Is sinusitis the same as rhinitis?
There are differences between rhinitis and sinusitis. Rhinitis is mainly the inflammation of the nasal mucosa, while sinusitis is the inflammation of the sinus cavity mucosa. The main clinical symptoms of rhinitis are nasal congestion and a runny nose. This runny nose is mostly mucous or watery, which is typically seen in allergic rhinitis. The runny nose in sinusitis, on the other hand, is often a thick yellow discharge caused by a bacterial infection, so there is a distinction between the two. Patients with sinusitis often have rhinitis, but those with rhinitis do not necessarily have sinusitis. Rhinitis is primarily treated with medications and rarely with surgery. For sinusitis, treatment also begins with medications; however, if the response to medical therapy is poor or the condition is severe, surgery is often considered. The likelihood of undergoing surgical intervention is generally higher for sinusitis than for rhinitis.