The common cold, otherwise known as rhinitis, can have various causes and symptoms. Most often it is accompanied by sneezing, itching and nasal congestion, secretion. Sometimes there is an atypical form of it - a dry runny nose. In this case, there is no discharge from the nose, and the person feels severe dryness. It is caused by atrophy of the mucous membranes. Treatment is different from that of ordinary rhinitis, but it also requires a competent approach.
Features of the disease
Dry runny nose is a chronic pathology. During its development, drying and subsequent atrophy of the nasal mucosa is observed. Covers the pathological process only the initial sections of the nasal cavity. It always runs for a long time. Once occurring, a runny nose is left without proper attention, so it often becomes chronic.
The disease requires timely and adequate treatment. With a long course, it can provoke the appearance of ulcers and erosions on the nasal septum. Severe consequences occur in young children as well, because until the age of two they have not yet fully developed the functioning of the respiratory tract. However, pathology in babies is rare. Most often, it affects older people, especially the stronger sex.
Types of dry rhinitis
There are 2 types of this disease:
- Anterior rhinitis. Occurs with inflammation of only the anterior nasal cavity. The main reason is mechanical damage to the mucosa, exposure to chemicals. Characterized by the formation of greenish crusts.
- Atrophic rhinitis. This is a chronic type of disease, which is characterized by a decrease in the mucosa or its complete atrophy. Nasal discharge is present and has an unpleasant odor.
In medical practice, the first variant of the pathology is most common. Atrophic rhinitis is rarely diagnosed, but always entails irreversible consequences.
Main reasons
Dry runny nose in adults is usually the result of interventions on the turbinates or their injuries. Often it occurs in people working in the chemical industry. Cement, lime, ammonia and other substances are highly irritating to the respiratory tract.
Other common causes include the following:
- dramatic climate change, for example, when moving to another country for permanent residence;
- prolonged course of infectious rhinitis with frequent exacerbations;
- living near highways, factories and factories;
- vitamin D deficiency;
- hormonal imbalance;
- smoking, alcoholism, drug addiction;
- rough blowing.
These factors contribute to the drying of the turbinates. Minor damage leads to a superficial defect and its subsequent scarring.
Clinical picture
Determination of the cause of nasal congestion without a runny nose and treatment cause difficulties for ENT specialists. The symptoms of dry rhinitis are quite atypical, which often causes problems with the diagnosis. Its main manifestations are the following:
- feeling full and tight in nasal passages;
- changing the timbre of the voice, the appearance of nasality;
- no sense of smell;
- inflammation of the mucosa with the subsequent appearance of microcracks and crusts on them;
- nosebleeds;
- pain in the forehead, weakness, impaired concentration;
- constant thirst.
If you ignore the symptoms of the disease, it can progress. First, thick mucus appears, which is accompanied by a persistent desire to blow your nose. However, each attempt ends unsuccessfully, and the discomfort persists. When the patient makes an effort, blood spots may appear on the napkin. Endless attempts result in full bleeding.
In some cases, the mucous membrane of the organs of vision dries up. sickconstantly worried about the feeling of a foreign object in the eyes, fatigue quickly sets in.
Dry rhinitis in children
Dry runny nose in a child may occur due to exposure to allergens and the inferiority of the immune system. The latter is unable to protect the body from infections.
To prescribe treatment, parents together with the baby must contact a pediatrician. Usually they use means for washing the nose, nourishing and moisturizing the mucous membrane. Antibacterial and antihistamine drugs are used in extreme cases. Physiotherapy is also prescribed infrequently, and is performed strictly under the supervision of a doctor. Self-treatment is unacceptable. This can aggravate the course of the pathological process and provoke the development of complications.
Diagnostic Methods
To determine the cause of nasal congestion without a runny nose and treatment, you need to contact an otolaryngologist. The doctor studies the patient's complaints and anamnesis, and only then proceeds directly to the diagnosis. First, the nasal cavity is examined and a rhinoscopy is performed. This procedure allows you to assess the condition of the nasal passages and mucous membranes, to identify the presence of an inflammatory process.
In some cases, MRI and x-rays of the sinuses are required. In addition, the otolaryngologist always prescribes blood and urine tests, scraping for bakposev.
Treatments
What to do with dry nose? The disease is treated in twodirections. First you need to get rid of its root cause (chronic infection, taking hormonal drugs, contact with chemicals). The second stage is the inhibition of atrophic processes. For this purpose, medications and various physiotherapy procedures are used. Sometimes folk remedies are acceptable, but only after agreement with the doctor.
Use of pharmacy products
The otolaryngologist selects the treatment regimen for dry runny nose. The doctor also determines the dosage of the drugs and the duration of their use.
To stop the inflammatory process use:
- Antiseptic sprays (Bioparox, Isofra), local or general antibiotics (Sinuforte, Augmentin) for bacterial infection.
- Meat-based drugs ("Pinosol"). They relieve inflammation well and prevent the mucous membrane from drying out.
- Antihistamines ("Suprastin", "Cetrizine"). Used in case of severe itching and swelling.
- Corticosteroid drugs ("Polydex", "Amavis"). Effective for persistent inflammation, but long-term use can be addictive.
The atrophic variant of dry runny nose requires a different therapeutic approach. To irrigate the mucosa and maintain its moisture artificially, sprays based on sea water (Marimer, Salin) are used. It is mandatory to rinse with an alkaline solution to facilitate the discharge of dry nozzles and the resulting crusts. To prepare it, you need to dilute a teaspoon of baking soda ina glass of saline. If the nasal mucosa bleeds with dry rhinitis, Solcoseryl gel is prescribed. It accelerates the process of tissue regeneration and promotes their healing.
Physiotherapy treatments
To activate the work of the mucous glands in order to better moisturize and prevent the formation of mucus clots, physiotherapy is prescribed. As a rule, these are inhalations using special oils and solutions (Lugol, Rotokan). Nasal heating with infrared radiation is also used.
Help of traditional medicine
Treatment of dry rhinitis at home is possible as an addition to the main course of therapy. The simplest remedy is various oils (olive, menthol, sea buckthorn). A cotton pad soaked in the product is used to treat the nasal passages. A positive result becomes noticeable after a few days.
There are also more labor-intensive recipes that are highly effective.
- Drops from chamomile, calendula and nettle. A tablespoon of a mixture of dry herbs must be poured with a glass of boiling water, insisted in a warm place for about two hours. After the liquid should be filtered. Apply the product with a pipette, instilling 5 drops into each nostril.
- Rinse the nasal cavity. For this procedure, you can use both ordinary saline solutions and tinctures of eucalyptus and calendula. In some cases, ordinary mineral water is used. No more than five repetitions per day are enough.
- Drops based on aloe. Freshly squeezed juice of this plant moisturizes the mucous well. It should be used with caution in the treatment of children.
- Instillation of ephedra juice or St. John's wort tincture into the nose. The procedure is repeated no more than three times a day. The use of ephedra is limited to a short period due to the pronounced effect of vasoconstriction.
Can I take a bath with dry rhinitis? Many patients ask this question, since the procedure naturally helps to soften the crusts in the nose and moisturize the mucosa. This tool is effective in case of hypothermia. However, it is better to refuse the procedure in case of an increase in temperature. You can add mustard powder or soda in small amounts to the bath.
Features of the treatment of children
The formation of dry crusts in the nose in children causes a lot of problems. They constantly try to pick them up, because of which the mucous membrane bleeds. If the baby is very small, but simply very naughty. When a child has a stuffy nose without a runny nose, parents try to help him in many ways. First of all, they begin treatment with ordinary drops, which only worsens the condition of the mucosa. Doctors advise:
- moisturize nasal passages with oil solutions;
- if necessary, use decongestants ("Tavegil", "Suprastin");
- using a cotton swab and vaseline oil, soften the crusts and remove them from the nose.
When the disease is accompanied by the addition of a bacterial infection, the doctorprescribes antibiotics. It is the specialist who can choose specific drugs and their dosage. Do not self-medicate.
Possible Complications
Dry runny nose can be almost asymptomatic. However, the disease is unpleasant for its complications. First of all, the sense of smell is muffled, and then the taste sensations. Over time, dry mucous becomes susceptible to pathogenic flora. Therefore, against the background of a runny nose, viral or bacterial infections can occur.
If the disease is not treated, its acute form can be transformed into a chronic one. This entails an almost complete loss of smell, cartilage breakdown and nose deformity. Correcting the situation is possible only through surgical intervention.
Prevention Methods
In order to avoid dry rhinitis, it is necessary to follow fairly simple preventive measures. Doctors recommend:
- moisturize indoor air;
- ventilate rooms periodically, go outside more often;
- don't run the common cold.
Measures to strengthen immunity are considered an important stage of prevention, so that the body has the opportunity to overcome the disease on its own. For this purpose, it is recommended to periodically conduct hardening sessions, to avoid hypothermia and overheating. Sports and physical education well help the fragile child's body to resist viruses and infections.
If stuffy nose without a runny nose, you should immediately seek advice from an otolaryngologist ortherapist. In addition to the high likelihood of developing complications, the disease significantly worsens the general well-being of a person. The patient constantly experiences discomfort due to burning and dryness of the mucous membranes. Ignoring the disease is not acceptable.
