What does rhinorrhea refer to?

Rhinorrhea specifically refers to the discharge from the nose, which can occur due to a variety of conditions such as allergies, colds, or sinus infections. This term highlights the symptom of mucus or fluid coming from the nasal cavities, often accompanied by other symptoms like sneezing or nasal congestion. Understanding this term is particularly important in clinical settings for accurately describing a patient’s symptoms and for coding purposes when documenting respiratory conditions.

The other options relate to different nasal conditions but do not precisely capture the meaning of rhinorrhea; inflammation and swelling pertain to processes affecting the nasal tissues, while sinus pain more directly describes discomfort related to sinus cavities rather than nasal discharge. Thus, the definition correctly identifies the nature of rhinorrhea as a symptom involving nasal discharge.