Rhinitis is an inflammatory disease of the nose with two primary symptoms; congestion and rhinorrhoea (runny nose). Rhinitis is associated with direct healthcare costs of up to $15bn per year in the US. More than half of these costs are attributed to prescription medication. On the upper end of the illness severity spectrum rhinitis has a proven major impact on quality of life, cognitive function, decision-making and self-perception and is associated with decreased work productivity and absenteeism.

Medical treatment of NAR is often multipronged given the nature of the disease. Strategies for treatment include trigger avoidance, topical / systemic medications and surgical intervention. Local delivery of topical medications is the mainstay of treatment and include intranasal steroid sprays (INS), topical antihistamines (TA) sprays, combination therapy with INS and TA, ipratropium bromide, capsaicin, oral and intranasal decongestants, nasal saline irrigations and first generation oral antihistamines.

During the progressions of rhinitis autonomic innervation of mucosal glands and the vasculature of the nasal mucosa has been shown to increases glandular secretion and vasodilation. Critically, electrical neuromodulation may offer significant promise as a future therapy for chronic rhinitis, surpassing the efficacy of traditional pharmacological approaches.