Can nasal congestion medication cure rhinitis?

Treatment of Rhinitis and Common Medications

While some cases of rhinitis can be cured through medication, most can only be alleviated rather than fully cured with pharmacological interventions. Common types of rhinitis and their corresponding treatments include anti-infective drugs, antihistamines, nasal glucocorticosteroids, anti-leukotriene drugs, and anticholinergic drugs.

1. Anti-infective Drugs

For rhinitis caused by bacterial infections, antibiotics such as cefixime and amoxicillin can be prescribed. For viral infections, antiviral drugs like acyclovir and ribavirin are recommended. For allergic rhinitis, anti-allergic medications like cetirizine hydrochloride and loratadine are effective.

2. Antihistamines

Antihistamines like levocetirizine hydrochloride and desloratadine are used to treat allergic rhinitis. Additionally, nasal glucocorticosteroids such as mometasone furoate and budesonide nasal spray can also be administered.

3. Nasal Glucocorticosteroids

Medications like mometasone furoate, fluticasone propionate, and beclomethasone dipropionate belong to the class of topical glucocorticosteroids. They act locally on the affected nasal mucosa, improving rhinitis symptoms and can also be used in allergic rhinitis.

4. Anti-leukotriene Drugs

Montelukast sodium is an example of an anti-leukotriene drug that can alleviate nasal congestion and is also used in the treatment of allergic rhinitis.

5. Anticholinergic Drugs

Drugs like ipratropium bromide can help relieve rhinorrhea.

Furthermore, traditional Chinese medicines with properties of clearing heat, detoxifying, and dispelling wind from the lungs can also be used for allergic rhinitis. For chronic hypertrophic rhinitis, traditional Chinese medicines often yield suboptimal results, but can still be tried. The primary treatment for allergic rhinitis is desensitization therapy, which can be administered orally or intranasally.