Runny nose especially when exposed to hot food … What is ‘gustatory rhinitis’?

In the sudden cold weather, the number of people looking for hot food is increasing. Winter snacks such as sweet potatoes, buns, and bungeoppang have begun to be released at convenience stores, and sales of instant fish cakes in the convenience store industry at the end of last month more than doubled compared to the one period in the previous month.

However, some people find it difficult to eat warm food outside. This is a case of suffering from ‘gustatory rhinitis’. The heat of hot food irritates the nasal mucosa, and as the steam cools, water vapor forms in the nose, so it is normal to have a runny nose when you eat hot food. However, if you have too much nasal mucus that makes it difficult to eat, you may suspect ‘gustatory rhinitis.’

If you have an excessively runny nose when you eat, you may suspect that you have an infection | Source: Getty Image Bank
When I eat spicy and hot food, I get a runny nose… Suspect ‘stupid rhinitis’
In general, a disease that causes an excessive runny nose when you eat certain foods is called gustatory rhinitis. Food stimulates the nerves in the palate, and the stimulation is transmitted to the nerves in the nasal mucosa connected to the palate nerves, causing clear nasal discharge (watery mucus) to flow uncontrollably. management.

The temperature, aroma and taste of food affect gustatory rhinitis, and the most common symptom is when you eat spicy or hot dishes. Since it is a disease that is affected by temperature and smell, symptoms can be caused not only by food, but also by the smell of perfume, cigarette smoke, temperature changes, high humidity, emotional changes, stress, and alcohol.

Symptoms such as vasodilatation, edema, nasal congestion, facial pressure, headache, reduced sense of smell, and foreign body sensation in the throat may accompany gustatory rhinitis, but are not common. Usually, there are almost no symptoms of rhinitis, so patients with gustatory rhinitis often do not recognize that they suffer from rhinitis.

Unlike allergic rhinitis, symptoms often appear for the first time as an adult or worsen with age, especially in the elderly. It also differs from allergic rhinitis in that it occurs regardless of the season and eye symptoms such as dry eyes or symptoms of itching and sneezing are rare.

Avoid triggers that cause symptoms and improve your lifestyle to boost immunity.
In most cases, the cause of gustatory rhinitis is unknown, and sometimes it can be triggered by trauma, cranial neuropathy, or head and neck surgery. When stimuli such as food or smell disappear, the symptoms disappear as well, so the cause is often not addressed or the symptoms are ignored.

However, if gustatory rhinitis is left untreated, it can lead to chronic cough, rhinitis, asthma, etc., so it is important to reduce exposure to irritants every day and manage symptoms. If you cannot identify the stimulus that is causing your symptoms, it is recommended to avoid hot food, strong smells, cigarette smoke and sudden temperature changes. One way is to use a mask when you go out.

Eating a nutritious diet and maintaining immunity through regular sleep schedules and exercise routines also help reduce the symptoms of gustatory rhinitis. However, even if it is a nutritious food, it is better to limit its intake if it causes rhinorrhea.

Suppressing symptoms with an anticholinergic spray… In severe cases, surgical treatment is possible.
Treatment is necessary if irritating factors are difficult to avoid or if symptoms persist for a long time. The symptoms of allergic rhinitis and runny nose are similar, but since the causes are different, you should not take allergy medicine or runny nose medicine irregularly. This is because drug-related rhinitis may occur if the drug is misused.

When you visit a hospital, you will most likely be prescribed a spray of anticholinergic medication that blocks the activity of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. If you put this spray in your nasal passages 20 to 30 minutes before you eat, it will prevent a runny nose while you eat, eliminating discomfort in your daily life.

If the spray does not produce a clear effect, a surgical treatment called ‘inferior turbinate resection’ can be performed. Hidoc ENT consultant doctor Jeong Do-gwang (Hana ENT Hospital) said, “The inferior turbinate is one of the structures in the nose that determines the direction of respiratory airflow when the inferior turbinate goes up, symptoms such as stuffy nose, runny nose. and a sneeze may appear.” He explained that these symptoms can be alleviated through surgery to remove the turbinates.

He then recommended hospital treatment, saying, “Depending on the symptoms or the situation, there are methods such as using high frequency or laser instead of crossing part of the inferior turbinate, and as then it is best to get a detailed surgical consultation with a specialist after visiting the hospital.”

Help = Director Jeong Do-gwang of HiDoc Consulting Doctor (ENT specialist at Hana Otolaryngology Hospital)