Non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) occurs in absence endonasal infection and sensitization to inhalant allergens

A significant number of patients suffering from persistent rhinitis are defined as non-allergic non-infectious rhinitis (NANIR) patients, often denominated in short as having non-allergic rhinitis (NAR).

NAR is defined as a symptomatic inflammation of the nasal mucosa with the presence of minimal 2 nasal symptoms like nasal obstruction, rhinorrhoea, sneezing, and/or itchy nose, without clinical evidence of endonasal infection and without systemic signs of sensitization to inhalant allergens (i.e., no allergy).

Symptoms of NAR may have a wide range of severity, and be either continuously present and/or induced by exposure to unspecific triggers, also called nasal hyperresponsiveness (NHR). NHR represents a clinical feature of both AR and NAR patients.

NAR involves different subgroups:

- drug-induced rhinitis
- (non-allergic) occupational rhinitis
- hormonal rhinitis (including pregnancy rhinitis)
- gustatory rhinitis
- senile rhinitis
- idiopathic rhinitis (IR)

NAR should be distinguished from those rhinitis patients with an allergic reaction confined to the nasal mucosa, also called ‘entopy’ or local allergic rhinitis (LAR).

References:

Non‐Allergic Rhinitis: Position paper of the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology http://buff.ly/2pHUXbA