Catarrh of the nose, often referred to as nasal catarrh or simply nasal congestion, is a condition characterized by inflammation and excessive mucus production in the nasal passages. It is a common symptom associated with various upper respiratory tract infections and allergic reactions. Here are some common causes and the associated pathophysiology of nasal catarrh:
Causes:
- Viral Infections:
- Bacterial Infections:
- Allergies:
- Environmental Irritants:
- Chronic Rhinitis:
- Anatomical Issues:
Pathophysiology:
- Inflammation:
- In response to infection, allergens, or irritants, the blood vessels in the nasal passages dilate, leading to increased blood flow.
- Inflammatory cells are recruited to the area, causing swelling and congestion of the nasal mucosa.
- Increased Mucus Production:
- Inflammation triggers the goblet cells in the nasal mucosa to produce excess mucus.
- The purpose is to trap and eliminate pathogens, irritants, or allergens, preventing them from entering the respiratory system.
- Nasal Congestion:
- Swelling of the nasal tissues, combined with increased mucus production, leads to nasal congestion.
- The narrowed nasal passages make it difficult for air to flow, resulting in a sensation of stuffiness or blockage.
- Symptom Persistence:
- In acute conditions, nasal catarrh may resolve as the underlying cause is treated.
- In chronic cases or conditions like allergic rhinitis, the inflammation and mucus production can persist over a more extended period.
Aconite: Creeping chills, followed by heat of the skin, with spas- modic sneezing and discharge of thin watery fluid from the nostrils ; liable to frequent catarrhal attacks; the patient feels better in a cool room.
Asculus hip: Severe fluent coryza; dull frontal headache; thin watery discharge; burning; rawness; sensitiveness to inhaled air; formication in the nose; burning and stinging in the eyes; lachry. mation.
Ailanthus: Coryza, with rawness inside of the nostrils; the whole nose and upper lip covered with very thick grayish-brown scabs; fluent nasal catarrh, with sneezing; chronic nasal catarrh, with diffi- cult breathing through the nostrils.
Alumina: Great accumulation of mucus in the evening and in the morning on waking, with frequent hawking and difficult dis- charge of dry yellowish-green mucus, with weak or entire loss of smell.
Aloe: Coryza, with burning and pain in the nose; on sneezing, stitches in the umbilical region; nosebleed in bed after awaking.
Ambrosia artemis: Catarrhal headache, beginning in posterior nares, gradually moving up to bridge of nose and frontal sinus; thin, scanty, or profuse coryza; pains in bridge of nose as if bones were ulcerated and swollen; lachrymation with burning; frequent sneezing; rheumatic pains in end of fingers.
Ammonium carb: Stoppage of the nose, especially at night, with swelling and painful sensitiveness of the nostrils; discharge of sharp burning water or blood from the nose on blowing it; dryness of the nose; painful eyes; lachrymation; epistaxis; dry mouth, especially at night.
Ammonium mur: Coryza, with stoppage of nose; hoarseness and burning in larynx; watery acrid coryza, corroding the lip; fre- quent sneezing; burning in the eyes and lachrymation at night.
Antimonium crud: Sore, chapped, and crusty nostrils and corners of the mouth; nose painful when breathing, as from inhalation of cold air or of acrid vapors; coryza fluent or dry; stupefying dull headache, especially in forehead.
Antimonium tart: Stoppage of nose, alternating with fluent coryza; sneezing; fluent coryza and chilliness, with loss of taste and smell; epistaxis, followed by fluent coryza, with sneezing.
Aralia racemosa: Coryza, with frequent sneezing; excessive, morbid sensitiveness to slight depressions of temperature; shortness of breath.
Argentum nitr: Coryza, with stupefying headache over the eyes; had to lie down; sneezing; chilliness; lachrymation; sickly look; sense of smell blunted.
Arsenicum: Fluent coryza, with frequent sneezing, with hoarse- ness and sleeplessness, with swollen nose; stoppage of the nose, with copious discharge of watery mucus and burning in the nose, with soreness of the adjacent parts; buzzing in the ears; headache, with beating in the forehead and nausea; relief by warmth; prostration (kali cyan.).
Arum triph: Acrid fluent coryza, excoriating nostrils inside ale and upper lip; sneezing and sleepy; worse at night.
Asarum europ: Dry coryza; the left nostril stopped up; fluent coryza, with deafness and sensation as if the ears were plugged with something.
Baryta carb: Coryza; nose and upper lip swollen, in children with large abdomen; sneezing causes concussive pain in the brain ; tormenting dryness of nose.
Belladonna: Dryness of nose, with dull frontal headache; fluent coryza, from one nostril only; suppressed catarrh; maddening headache; epistaxis, with congestion to the head, in children, at night.
Benzoic acid: Takes cold in the head easily; sneezing and hoarseness.
Bryonia: Severe dry coryza with catarrh of the frontal and maxillary cavities and severe drawing-tearing, twitching, and stitching pains in affected parts; or fluent coryza, beginning with violent and frequent sneezing, accompanied by stitching headache when stooping, hoarseness and altered tone of voice; profuse nosebleed; catarrh extending to chest.
Caladium: Sudden burning in nose, as from pepper, finally sneezing and fluent coryza; discharge of blood and mucus when blowing the nose; sensation in face as if a spider web were sticking here and there; hoarseness, cough weak, toneless.
Calcarea phos: Fluent coryza in ‘a cold room; stopped in warm air and outdoors.
Calcarea sulph: Coryza with thick, yellow, lumpy discharge; during day right nostril discharges watery mucus, left dry; at night left discharges and right nostril is dry; edges of nostrils slightly sore, excoriated..
Camphora: Fluent coryza on sudden change of weather; violent stitching or crawling, from the root of the nose almost to the tip; stopped coryza.
Cepa: Acrid watery discharge from the nose, it drops from the tip of the nose; the tears mild; cough increases in the evening, some times with a pain in the larynx as if it would be torn; cold after damp northeastern winds; cold begins mostly on left side and goes to the right; catarrh, with epiphora and smarting of the eyes, with violent sneezing; he must take a long breath, and then sneeze accordingly; spring coryza; tingling and itching in right nostril, with burning acrid discharge; aggravation evenings and in a warm room; feels better in the fresh air; violent, laryngeal cough.
Chamomilla: Coryza first dry and obstructed, followed by scanty, moderately acrid discharge; irritation to sneeze, with crawling; dry heat; hoarseness, produced by tenacious mucus in larynx and trachea, with an almost uninterrupted tickling irritation, provoking a cough; dyspnea; pressure on thorax and sternum; feeling as if coryza would appear.
Cimicifuga: Dry coryza, with stinging sensation in the evening; fluent coryza of whitish mucus, during the day; abundant watery coryza with sneezing and aching pains in the head and eyeballs; great sensitiveness to cold air, as if every inhalation brought the cold air in contact with the brain. Severe pains in the face, with general lassitude.
Cyclamen: Catarrh, with excessive sneezing and rheumatic pains in the head and ears.
Drosera: Frequent sneezing, with or without coryza; profuse fluent coryza, especially in the morning.
Dulcamara: Stoppage of the nose; discharge suppressed from the least contact with cold air; aggravation hy rest; better during motion; epistaxis; dryness of mouth; rough and hoarse voice.
Eupatorium perf: Weight over head and forehead, accompanied by coryza, nose and eyes both streaming with water at intervals; coryza with aching in every bone.
Euphrasia: Running coryza; increasing in the evening, with flow of tears and cough; the discharge of the nose mild, the tears acrid, and the cough worse during the day; after windy weather, (opposite to cepa); profuse bland coryza, with scalding tears and aversion to light; worse at night while lying down.
Gelsemium: Violent morning paroxysms of sneezing; watery excoriating discharge; a feeling from throat up into left nostril, like a stream of scalding water; right nostril stopped up; nasal voice; coryza after changeable weather, with inflammation of upper part of throat and shooting pains into the ear when swallowing; also hard hearing; tingling in the nose, with bloody mucous discharge.
Graphites: Frequent discharge of thick, yellowish, fetid pus from nose; painful dryness of nose; bleeding of nose; periodical attacks of fluent coryza, with continual stoppage and breathing through the mouth, dullness and heat in head and face, and especially in nose; soreness and roughness in larynx with tickling cough; obstruction of nose with secretion of tough, badly-smelling slime; on blowing nose soreness of nose, and sometimes discharge of bloody mucus.
Hepar s: In most cases of ordinary catarrh, after partial relief by merc.; generally when every breath of cold air causes a new attack of catarrh or headache, or when it remains confined to one nostril, and the headache gets worse by motion.
Hydrastis: Watery excoriating coryza; burning in nose; more the right nostril; discharge scanty in the room, profuse outdoors; rawness in throat and chest; the air feels cold in the nose; secretion more from the posterior nares; thick, tenacious. Iodum. Dry coryza, becoming fluent in the open air; fluent coryza with general heat of skin; flow of coryza hot.
Jaborandi: Feverishness; free flow of saliva; discharge from nostrils; eyes weeping; headache; soreness in nostrils and bones; profuse perspiration; dimness of sight; dullness alternating with hilarity without cause; diarrhoea or constipation.
Kali bichrom: Catarrh of fauces and trachea; great accumulation of ropy mucus; hoarseness; cough; suppressed voice; burning of the mucous membrane, extending up into the nostrils; enlarged tonsils causing dullness of hearing; ulceration in pharynx and larynx; oppressed breathing; coryza, with pressure and tightness at root of nose, worse evenings and in the open air; in the morning, obstruction and bleeding from right nostril; fluent coryza, excoriating nose and lip; nostrils sensitive and ulcerated, round ulcer or scabs on the septum, foul tongue, showing involvement of digestive tract.
Kali carb: Dull smell, especially from catarrh; fluent coryza, excessive sneezing, pain in back, headache, and lassitude; dry coryza, with loss of voice; hoarseness; mucus or sensation of a lump in the throat; obstruction in the nose, making breathing through the nostrils impossible; goes off when walking in the open air, but returns in the room; burning itching in the nose. Kali iod. Nose red and swollen externally, discharge being cool and unirritating, or acrid, watery; tightness at the root of the nose.
Kali sulph: Coryza, with yellow mucous discharge; thick, yellow, offensive discharge alternating with watery flow. Lachesis. Coryza preceded for one or two days by a feeling of soreness, rawness, and scraping in the throat; excessive sneezing; extremely copious discharge of watery mucus; swelling and soreness of the nares and lips; plugs in the nostrils; lachrymation; or instead of discharge, obstruction of the nose, with buzzing in the ears, head- ache, ill-humor, and inability to drink.
Lycopodium: Catarrh of nose and frontal sinuses; discharge yellow and thick; frontal headache; yellow complexion; violent coryza; nose swollen; discharge acrid, excoriating; posterior nares dry; nose stopped up at the root; breathes with open mouth and protruding tongue, especially at night.
Mercurius: Ordinary catarrh, whether epidemic or not; frequent sneezing, copious discharge of watery saliva; swelling, redness, and soreness of the nose, with itching and pain in the nasal bones on pressing upon them; fetid smell of the nasal mucus; painful heaviness of the forehead; night sweats, chills, and feverish heat; great thirst; pains in the limbs, aggravated by warmth or cold.
Mercur. biniod: Coryza and dull hearing, better getting warm by walking; right side of nose hot, swollen with coryza; much sneezing, with running from nose; whitish-yellow or bloody discharge; crusty eruption on wings of nose.
Mercur. protoi: Thick plugs of nasal secretion, with severe frontal headache, some fever, and prostration, especially in old people and children; septum nares sore, sharp pains; much mucus descends into the throat, causing hawking; spots in nose feel sore; constant inclination to swallow.
Mezereum: Excruciating pain in the forehead and face, from ex- tension of the inflammation to the frontal and maxillary sinuses; ineffectual irritation to sneeze, or sneezing, with coryza and soreness of the chest; fluent coryza, with excoriation of the nose and lip.
Natrum mur: Violent fluent coryza, from one to three days, changing into stoppage of the nose, making breathing through it exceedingly difficult; fluent coryza alternating with stoppage of the nose, with hoarseness and tickling cough; sometimes discharge of thick mucus, at other times dribbling of clear water from the nose; loss of smell and taste; feeling of dryness in the posterior nares; hawking of mucus from the throat in the morning; fever blisters.
Nux vomica: During the first stage, dryness and obstruction of the nose, with heaviness in the forehead and impatient mood; catarrh fluent in the morning, and dry in the evening and at night, with dry- ness of the mouth without much thirst; worse in warm air, better in cold air; sneezing early in bed; scraping in nose and throat; chills and heat alternate in the evening, with great heat of the face and head; acrid discharge from the obstructed nose; stoppage of the nose, particularly outdoors, but fluent indoors.
Phosphorus: Coryza fluent; dullness of head; sleepiness, especially during the day and after meals; blowing blood from the nose; alternating fluent and dry, with frequent sneezing; dry, forming crusts, adhering firmly; profuse discharge, flowing down into the fauces; neck swollen; eyes staring.
Phytolacca: Total obstruction of the nose, when riding, so that he has to breathe through the mouth, not relieved by blowing the nose; flow of mucus from one nostril, while the other is stopped; thin watery discharge from the nostrils, increasing till the nose is stopped up; mucus discharged with difficulty; constant hawking.
Pulsatilla: Coryza, fluid or dry, loss of taste or smell, nostrils sore; wings raw; later yellow-green discharge, worse indoors; chilliness, face pale, head confused, frontal headache; chronic, thick, yellow, bland discharge.
Quillaya saponaria: Incipiency of a cold; dry or fluent coryza; frequent sneezing; dull pain in head; dull heavy pain in both temples; scraping sensation in pharynx; dull pain at root of nose ; throat very sore, especially on swallowing; tonsils swollen; dull pain through thorax; weary feeling in limbs; lassitude.
Rumex crispus: Dull headache, worse by motion; sore feeling in eyes, without any external sign of inflammation; fluent coryza, with painful irritation in nostrils and sneezing; epistaxis; violent and rapid sneezing; feeling of dryness in posterior nares; cough ex- cited by tickling in throat-pit and worse by least current of air; hoarseness.
Sabadilla: Hay-fever; coryza, with severe frontal pains and redness of the eyelids, violent sneezing, and copious watery discharge from nose and eyes. Salicylic acid. Incipient catarrh, the patients, especially children, sneeze the whole day.
Sambucus: Suitable to infants; nose obstructed by a tenacious, thick mucus, with sudden starting from sleep, as if suffocating; sniffles of children; nose seems perfectly obstructed; dryness of the throat and mouth, with thirstlessness.
Sanguinaria: Coryza, with dull heavy pain over root of nose, and stinging sensation in the nose; severe pain at the root of the nose and in frontal sinuses, with dry cough and pain in chest; fluent coryza, with frequent sneezing, worse right side; watery acrid coryza, making the nose sore; rose-cold (hay-fever).
Sepia: Dry coryza, especially of the left nostril; fluent coryza, with sneezing, early morning; blowing of large lumps of yellow-green mucus, or yellow-green crusts, with blood from the nose.
Sticta pulm: Premonitory symptoms of catarrh; excessive dryness of the nasal mucous membrane, which becomes painful; secretions dry rapidly, forming scabs difficult to dislodge; deglutition painful, from dryness in the throat, aggravated at night; incessant sneezing, burning in the eyes; dull frontal headache, with feeling of fullness at the root of nose.
Sulphur: Profuse catarrhal discharge of burning water; fluent burning coryza outdoors; nose stopped up indoors; frequent sneezing; discharge of blood from the nose on blowing it; loss of smell; soreness and ulceration of nostrils.
§ 1. Principal remedies: 1, amm., ars., cepa, cham., dulc., eupat.. gels., hep., lach., merc., n. vom., puls., rumex, sanguin, sticta, sulph.; 2, æsc., hep., bell., cimicif., euphor., ign., ipec., lyc., natr., samb.; 3, alum., anac., bry., calc., carb. v., caust., con., graph., hydrast., natr. m., nitr. ac., senec., sep., sil., zinc.
§ 2. For the PRECURSORY SYMPTOMS, when the development of the catarrh seems to be delayed, with catarrhal affection of the frontal cavities, eyes, etc., use: I, amm., calc., lach., n. vom., puls.; 2, caust., hep., natr. m.; 3, ars., bry., lyc.
For DRY CORYZA, or catarrhal obstruction of the nose, use, together with the above-mentioned remedies: bry., calc., carb. v., ign., lyc., natr., natr. m., nitr. ac., n. vom., phos., plat., sil.
Obstruction of the nose, in case of NEW-BORN INFANTS, is generally relieved by nux vomica or sambucus.
For FLUENT CORYZA, blennorrhœa nasalis: 1, merc., puls., sulph.; 2, ars., bell., cham., dulc., hep., ipec., lyc., nitr. ac., sil.
§ 3. The best remedies for ORDINARY CATARRH are: 1, bell., eupat., hep., lach., merc., rumex, sticta; 2, ars., dulc., ipec., n. vom., sanguin.; 3, cham., puls., sulph.; 4, amm., bry., cimicif., euphr., ign. For catarrh WITH FEVER: 1, merc., n. vom.; 2, acon., ars., gels., sabad., spig., verat. vir.
For CHRONIC CATARRH: alum., anac., bapt., calc., carb. v., caust., con., graph., hydrast., lyc., natr., natr. m., nitr. ac., phytol., sep., sil., zinc., and the remedies indicated for suppuration of the nose.
For the DISPOSITION TO CATARRH, the best remedies are: æsculus, calc., graph., natr., puls., sil., stict., sulph., and the remedies indicated for cold.
§ 4. For the consequences of SUPPRESSED CATARRH give: acon., ars., bell., bry., chin., cin., gels., n. vom., puls., sanguin., sticta, sulph.
If the head be greatly affected give: 1, acon., bell., cham., chin., cin., n. vom., sulph.; 2, ars., carb. v., lach., lyc., puls. If the eyes should be principally affected give: 1, bell., cham., euphr., ign., lach., n. vom., puls.; or 2, hep., merc., sulph. For asthmatic complaints use: 1, ars., ipec., lob.; 2, bry., n. vom., sulph.
For bronchitis: acon., bry., merc., n. vom., puls., rhus, sulph.
Nasal catarrh, with green discharge: kali bichr., merc., natr. carb., phos., puls., rhus, sep., thuj. Yellow: alum., cinnab., graph., hydr., mur. ac., natr. carb., nitr. ac., phos., lyc. Thick whitish: hydr., kali bichr., lyc., merc., nux v. Fetid: aurum, asaf., graph., merc., nitr. ac., petr., rhus. Purulent: asaf., aur., con., lyc., petr., puls., rhus.
Fluent coryza: anacard., ars., arum, bovist., brom., calc., chin., euphr., cep., fluor. ac., gels., hep., ipec., kali bichr., lach., merc., nitr. ac., nux v., thuj.
Dryness of nose: calc., caust., ant. crud., carb. an., dulc., graph., lyc., sil., spig., sulph.
Ulceration: alumina, aur., calc., graph., kali carb., lyc., puls., sep., sil., staph., sulph., zinc.
Accumulation of mucus in posterior nares: alum., anac., ant. crud., cep., coral., euphr., hydr., kali bichr., merc., natr. carb., plumb., ru- mex, selen., spong., sulph., zinc.
Dropping of mucus from posterior nares: coral., hydr., kali bichr., nitr. ac., plumb., sep., spig., sulph., thuj. Scurfs in the nose: alum., aur., hov calc., cic., kali bichr., lach., natr. mur., nitr. ac., nux v., phos., sil., staph., sulph., thuj.
Syphilitic ozena: aur., con., hep., lach., lyc., merc., nitr. ac., sulph.
Scrofulous ozæna: merc., nitr. ac.. phos., psor., sil., sulph.
Dry and fluent coryza alternating: kali carb., natr. mur., nux v., phos., sil.
Stoppage of nose: ipec., kal., laur., magn. c., magn. mur., mang., nitr. ac., sil., sulph. Magn. carb.:
waking at night; amm. carb. and magn. mur.: at night; cin.: at evening; marum.: during day; phyt.: when riding; niccol.: right side at night; lyc.. nightly closing of the nostril ; sil. :
long-continued stoppage from hardened mucus; sang.: alternating with fluency; elaps.: from least current of air; ammon. carb. and arum: can only breathe with open mouth.
Violent sneezing: acon., ars., coccus, rhus, sabina.
Ineffectual effort to sneeze: carb. veg., galv., mez., plat., raph., zinc.
With asthmatic sufferings: calc., bov., kal., lach.
With roughness or soreness of throat: caust., nitr. ac., phos., phos. ac.