Inadequate diagnosis of nonallergic rhinitis: assessing the damage.

Failure to diagnosis and treat nonallergic rhinitis, as it occurs alone or concomitantly with allergic rhinitis, has significant consequences. Importantly, the patient experiences inadequate relief of symptoms with therapy. As a result, the dissatisfied patient also incurs increased costs from multiple office visits and prescriptions besides incurring losses in productivity and continued comprises in the quality of life. In addition, untreated or inadequately treated rhinitis is associated with increased risks of oral/facial abnormalities, nasal polyposis, sinusitis, otitis media, and behavioral and psychological disturbances. Most importantly may be the fact that rhinitis is a risk factor for the development of asthma. Thus, improvements in the clinical awareness and treatment of nonallergic and mixed rhinitis may reduce the onset of asthma.