Nose diagnosis. What diseases can be determined by the type of runny nose

Transparent highlights

When the discharge is clear and rather liquid, the doctor says, we are guided by the fact that this is a viral infection. Most often in such a situation they talk about acute rhinitis. “The virus arrives quickly, in 4-5, a maximum of 7 days, it’s even possible sometimes self-healing, when a person does nothing at all, inflammation ends, the virus dies, and everything ends by itself,” Vladimir Zaitsev explains. By the end of treatment, such secretions may acquire some viscosity.

The following symptoms may join:

• difficulty breathing through the nose;
• sneezing
• noise and ringing in the ears.

There may also be fever, weakness, muscle pain.

Clear discharge is also characteristic of allergic reactions. With rhinitis of this nature, the nose is very stuffy. A characteristic feature is seasonality or exposure to some kind of allergen, such as dust or animal hair.

A rare situation is called nasal liquorrhea. There will also be transparent selections. But they don’t heal. That is, despite active therapy, a runny nose does not go away. In this situation, it is recommended to take a mucus test to check whether it is cerebrospinal fluid. It happens that this is how she leaks.

White discharge

Whitish discharge can occur with problems such as a fungal infection or polyposis ethmoiditis, nasal polyps.

In the first case — with a fungus — a bright additional symptom will be a strong itching in the nose, notes Vladimir Zaitsev. It will itch so hard that a person will be ready to take at least a stick, at least a hairpin, to scratch.

If we are talking about polyps in the nose, then the discharge will be whitish-transparent, more viscous. Vladimir Zaitsev warns that the key additional symptom here is the lack of smell. “Polyps often develop against the background of inflammatory or purulent pathologies of diseases of the paranasal sinuses. The mucosa swells so that it fills the sinus and, not fitting in volume, goes into the nasal cavity. This is how a polyp is formed. Against this background, chronic inflammation in the nose develops. If you do not start treatment on time, polyps grow and increase in number, ”the otorhinolaryngologist notes.

Green discharge

If we are talking about yellowish-green discharge, when they are yellow at first and then gradually turn green, then doctors may suspect a bacterial infection, warns Vladimir Zaitsev. The mucus becomes thicker. Most often we are talking about purulent sinusitis or purulent sinusitis.

At the same time, such a vivid and characteristic sign of the disease appears as severe pain in the area of ​​​​the bridge of the nose and in the area of ​​u200bu200bthe sinuses — approximately on the cheeks, under the eyes. The pain may increase when the head is tilted and in the evening hours, it may radiate to the temples or jaw.

Green discharge from the nose can also be with a pathology such as ozena. Scientifically, such a pathology is called atrophic rhinitis, emphasizes the otorhinolaryngologist Zaitsev. Accompanied by such a symptom as a fetid odor from the nose. It becomes a consequence of overdrying of the mucous membrane, against which a lot of crusts form in the nose, which, in fact, exude an unpleasant odor. The person himself does not feel that he smells unpleasant.

Bloody issues

If the mucus is streaked with blood, and there is also a feeling of a foreign body in the nose, in addition, a person suddenly, unwillingly and without making any effort, loses weight, it is worth visiting an oncologist, Vladimir Zaitsev recommends.

True, sometimes blood signals not so terrible diagnoses. With high blood pressure, for example, due to exercise or changes in atmospheric pressure, a capillary in the nose can burst. Then there will be blood and mucus, but there is still more blood, the otorhinolaryngologist emphasizes. It can also bleed a nose if a person has a weak vascular wall. It dries up during the inflammatory process, then the risk of bleeding is quite likely. If blood appears in the discharge, Vladimir Zaitsev advises, it is worth visiting a doctor as soon as possible to establish the cause and begin therapy.

Otorhinolaryngologist Zaitsev notes that it is better not to ignore any problems with the nose and not let it take its course. After all, even harmless, at first glance, a runny nose can develop into severe and dangerous complications — sinusitis, inflammation of the frontal sinuses, otitis media and other troubles.