OLD MAN'S DRIP

QUESTIONNAIRE STUDY

Abstract

The elderly often report watery rhinorrhea without other symptoms. Allergic rhinitis is not common in individuals aged over 65 years. The color of nasal mucosa in the elderly is not usually pale, and antigens are not identified. Taken together, such nasal discharge is usually non-allergic and called “old man's drip.” The mechanism behind it is not fully understood. To determine the demographic data on patients with this condition, the concerns of physicians treating it and actual patient management, we sent questionnaires to 124 oto-laryngologists, with a response of 58% (64). Most were not familiar with the term “old man's drip.” Although nasal discharge was a leading symptom in the elderly, and 10 to 30% of patients reported rhinorrhea, less than 30% of these suffered from allergic rhinitis. Chronic rhinitis, vasomotor rhinitis, and chronic sinusitis were often used in tentative diagnosis. Fewer than 50 patients with old man's drip consulted a clinic each year. Antihistamines were most frequently prescribed for these patients, followed by antiinflammatory enzymes and anticholinergic nasal drops. The elderly are, however, specifically at risk from complications of such drugs.
Atrophic change in nasal mucosa becomes apparent in the 60's, lowering mucosal temperature in the nose and nasopharynx and diminishing heating capacity. Water reabsorption from nasal mucosa becomes incomplete in expiration and water droplets remaining on the surface may increase. Condensed water cannot be used for humidification in the next inspiration because of the lower heating potencial of nasal mucosa, causing nasal drip after water droplets collect. Water provided by vascular leakage but not glandular secretion appears to be dominant in nasal drip. Nasal drying caused by medication also decreases air conditioning potential. Old man's drip often occurs during eating. Conditions differentiated from this condition are cold air-induced rhinorrhea and gustatory rhinorrhea, considered due to reflex parasympathetic activation of the nasal glands, and anticholinergics are effective. These are not, however, indicated for old man's drip, for which we suggest heating nasal mucosa resulting in increased water absorption during expiration.