RHINORRHEA IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE

26th July 2011 - New research

Movement Disorders [2011] 26 (2) : 320-323 (Chou KL, Koeppe RA, Bohnen NI.)

Rhinorrhea is nasal discharge, commonly referred to as a runny nose. For more information go to Rhinorrhea. Although, nasal discharge is usually assumed to occur for a variety of reasons such as colds, flu or allergies, it is a common symptom in Parkinson's Disease. Researchers have found that people with Parkinson's Disease multiplied the likelihood of nasal discharge 5 times the average. This is after other possible causes had been accounted for.
Over two thirds (68%) of people who had Parkinson's Disease reported nasal discharge. There was no relationship with age or severity of symptoms. The nasal discharge of over half (52%) of people with Parkinson's Disease was accompanied with light headedness. The symptom of lightheadedness is uncommon in people who do not have Parkinson's Disease, occurring in less than 1 in 10. Another recent study found similar results.  The frequency of nasal discharge can lead to a reduction in the sense of smell, which is common in Parkinson's Disease.

It is not clearly known what causes this relationship. Nasal discharge occurring so frequently in Parkinson's Disease is not directly due to low dopamine, and a previous study found no relationship between rhinorrhea and dopamine agonists.