A rhinitis primer for family medicine.

Rhinitis and related problems such as facial pressure and nasal congestion are a very common reason people seek medical care. There are four, often overlapping, syndromes or conditions that account for most of what patients perceive as "nose" problems or rhinitis. These conditions are irritant rhinitis, the anterior nasal valve effect, migraine with vasomotor symptoms, and allergic rhinitis. Virtually all patients with allergic rhinitis have some concomitant irritant or nonallergic rhinitis. Many migraine sufferers with vasomotor nasal symptoms will have their nasal congestion, headaches, and runny noses exacerbated by irritant rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, and/or a preexisting nasal valve effect. Failure to consider all of the causes for the symptoms will result in poor clinical outcomes. The work-up and management of these common conditions is discussed in this article.