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What Causes Chronic Rhinitis And Post Nasal Drip?

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Posted on Fri, 14 Feb 2014
Question: My mother is a fairly healthy 80 year old active woman. Her blood pressure is controlled on Norvasc and Tenormin. She takes Coumadin for Afib that occurred 6 months ago. She has been followed for 4 years via CT Scan for very slow growing lung nodules (two <8mm, one ground glass area). She quit smoking 17 years ago, after a 50 year habit. She uses Advair Diskus twice daily and Lipitor for high cholesterol. Her biggest health issue is recurrent bronchitis. She gets a terrible cough which requires Levaquin and oral steroids. Most recently she had a 2 week bout with bronchitis that included a terrible, constant runny nose. Her nose discharge is clear but constant and did not resolve on the recent medication. She tried Zyertec but no improvement. Her lung doctor said that she has chronic rhinitis but it seems worse lately. Her breathing does not require oxygen but her pulse ox hangs around 92%. My concern is when the nose runs constantly like this it puts her at risk for bronchitis following post nasal drip as her lungs are not good at fighting off infection. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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Answered by Dr. Sumit Bhatti (2 hours later)
Brief Answer: PlainCTPNS,DNE, drug induced bronchitis/rhinorrhea Detailed Answer: Detailed Answer: Hi, Thank you for your query. 1. Get a plain (non-contrast) CT PNS and a Diagnostic Nasal Endoscopy (DNE) done. 2. The rhinorrhea (runny nose) may be a post nasal drip secondary to chronic sinusitis, nasal allergy, non-allergic rhinorrhea, chronic acid reflux, drug induced (such as Lipitor) or as a nasal reflex due to bronchitis. 3. Get her medication reviewed. Her lung lesions need careful follow up. I hope that I have answered your query. If you have any more questions, I will be available to answer them, Regards.
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Sumit Bhatti

Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist

Practicing since :1991

Answered : 2686 Questions

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What Causes Chronic Rhinitis And Post Nasal Drip?

Brief Answer: PlainCTPNS,DNE, drug induced bronchitis/rhinorrhea Detailed Answer: Detailed Answer: Hi, Thank you for your query. 1. Get a plain (non-contrast) CT PNS and a Diagnostic Nasal Endoscopy (DNE) done. 2. The rhinorrhea (runny nose) may be a post nasal drip secondary to chronic sinusitis, nasal allergy, non-allergic rhinorrhea, chronic acid reflux, drug induced (such as Lipitor) or as a nasal reflex due to bronchitis. 3. Get her medication reviewed. Her lung lesions need careful follow up. I hope that I have answered your query. If you have any more questions, I will be available to answer them, Regards.