Chronic rhinitis is the nonspecific inflammation of the nasal mucosa or its submucous layer. Its main symptoms include persistent or intermittent nasal obstruction with profuse discharge. Clinically, the disease falls into two types: chronic simple rhinitis and chronic hypertrophic rhinitis. The disease may occur in all ages, without marked difference in sex and with severer symptoms in winter.
The disease is mostly due to incomplete treatment of acute rhinitis. Generally, in mild cases, it is chronic simple rhinitis; in the case of prolonged aggravation, it may develop into chronic hypertrophic rhinitis. The disease is called "Bizhi" (nasal obstruction) in TCM. Clinically, chronic simple rhinitis is mainly due to stagnated heat of lung meridian; chronic hypertrophic rhinitis to blood stasis because of qi stagnation.
Category of Rhinitis in TCM
Allergic rhinitis
Non-allergic rhinitis
Mixed rhinitis