What causes a swollen nose?

The most common cause of a swollen nose is swelling caused by external impact, but if this cause is ruled out and the swelling occurs inexplicably, you should be careful that it may be caused by disease. A typical example is rhinitis, and there are many types of rhinitis. Only by determining the specific cause can it be better solved. So, what causes a swollen nose?

1. Acute rhinitis: caused by acute infection, commonly known as cold or flu, may have systemic symptoms; more common in autumn and winter or winter and spring. The condition usually improves gradually after 7 to 14 days. Those with strong resistance can recover without treatment. A common acute inflammation of the nasal mucosa, caused by a viral infection, often followed by a bacterial infection. The main symptoms are nasal congestion and increased secretions. In the early stage, the nasal discharge is clear water, which later turns into mucopurulent nasal discharge. The patient may have a low fever and general discomfort. Examination showed that the nasal mucosa was congested and swollen, with secretions. Prevention is the main approach for this disease. After the onset of the disease, take heat-clearing and detoxifying drugs, drip 1% ephedrine solution into the nose, and take sulfonamides or antibiotics when necessary.

2. Chronic rhinitis: It is a common and frequently occurring disease that develops from acute rhinitis. It is related to concurrent bacterial secondary infection, incomplete treatment and recurrent attacks. It is a chronic inflammation of the nasal mucosa and submucosa. It is very common. Mild cases are called simple chronic rhinitis, and severe cases are called hypertrophic rhinitis. The main symptoms are nasal congestion, which may be intermittent or alternating in mild cases and persistent in severe cases, with increased nasal secretions. Examination showed that the nasal mucosa was congested and swollen, with a small amount of mucous secretions in the nasal passages. Severe hypertrophic rhinitis had an uneven mucosal surface due to tissue hyperplasia, the inferior turbinate showed mulberry-like changes, and the middle turbinate mucosa showed polyp-like changes. Intranasal drops of vasoconstrictors, such as 1% ephedrine, can improve nasal ventilation and drainage and reduce inflammation. In more serious cases, a sclerosing agent can be injected under the inferior turbinate mucosa, or electrocautery or cryotherapy can be performed to improve ventilation. In severe cases, the hypertrophic part of the turbinate needs to be surgically removed. Traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture treatment have certain effects on patients with mild symptoms.

3. Allergic rhinitis: It is caused by the nasal mucosa being highly sensitive to certain components in the inhaled air. Its symptoms are very similar to those of a cold, but it can occur multiple times a day; when it is not occurring, it is completely normal. The onset of allergic rhinitis is sometimes closely related to the season.

4. Chronic hypertrophic rhinitis: It comes from chronic simple rhinitis and is caused by long-term chronic inflammation and congestion, which leads to hyperplasia of nasal mucosa and nasal concha. At this time, the mucosa thickens, tissue elasticity decreases, and the nasal ventilation capacity is poor, thus endangering the physiological function of the nose.

5. Dry rhinitis: The occurrence of dry rhinitis is closely related to climate and occupational factors. It is caused by long-term stimulation of the nasal mucosa, which leads to atrophy of the mucus glands and reduced secretion, resulting in dryness of the mucosa and even superficial erosion.

6. Atrophic rhinitis: It is mainly caused by atrophy of the nasal mucosa, periosteum and turbinate bones. Due to the atrophy of nasal tissue, although the nasal cavity is relatively wide, the nasal mucosa loses its normal physiological function, and due to the formation of dryness in the nose, the patient still feels poor ventilation. When there is a bacterial infection, its toxins and excrement produce a foul odor. There are two types: primary and secondary. The cause of primary disease is unknown, and there is atrophy of nasal concha mucosa and bones. The patient has nasal congestion, foul odor in the nose, and pus crusts. Examination showed that the nasal mucosa was dry and atrophic, and the inferior turbinate had shrunk, causing the nasal cavity to become wider. Due to bacterial infection, there were a large number of gray-green dirty crusts in the nose with a foul odor, so it is also called smelly nose syndrome. In severe cases, atrophic pharyngitis and laryngitis may occur. There is no specific treatment for this disease. Flushing the nasal cavity with saline to remove the crust, dripping liquid paraffin, compound peppermint oil, compound cod liver oil mixture, etc. can relieve symptoms. Children can take vitamin A orally or intramuscularly. Surgical treatments such as nasal reduction have been used to treat this condition, but their effectiveness is limited. Secondary causes include excessive nasal concha removal during surgery, radiotherapy for malignant tumors of the nose, sinuses and nasopharynx, and long-term exposure to irritating dust or chemical gases.

7. Cheese rhinitis: a rare nasal disease. The clinical features are accumulation of cheesy material in the nose with a foul odor, which erodes soft tissue and bone over time and causes internal and external nasal deformities. Desquamated epithelium, necrotic tissue, purulent cells, cholesterol crystals and mold-like microorganisms were found in the caseous substance.

8. Medicinal rhinitis: Medicinal rhinitis is the result of long-term and continuous effects of inappropriate nasal medications, and can also be understood as a type of chronic rhinitis. The cause of the disease is inappropriate nasal medication, including the use of strong nasal vasoconstrictor nasal drops, excessively high drug concentrations, non-isotonic drug solutions, overdose or long-term use of drugs. These will damage the structure of nasal mucosal cilia, thereby affecting the physiological function of the nasal mucosa and causing clinical symptoms.

9. Allergic rhinitis: commonly known as allergic rhinitis, its main symptoms are sudden nasal itching, sneezing, clear runny nose, nasal congestion, and repeated attacks. Those who suffer from the disease all year round are called perennial allergic rhinitis, and those who suffer from the disease only in fixed seasons are called seasonal allergic rhinitis. The former is mainly caused by indoor dust, mites, mold and cotton wool, while the latter is mainly caused by pollen. This disease is a type I allergic disease. The characteristic is that the symptoms occur quickly and suddenly, so it is also called rapid-onset. When an allergic person comes into contact with an allergen, immunoglobulin E (IgE) will be produced in the body. After IgE is formed, it is adsorbed on the surface of alkaliphilic cells, sensitizing the body. When you come into contact with the same allergen again, the substance combines with IgE, activating enzymes in alkaliphilic cells, releasing mediators such as histamine and slow-reacting substances, which act on certain tissues and cause a series of symptoms. When allergic rhinitis occurs, the nasal mucosa may become pale and edematous, with a large amount of clear nasal mucus remaining in the nose. Hay fever is related to the dispersion period of certain pollens. In northern China, it often occurs from July to September, mainly caused by Artemisia plants. In addition to nasal symptoms, there may be itching or asthma of the eyes, ears, throat and skin. Perennial rhinitis requires laboratory testing to differentiate it from other types of chronic rhinitis. Such patients are often mistaken for suffering from colds or acute rhinitis.

Allergic rhinitis can be treated with desensitization and anti-allergic drugs, such as chlorpheniramine, ketotifen, astemizole, zantamine and chlorpheniramine; vasoconstrictor drugs can be used as intranasal drops to improve nasal congestion and runny nose; surgical treatment can also be considered if necessary. Rhinitis is a TCM disease characterized by excessive nasal discharge, accompanied by headache, nasal congestion, and decreased sense of smell. Equivalent to sinusitis in Western medicine.

10. Seasonal rhinitis: also known as hay fever, its onset has obvious seasonality, with spring and autumn being the peak seasons. The nose has a poor ability to adapt to the rapid alternation between hot and cold climate changes. If it has not yet adapted to the cold air, it is easy to induce seasonal rhinitis. Seasonal allergic rhinitis cannot be prevented by simply keeping warm. You also need to strengthen the nose's ability to adapt to cold air. In autumn and winter, using cold water to rinse the nose when washing your face can enhance the nose's ability to adapt to cold air. On the contrary, people who often wash their faces with warm or hot water are more likely to induce seasonal rhinitis when the weather suddenly turns cold.