have short term benefits. Extended use of these sprays can actually cause more congestion. Even when these sprays are purchased over-the-counter, they must be used very carefully to avoid damage. It is important to follow all instructions and avoid long-term use.
- Decongestant - many over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription decongestants are used to treat runny nose and other symptoms. These may provide short term relief but also carry side effects. These include interactions with other medications, blood pressure issues, and more.
- Medications to treat underlying issues - When your runny nose is the symptom of allergies, sinus infection, cold, or the flu, then treating the underlying condition may reduce symptoms.
Surgical Treatment
Surgical rhinorrhea treatment solutions are rarely necessary. When a runny nose is the result of a physical medical issue such as a deviated septum, physical abnormality, or severe chronic infections then a surgical solution may be considered.
ClariFix®: The Lasting Solution to your Runny Nose!
ClariFix® is the perfect solution for patients who are seeking rhinorrhea treatments without the side effects of medication or other risky treatments. This minimally-invasive office procedure will provide lasting relief. ClariFix® is the only solution that allows you to get to the root cause of your runny nose. If you regularly experience any of the following symptoms, then you may be a candidate for rhinorrhea treatment with ClariFix®
- Watery nose
- Nasal congestion
- Congestion in the morning
- Post-nasal drip
- Constant clearing the throat
- Difficulty sleeping due to a runny nose
How does ClariFix® work?
ClariFix® is an FDA-cleared procedure that uses cold temperatures to prevent the overactive nerves in the nose from creating excessive mucus. It uses a proven technique called cryotherapy to get directly to the source of your symptoms.
Cryotherapy is safe and effective and has been used for decades in countless successful medical procedures. Applying the tools of cryotherapy to rhinorrhea treatment is an innovative modern solution that works. ClariFix® calms the out-of-balance nerves and puts an end to the dripping, running, and swelling.
ClariFix® is done from the comfort of the office under topical or local anesthesia. Most patients are able to return to normal activities on the same day with minimal discomfort. Significant symptom reduction is achieved within a few weeks and is long-lasting.
Rhinorrhea Treatments at the Sinuplasty Center of Excellence
Patients from Ocean Springs, Biloxi, and across the Mississippi Gulf Coast have found relief with the team of professionals at the Sinuplasty Center of Excellence. Our team of ENT Specialists will carefully walk you through every option and develop an individualized plan for your rhinorrhea treatment. There is finally a fix that will stop the constant drip and sniff of your runny nose. Contact us today to find out how your nose can finally get some relief.
