Acute rhinitis (acute rhinitis): diagnosis
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Instrumental research
For the diagnosis of acute rhinitis, anterior rhinoscopy and an endoscopic examination of the nasal cavity are used.
Differential diagnostics
Acute catarrhal rhinitis must be differentiated with acute specific rhinitis - a symptom of an infectious disease (influenza, measles, diphtheria, whooping cough, syphilis, gonorrhea). Also, acute rhinitis must be distinguished from vasomotor rhinitis (neurovegetative or allergic), acute sinusitis and exacerbation of chronic sinusitis. Each of the infectious diseases has a characteristic clinical picture, which should be based on diagnosis. Acute rhinitis in these cases is considered a specific symptom of the underlying disease. In differential diagnosis, one must bear in mind that exacerbations of chronic rhinitis and chronic inflammation of the paranasal sinuses have in many ways a general symptomatology with acute nonspecific catarrhal rhinitis. Anamnesis and features of the course of the disease and these cases will help to correctly diagnose.
[