Acute rhinitis is an acute inflammation of the nasal mucosa, sometimes often accompanied by acute inflammation of the nasopharyngeal mucosa, which is part of the upper respiratory tract infection, commonly known as “cold” or “flu”. The disease often occurs in the season of variable climate change and is caused by virus transmission through droplets. Cold, excessive fatigue, malnutrition, excessive smoking and alcohol, and other causes that can cause a decrease in the resistance of the body can induce the disease. The virus can also cause bacterial secondary infection by activating and multiplying the bacteria originally present in the nose and nasopharynx. It has a high incidence and is contagious, easily causing acute sinusitis, otitis media, pneumonia and other co-morbidities. The natural course of the disease is about 7 to 10 days. The incubation period after infection is 1-3 days, with burning and itching sensation in the nose, sneezing, followed by nasal congestion and gradually increasing nasal discharge, accompanied by hyposmia and occlusive nasal sounds. Systemic symptoms vary in severity, most of them include general malaise, lethargy, low-grade fever and headache. In children, systemic symptoms are more severe than those in adults, with fever, even high fever and convulsions. Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea, are often present. In combination with adenoid hypertrophy, nasal congestion is severe and prevents suckling. Local examination
The mucous membrane of both nasal cavities is congested and swollen, and there is more secretion from the common nasal passage or the nasal floor, which is clear water-like in the early stage and gradually becomes mucous or mucopurulent. It is purulent when secondary bacterial infection occurs. If there is no complication, the symptoms gradually reduce or even disappear, and the whole course of the disease lasts about 7-10 days. However, cilia transport function is not fully restored until about 8 weeks. Common complications are due to direct spread of the infection or inappropriate handling (e.g., pharyngeal tube blowing, forceful nose blowing, etc.). If the infection spreads to neighboring organs, complications can occur: (1) Acute purulent sinusitis caused by the spread of the infection through the sinus openings to the sinuses, with maxillary sinusitis and septal sinusitis being the most common. (2) Acute otitis media via the eustachian tube. (3) The infection spreads downward and complicates acute pharyngitis, laryngitis, tracheitis and bronchitis, and pneumonia in children and the elderly with low resistance.