Gustatory Rhinitis

Gustatory rhinitis is a syndrome characterized by the profuse watery rhinorrhea produced by consumption of certain spicy, hot foods. In order to investigate the pathogenesis of this common disorder, 18 subjects underwent food challenges with control (bland) foods and positive (spicy) foods. Positive foods, but not control foods, produced rhinorrhea and increased the secretion of albumin and total protein into nasal lavage fluid. Nasal pretreatment with atropine clinically blocked the positive food-induced rhinorrhea and significantly reduced albumin and total protein secretion. Thus, gustatory rhinitis is produced by spicy foods which stimulate atropinesensitive muscarinic receptors, and this syndrome can be prevented by pretreatment with topical atropine.