Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsNormal Nasal Response to ExerciseCauses of Rhinitis With ExerciseAllergic RhinitisNonallergic Rhinitis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Normal Nasal Response to Exercise
Causes of Rhinitis With Exercise
Allergic Rhinitis
Nonallergic Rhinitis
Exercise can lead torhinitis(nasal inflammation) symptoms, such as sneezing, a runny nose, nasal congestion, or an itchy nose. Two common forms of rhinitis that can lead to a runny nose when exercising are allergic rhinitis andnonallergic rhinitis(NAR).
Exercise forces you to breathe in higher volumes of air, in turn increasing your exposure to rhinitis-causing irritants.
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In response to exercise, the heart rate speeds up, and blood vessels within tissues narrow (vasoconstriction).
When you are exposed to an irritant, your body produces a chemical called histamine that tells membranes in your mouth, nose, sinuses, and lungs to produce more mucus. A runny nose ensues in order to rid the irritant from your body.
Exercise causes you to breathe deeper and faster and take in larger amounts of air. With the increased airflow comes a larger exposure to allergens and irritants, any number of which can trigger rhinitis.
Your nose is also your body’s air filter, constantly capturing irritants and particulate matter before they reach your lungs. During exercise, you draw in more air and potentially more irritants.
Between 27% and 74% of athletes are known to have some type of rhinitis.
Cold Weather and Runny Noses
Allergic rhinitis is a common respiratory illness that happens when your body is allergic to an airborne allergen. Depending on the allergen you are sensitive to, you may experience allergic rhinitisseasonallyor throughout the year.
Triggers
Some of the most common triggers of allergic rhinitis include:
If you are sensitive to an allergen, exposure to it will set off the allergic response that leads to such symptoms as runny nose, sneezing, postnasal drip, and congestion.
Treatment
Treatment for allergic rhinitis begins with identifying the allergen behind your body’s allergic response. There are two tests commonly used for this purpose:
Once an allergen is identified, you will need to avoid it. Your healthcare provider may also prescribe a medication for symptom relief, such as:
If your symptoms persist despite medication, your healthcare provider may recommendimmunotherapy. This treatment involves exposure to an allergen via injections in gradually increasing doses over time, allowing your body to build a tolerance to it.
The Difference Between Blood Tests and Skin Tests for Allergies
The exact genesis of nonallergic rhinitis is unknown. Unlike allergic rhinitis, NAR is not an allergic reaction and therefore does not involve the immune system.
Nonetheless, a person with NAR can experience the same symptoms as those seen in allergic rhinitis, including runny nose, congestion, postnasal drip, and sneezing.
The main nonallergic causes of NAR are airborne substance that irritate your nasal passages although they do not trigger true allergies.
Symptoms of non-allergic rhinitis can be persistent or intermittent, depending on which irritant is to blame and how often you are exposed to it.
A 2014 study revealed that people with higher stress levels experienced more runny noses,coughs, and congestion than people who had less stress.
Nonallergic rhinitis is diagnosed through a process of excluding other conditions first. After performing a physical exam, a healthcare provider may also administer a skin prick test and blood test to rule out allergic rhinitis.
If the tests do not indicate that an allergen is to blame, your provider may order additional tests to rule out other diseases, likesinusitisor acerebrospinal brain fluid leak, which can cause similar symptoms.
If the trigger is found, you’ll need to avoid it. If it isn’t, and your provider did not find another underlying condition, you may still be diagnosed with NAR.
There is no cure for nonallergic rhinitis. Treatment involves managing symptoms and avoiding irritants that trigger them.
Certain medications may be prescribed to reduce nasal inflammation, mucus production, and congestion, such as:
The Connection Between Nasal Polyps and Sinus Infections
Summary
Exercise can cause rhinitis, a common medical condition that can make you have a runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, or an itchy nose.
A healthcare provider can diagnose the cause of rhinitis and recommend treatment. Rhinitis is treated with various kinds of nasal sprays.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Family Physician.Chronic nonallergic rhinitis.Tomazic P, Darnhofer B, Birner-Gruenberger R.Nasal mucus proteome and its involvement in allergic rhinitis.Expert Rev Proteomics. 2020 Apr;17(3):191-199. doi:10.1080/14789450.2020.1748502Harvard Health Publishing.Allergic rhinitis: Your nose knows.Surda P, Walker A, Putala M, Siarnik P.Prevalence of rhinitis in athletes: Systematic review.Int J Otolaryngol. 2017;2017:8098426. doi:10.1155/2017/8098426Sur D, Plesa M.Treatment of allergic rhinitis.Am Fam Phys. 2015;95(11):985-992.Mount Sinai.Allergic & nonallergic rhinitis.American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Nonallergic rhinitis - vasomotor defined.Rochester Regional Health.Vasomotor rhinitis program.Additional ReadingAsthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Rhinitis (nasal allergies).
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Family Physician.Chronic nonallergic rhinitis.Tomazic P, Darnhofer B, Birner-Gruenberger R.Nasal mucus proteome and its involvement in allergic rhinitis.Expert Rev Proteomics. 2020 Apr;17(3):191-199. doi:10.1080/14789450.2020.1748502Harvard Health Publishing.Allergic rhinitis: Your nose knows.Surda P, Walker A, Putala M, Siarnik P.Prevalence of rhinitis in athletes: Systematic review.Int J Otolaryngol. 2017;2017:8098426. doi:10.1155/2017/8098426Sur D, Plesa M.Treatment of allergic rhinitis.Am Fam Phys. 2015;95(11):985-992.Mount Sinai.Allergic & nonallergic rhinitis.American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Nonallergic rhinitis - vasomotor defined.Rochester Regional Health.Vasomotor rhinitis program.Additional ReadingAsthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Rhinitis (nasal allergies).
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Family Physician.Chronic nonallergic rhinitis.Tomazic P, Darnhofer B, Birner-Gruenberger R.Nasal mucus proteome and its involvement in allergic rhinitis.Expert Rev Proteomics. 2020 Apr;17(3):191-199. doi:10.1080/14789450.2020.1748502Harvard Health Publishing.Allergic rhinitis: Your nose knows.Surda P, Walker A, Putala M, Siarnik P.Prevalence of rhinitis in athletes: Systematic review.Int J Otolaryngol. 2017;2017:8098426. doi:10.1155/2017/8098426Sur D, Plesa M.Treatment of allergic rhinitis.Am Fam Phys. 2015;95(11):985-992.Mount Sinai.Allergic & nonallergic rhinitis.American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Nonallergic rhinitis - vasomotor defined.Rochester Regional Health.Vasomotor rhinitis program.
American Family Physician.Chronic nonallergic rhinitis.
Tomazic P, Darnhofer B, Birner-Gruenberger R.Nasal mucus proteome and its involvement in allergic rhinitis.Expert Rev Proteomics. 2020 Apr;17(3):191-199. doi:10.1080/14789450.2020.1748502
Harvard Health Publishing.Allergic rhinitis: Your nose knows.
Surda P, Walker A, Putala M, Siarnik P.Prevalence of rhinitis in athletes: Systematic review.Int J Otolaryngol. 2017;2017:8098426. doi:10.1155/2017/8098426
Sur D, Plesa M.Treatment of allergic rhinitis.Am Fam Phys. 2015;95(11):985-992.
Mount Sinai.Allergic & nonallergic rhinitis.
American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Nonallergic rhinitis - vasomotor defined.
Rochester Regional Health.Vasomotor rhinitis program.
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Rhinitis (nasal allergies).
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