Hypertrophic chronic rhinitis: symptoms, treatment methods, prevention

Doctors in the office often hear complaints from patients that the nose is not breathing. If this problem worries not only during the cold, then, perhaps, there is hypertrophic chronic rhinitis. The severity of this problem people realize, as a rule, when breathing through the nose is not possible. There may be other signs of the disease. Next, we will consider what symptoms are typical for this pathology, as well as methods of therapy and prevention.

What does this disease mean?

Chronic hypertrophic rhinitis (ICD-10 code J31.0.) Is an inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nasal cavity, during which there is an outgrowth. This process has several stages:

• First step. Slightly affected ciliated epithelium. Mucous membranes are inflamed. The closest tissues are intact.
• Second phase. Damaged glandular tissue and ciliated epithelium. The inflammatory process extends to the walls of the vessels and to the muscle fibers. Because of this, lymphatic and blood vessels begin to squeeze.

• The third stage. Swelling is increased. Symptomatic is clearly pronounced. The ciliated epithelium, and also glandular and mucous tissues is struck. Vessels are damaged. Inflammatory process can affect and bone tissue. At this stage, you can not do without surgical intervention.

Types of pathology

Hypertrophic chronic rhinitis can be classified by the prevalence of the process and by pathomorphological features.

By prevalence:

• Diffuse. Uniform increase in the volume of nasal concha.
• Limited.

According to pathomorphological features:

• Cavernous form. Most often diffuse by prevalence.
• Fibrous form. It can be either diffuse or limited. Progresses slowly, but the changes are irreversible.
• Bone hypertrophy. Thickening and proliferation of the nasal mucosa. It can take bumpy, uneven, pineal forms.

The following factors influence the development of pathology:

• Presence of chronic inflammatory process.
• Violation of capillary circulation in tissues.
• Oxygen starvation of tissues and disturbance of metabolic processes in them.
• Significant reduction in local immunity.
• Activation of saprophytic bacteria.

Causes of the disease

What can provoke such a disease as hypertrophic chronic rhinitis?

The reasons can be as follows:

• Uncontrolled use of local vasoconstrictor drugs.
• Frequent infectious diseases of ENT organs.
• Inadequate rhinitis.
• Chronic allergic rhinitis and the absence of any treatment.
• Disruption of the endocrine system.
• Presence of cardiovascular diseases.
• Hereditary predisposition.
• Curvature of the nasal septum, whether it be an innate pathology or acquired.
• Pathology of the neural-reflex function of the nose.
• Harmful habits, especially smoking and inhaling vapors of psychotropic substances.
• Work in hazardous production and residence in an over-polluted area. Evaporation of harmful industries, radiation, as well as too dry and dusty air can cause diseases of the ENT organs.
• Reduced body resistance.

Symptomatic of chronic hypertrophic rhinitis

Hypertrophic chronic rhinitis symptoms will be similar to an allergic or infectious form of the disease, but will have its own characteristics.

The symptomatology will be as follows:

• Mucous discharge from the nose. However, they do not have color and odor, but they can have purulent impurities.
• The nose is blocked, breathing is difficult. In this case, the vasoconstrictor drops do not help.
• Headache.
• Nervous excitability.
• Problems with sleep.
• Chronic fatigue.
• Gradually deterioration of odor recognition.
• Heaviness in the head.
• The person speaks through the nose.
• Lachrymation, redness and puffiness of the eyelids.
• Conjunctivitis.

Signs and possible complications of chronic hypertrophic rhinitis in children

Children are more susceptible to infections, as the body is only being formed, so hypertrophic chronic rhinitis symptoms will have more pronounced, which will affect the child's health in the future.

Let us single out a few features characteristic of children:

• The child breathes his mouth, breathing is difficult.
• Headache.
• Quickly gets tired.
• Hearing loss.
• Lack of smell.
• The nasal voice.
• Decline in school performance.
• Poor concentration of attention.

What are the possible complications for the child with this disease:

• Significant impact on the child's psychomotor development, the success of training.
• It provokes frequent otitis, sinusitis, bronchial asthma, pneumonia.

To avoid the transition of rhinitis to chronic hypertrophic, it is necessary to adhere to the doctor's recommendations in therapy and timely treat infectious diseases in children. It is important to carry out hardening procedures, maintain optimal room temperature, carry out preventive vitaminization, walk more often outdoors.

Diagnostics

First of all, you need to contact a specialist in otolaryngology.

In order to diagnose such a disease as hypertrophic chronic rhinitis, one symptom is not enough for a doctor. Modern methods of examination are used.

How is the examination:

• The doctor determines the nature and duration of the course of the disease, how the symptoms developed and what treatment was used.
• The cavity of the nose is examined. A rhinoscopy is performed.
• A rhinopneumometry is used to check the functionality of the nasal cavity.

It is also necessary to pass the following tests:

1. General blood analysis.
2. Eosinophils.
3. Immunoglobulin E in the blood.

Additional research:

• Radiography.
• Computer tomography of the sinuses of the nose.

Medical methods of treatment

In order to alleviate the patient's condition in the diagnosis of chronic hypertrophic rhinitis, the treatment may include the following medical procedures:

1. At the initial stages of the disease, rinsing with saline solutions of the nasal cavity is prescribed.
2. With a strong hypertrophic process, cauterization with trichloroacetic acid or chrome, and also "Lyapis". Before the procedure, an anesthetic injection is made.
3. In cases of mucosal disorders, "Hydrocortisone" is prescribed.
4. The drug "Splenin" is administered in the form of injections and is injected intradermally or as an ointment, then massage movements are applied to the mucous membranes.

Medical methods of treatment are not able to cope with structural changes in the nasal membranes, but can alleviate the patient's condition for a while and stop the thickening of epithelial tissues.

Recommended physiotherapy procedures

If the process of hypertrophy of the nasal membranes is weakly expressed, the physician can recommend the following physiotherapeutic procedures together with drug therapy:

• UHF.
• Massage of mucous membranes with the use of ointments.
• Ultraviolet irradiation of nasal concha.

But when the medical methods of treatment in combination with physiotherapeutic procedures were not effective during the treatment of such a disease, it is necessary to use the operative method of getting rid of the pathology.

Operative methods of treatment

If the growth of the mucosa and the hypertrophic process is not stopped, and the chronic hypertrophic rhinitis continues to develop, treatment is impossible without surgical intervention.

What types of surgical intervention can be:

• In the early stages of cavernous form, they can be offered laser submucosal vasotomies . Remove the vessels under the mucosa of the nasal cavity.
• Method of galvanic caustic. It will be necessary to use anesthesia, since the tissues are cauterized with electric current.
• The method of ultrasonic disintegration of the nasal cavity. It is bloodless, but it requires anesthesia. It consists in the destruction of nasal concha by means of a special surgical fork, to which an electric current is supplied.
• Method of conchotomy. The mucosa is removed in some areas of the nasal concha. Can be conducted in different variations:

1. Laser conchotomy. This is a bloodless option.
2. Total concota.
3. Partial concotomy.

• Method of cryodestruction. Supposes the use of liquid nitrogen. There is an effect on hypertrophied areas with a special cryoapplicator.

Do not be afraid of surgical intervention, it is performed using general or local anesthesia, if the diagnosis of chronic hypertrophic rhinitis is confirmed. The operation will take 20-30 minutes thanks to modern endoscopic equipment. On the third day the patient can return to the usual way of life.

Traditional methods of treatment

If the disease manifests itself at an early stage, you can try folk methods of treatment.

But first of all it is necessary to consult a doctor about the use of herbs.

Here are a few ways:

• Saline solution with the addition of iodine to wash the nasal cavity.
• Use of essential oils for steam inhalations. Applied lavender, tea tree, Schisandra.
• Washing of the nasal cavity with decoctions of herbs: sage, chamomile, mint, St. John's wort, plantain.
• Droplets in the nose from the garden scabbard or from the broth of St. John's wort and plantain.

Possible complications of the disease and prognosis of treatment

Hypertrophic chronic rhinitis progresses slowly and can last for many years. And if you do not treat the disease, it will give the following complications:

• The sinusites.
• Adenoiditis.
• Tonsillites.
• Tracheobronchits.
• Conjunctivitis.
• Acute or chronic form of eustachyte and tubootitis.
• Inflammatory diseases of the lower respiratory tract.
• Disruption of the digestive system.
• Disturbance of the cardiovascular system.

Because of the disturbed breathing, normal functioning of the organism is disrupted. It is necessary to treat chronic hypertrophic rhinitis in the early stages, so as not to resort to surgical intervention. If the process is not ignored for many years, and treated in a timely manner, then the outlook is favorable, provided that no complications have appeared.

To prevent the common cold from developing into hypertrophic chronic rhinitis, prevention should be carried out, especially in people with a hereditary predisposition. The doctor will give the necessary recommendations.

Preventive measures

It is necessary strictly to supervise the doctor under the supervision of a doctor such a disease as hypertrophic chronic rhinitis. Symptoms and treatment we reviewed earlier, but it is also necessary to know what preventive measures exist.

Let's list some recommendations which can be considered preventive measures:

• Timely and effective treatment for all nasal diseases.
• In hazardous, dusty and gassed production, personal protective equipment, such as masks or respirators, should be used.
• Avoid very dusty and fouled rooms.
• If there is an allergy to any drugs or substances, contact with them should be avoided and antihistamines should be taken promptly.
• Try to exclude allergens in the diet and contacts with them in everyday life.
• In time, treat inflammatory diseases of the ENT organs.
• Recommended hardening procedures.
• Walks in the open air.
• Sunbathing.
• Strengthen immunity.
• Get rid of bad habits.
• Do not overcool.

Often young people often ask: "Does chronic hypertrophic rhinitis and the army have compatibility?" It is worth noting that with such a diagnosis a young man is fit for military service. He may not be called into the ranks of the armed forces in the event that a fetid runny nose is expressed, purulent or polyposive sinusitis with frequent exacerbations and with persistent disruption of nasal breathing.