Chronic rhinitis is an inflammation of the nasal mucosa. It causes a runny or stuffy nose that lasts longer than a week. Rhinitis is not a serious condition, but it can be quite annoying. There are multiple causes of rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis may be seasonal or year round. It is caused by antibodies to specific allergens like pollens, molds, dust mites, house dust, and animal dander. Idiopathic rhinitis is caused by temperature and humidity changes, smoke, odors and emotional upsets. Infectious rhinitis is caused by a bacterial infection and is a complication of a cold. Other less common causes are long-term use of decongestant nasal sprays, cocaine, mechanical obstruction, or hormonal imbalances. Symptoms and signs of chronic rhinitis in TCM include:

1. Syndrome of stagnated heat of lung meridian
Main symptoms and signs: Intermittent nasal obstruction, speaking in low voice, yellowish and thick nasal discharge with sticky quality and scanty quantity, pain and distension of head, dry throat, cough, yellow, thick and scanty sputum which is not easily expectorated, breathing with opening mouth in severe cases and restlessness which affects sleeping, enlargement of inferior nasal conchae and edema of mucosa with reddish colour found during examination, good contraction of mucosa after the application of ephedrine, reddish tongue with yellowish fur, rapid or taut and rapid pulse.
 
2.  Syndrome of asthenic cold of the lung qi    
Main symptoms and signs: Nasal obstruction is alternate or sometimes mild and sometimes severe with sticky nasal discharge which will worsen in the case of encountering cold. Examination sees swelling of the nasal mucosa with pale colour. The patient has accompanying cough and thin sputum, short breath and pale complexion. The tongue is reddish with whitish and thin fur. The pulse is slow or thready and weak.
   
3. Syndrome of excessive dampness due to asthenia of the spleen
Main symptoms and signs: Nasal obstruction,speaking in low voice, profuse and thick nasal discharge,longer course of illness, hyposmia, anorexia, loose stool, thoracic and epigastric distension with tightness, lassitude, fatigue, pale tongue with whitish and greasy fur and soft pulse.
     
4. Syndrome of blood stasis due to qi stagnation
Main symptoms and signs: Persistent nasal obstruction, profuse, thick and sticky nasal discharge, hyposmia, or with headache and dry throat, swelling of thenasal mucosa as well as hard and full nasal conchae with the morular shape found by examination, dark reddish tongue or with purple spots, whitish thin fur and un-smooth pulse.