Chronic rhinitis

This code represents a persistent, non-allergic inflammation of the nasal mucous membranes lasting for an extended period, typically several months or longer. It is characterized by chronic nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, postnasal drip, and sometimes sneezing or itching, without an identifiable allergic trigger.

Use this code when documentation specifies chronic rhinitis that is explicitly not allergic or vasomotor in nature. This diagnosis is appropriate when a patient presents with long-standing nasal symptoms and allergy testing is negative, or other causes like medication-induced or structural issues have been ruled out.

• Always review documentation to confirm the chronicity and rule out allergic or vasomotor etiologies.
• Do not code this with J30.1-J30.9 (allergic rhinitis) or J30.0 (vasomotor rhinitis) due to the Excludes1 note.
• Ensure the physician's documentation clearly supports the "chronic" aspect of the condition.