Rhinitis is not contagious. If you live with someone who has rhinitis and you develop rhinitis yourself, it is most likely a coincidence. Rhinitis is triggered by viruses and some rhinitis is also associated with genetic factors.
1. Viral infections. There are many viruses that cause rhinitis, and over a hundred of them can cause a normal person to develop rhinitis. The more common ones are rhinovirus and influenza virus. If a healthy person lives in an environment with these types of viruses, he or she may develop rhinitis when his or her resistance is lowered.
2. Genetic factors. According to research, people with a family history of allergic reactions have a higher probability of developing the disease than normal people. Some people with rhinitis have relatives with a history of asthma or allergies. However, there is no significant difference in the incidence of twin brothers or twin sisters compared to normal people.
3. Mucosal susceptibility and exposure to allergenic substances. It has been found that some patients with allergic rhinitis have a higher degree of susceptibility to nasal mucosa than normal people. After eating a certain kind of food, these patients will produce rhinitis symptoms such as sneezing and runny nose after being exposed to a certain kind of plant.
From the cause of rhinitis, rhinitis is not contagious. Therefore, if you live with a patient with rhinitis, you do not have to worry too much about getting rhinitis yourself.