Key points for diagnosis
(1) Sensation of being dry in nasal and pharyngeal parts. The body of gland of nasal mucosa is atrophic and the secretion of the mucous gland decreases. The patient has had mouth breathing for a long time and often feels dry in the nasal cavity, nasal larynx and oral larynx.

(2) Nasal obstruction. A large number of crusts blocking the nasal cavity make respiration with the nose obstructed. Or though there is air passing through the nasal cavity, the patient can not easily be aware of it due to dysesthesia of nerves of the nasal cavity or mistakes it as nasal obstruction.

(3) Epistaxis: Nasal mucosa is dry and erosive, which easily causes rupture and bleeding of the capillary.When the patient forcefully blows out the dry crusts inside the nasal cavity, it may also injure the mucosa to cause bleeding.

(4) Besides, the patient has the symptoms of dysosrnia, foul odour in nasal cavity, headache, dizziness, and hypomnesis, etc.

(5) Local examination: In severe atrophic rhinitis, the nose is saddle nose because the disease affects the norreal nasal development. The nose bridge contracts backwards and sticks up, with nostrils facing upwards. The skin of the nasal vestibule is dry and erosive, with sparse rhinothrix or exfoliation of rhinothrix. The mucosa is dry. Nasal conchae shrink, especially the inferior concha. Nasal cavity is broad and large, filled with the big greyishgreenish pus crusts. The mucosa is dry and shrinks, or erodes to bleed easily. The examiner can see the nasopharyngeal part directly through the nasal cavity. In severe cases, perforation of the nasal septum can be seen. Pathological changes of atrophy develop downwards while the pharyngolaryngeal mucosa may have the same pathological changes.