An Overview of Gustatory Rhinitis

If your nose sometimes runs when you eat, you may have a form of nonallergic rhinitis called gustatory rhinitis. This condition is suspected when you sniffle almost immediately after consuming certain foods, often spicy ones. You may sometimes experience sneezing and watery eyes, but not itching or other symptoms that could indicate allergies.

There are several possible causes of this reaction, and it tends to be more common in older adults. Gustatory rhinitis symptoms usually go away within a few minutes once you stop eating the trigger food.

This article explains why you sometimes get a runny nose when you eat. It will also explain what you can do to prevent or treat it.

Gustatory Rhinitis Symptoms

Symptoms usually happen right after you eat a trigger food. People will experience one or both of the following:

• A watery, runny nose
• Postnasal drip

Causes

Rhinitis is a term used to describe several conditions that cause inflammation and swelling in your nose. Inflammation and swelling usually occur in the mucous membrane. While allergies are a well-known cause of rhinitis, there are also types that are due to an entirely different immune response.

Nonallergic rhinitis is often caused by an infection. But exposure to irritants can also cause nonallergic rhinitis. In the case of gustatory rhinitis, a particular food serves as an irritant. While any food can be to blame, spicy foods such as the following are usually involved:

• Black pepper
• Curry
• Hot sauce
• Chili powder
• Hot peppers
• Horseradish
• Onions

Different people with gustatory rhinitis may have different trigger foods.

Diagnosis

Since there are several conditions that can cause nasal discharge, your doctor will ask about your symptoms and any history of allergies.

Allergic rhinitis, rather than nonallergic forms (like gustatory), may be suspected if your symptoms come and go. But they are generally worse during certain times of the year. Allergic rhinitis can happen because of:

• Pollen
• Mold
• Dust
• Ragweed
• Other irritants

It’s also possible that a food allergy is the cause of your runny nose. The symptoms of food allergies can range from mild to severe. They typically involve more than nasal congestion. Common food allergies and intolerances include:

• Peanuts
• Tree nuts
• Shellfish
• Lactose (in dairy products)
• Gluten
• Eggs

It's common to jump to the conclusion that your runny nose after eating is due to a food allergy. But food allergies also involve symptoms such as the following:

• Hives
• Shortness of breath
• Trouble swallowing
• Wheezing
• Nausea and vomiting
• Swelling of the tongue
• Dizziness

Allergy Tests

Your doctor will consider the above factors when narrowing down a diagnosis. But in order to formally diagnose you with nonallergic rhinitis, gustatory or another type, your doctor must first rule out allergic rhinitis. The doctor does this by performing an allergy test.

To do this, your doctor may perform:

• Skin prick test: Also called a puncture or scratch test, this involves your doctor introducing small amounts of allergens on your skin to see if/how you react.
• Immunoglobulin E (IgE) test: This blood test can measure your immune response to allergens.

An immune response will be seen in these tests if you have allergic rhinitis, but not nonallergic rhinitis. When you have allergic rhinitis, you will experience a skin reaction to the puncture test or elevated IgE levels. If you do not have an immune response, your doctor will move on to a nonallergic rhinitis diagnosis.

When the only symptoms you have after eating food are a runny nose, watery eyes, and sneezing, your doctor will likely diagnose you with gustatory rhinitis.

Vasomotor rhinitis is another form of nonallergic rhinitis that can be triggered by foods. But your doctor may also tell you it's triggered by alcohol, weather changes, or hormonal changes if you also have congestion, sinus pressure, and a cough.

Treatment

Because gustatory rhinitis is nonallergic, it typically does not respond to treatment with antihistamines, such as:

• Benadryl (diphenhydramine)
• Claritin (loratadine)

But you can ease most symptoms by simply avoiding your food triggers.

If you are bothered by symptoms of gustatory rhinitis, Nasal Atrovent (ipratropium bromide nasal spray) can help to prevent and treat the symptoms. One or two sprays in each nostril about an hour before eating spicy foods should do the trick.

For immediate runny nose relief, try a decongestant such as Sudafed (pseudoephedrine). Be sure to talk to your doctor about possible drug interactions before taking it.

It might take a few weeks to find the most effective treatment method for you. It may also take time to figure out exactly which foods trigger symptoms. This is especially true if they're common ingredients found in a variety of dishes.

Summary

If you sometimes get a runny nose when you eat, this is called gustatory rhinitis. It usually happens right after you eat a trigger food. Most of the time, spicy foods are the cause of gustatory rhinitis.

If you go to the doctor, they will ask about your symptoms and whether you have a history of allergies. Sometimes, the doctor will give you an allergy test. If you do not have an immune response to the allergy test, your doctor will usually diagnose you with nonallergic rhinitis.