Some people will develop a rhinorrhea after eating certain foods. This appears to be due to stimulation of muscarinic receptors in submucosal glands.
Clinical findings:
(1) recent ingestion of hot and spicy foods
(2) watery rhinorrhea
(3) often sweating over the head
Hot chili peppers was the most common food cause.
Most patients did not avoid the causative foods although some people took medications to reduce the rhinorrhea. Topical atropine reduces the rhinorrhea.
Differential diagnosis:
(1) gustatory sweating (Frey syndrome)
(2) gustatory rhinitis following trauma
(3) post-traumatic CSF rhinorrhea
(4) food allergy (especially to spices)
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