RhinAer is an in-office procedure that uses controlled radiofrequency energy to treat the nerve responsible for chronic rhinitis, the persistent runny nose, congestion, and post-nasal drip that lasts well beyond allergy season. The procedure takes less than 10 minutes, requires only topical anesthesia, and most patients return to normal activity the next day. In clinical studies, 94% of patients experienced meaningful symptom improvement within 12 weeks.
How RhinAer Works
Deep inside each nasal passage, a nerve called the posterior nasal nerve sends signals that trigger mucus production, swelling, and congestion. In people with chronic rhinitis, this nerve is essentially overactive, keeping the nose in a constant state of irritation even when there’s no infection or allergen present. RhinAer delivers temperature-controlled radiofrequency energy directly to the tissue overlying this nerve, disrupting its ability to send those overactive signals. The technical term is “neurolysis,” which means the nerve tissue is gently broken down by heat so it can no longer fire excessively.
This is different from medications like antihistamines or nasal sprays, which temporarily block symptoms without addressing the underlying nerve signaling. RhinAer targets the source of the problem rather than masking the output.
Who Is a Good Candidate
You may be a candidate for RhinAer if your nasal symptoms persist nearly every day and don’t resolve when allergy season ends. The hallmark symptoms include a constantly running nose, persistent post-nasal drip (often accompanied by throat clearing, coughing, or an itchy throat sensation), frequent congestion or a “stuffed up” feeling, and excessive sneezing.
Most people who pursue RhinAer have already tried over-the-counter or prescription nasal sprays, antihistamines, or other medications without adequate relief. The procedure is designed for chronic rhinitis specifically, not for structural issues like a deviated septum or nasal polyps, though it can sometimes be combined with other procedures that address those problems.
What the Procedure Feels Like
RhinAer is performed in your doctor’s office while you’re awake and seated. No needles are used for anesthesia. Instead, your provider sprays a numbing solution into your nose, then places small cotton pledgets soaked in a stronger anesthetic along the interior nasal passages. You wait about 10 to 15 minutes for the area to fully numb before the procedure begins.
Once you’re numb, the doctor inserts a small wand-like device (the RhinAer stylus) into your nose and applies radiofrequency energy to the targeted tissue. The active treatment itself takes less than 10 minutes. Most patients tolerate it well without any sedation, though people who feel anxious about the procedure can sometimes receive an oral sedative beforehand.
Recovery and Aftercare
Most people resume normal activity the day after the procedure. In the first few days, it’s common to experience nasal congestion, sinus pressure, mild difficulty breathing through the nose, a modest amount of bleeding, and occasionally a headache. These effects are temporary and generally mild.
The standard aftercare instructions are straightforward:
- Saline rinses: Use a saline nasal spray or sinus rinse twice daily for five days to help clear crusting and debris.
- No nose blowing: Avoid blowing your nose for five days. You can gently wipe with a tissue. If you sneeze, keep your mouth open to reduce pressure.
- Elevate your head at night: Sleeping on two to three pillows can help reduce morning congestion during recovery.
Some crusting inside the nose is normal as the treated tissue heals. The saline rinses help manage this. No serious side effects have been reported in clinical studies, though as with any procedure, there is a small risk of bleeding or infection.
How Well It Works
The clinical data behind RhinAer comes from a multicenter study of 50 patients. At 12 weeks, the average nasal symptom score dropped by 59.2%, falling from 8.5 out of a possible 12 points down to 3.4. That’s a substantial shift from moderate-to-severe daily symptoms to mild or minimal ones. The response rates were notably high: 94% of patients saw at least a 1-point improvement, 88% improved by 3 or more points (roughly a 30% reduction), and 69% improved by 4 or more points.
What matters most to someone considering the procedure is whether the results last. Two-year follow-up data shows they largely do. At 24 months, patients maintained a 57.7% improvement in symptom scores, and 80% still met the threshold for a clinically meaningful reduction. Quality-of-life scores held up as well, with 77% of patients reporting sustained improvement in how rhinitis affected their daily lives two years out.
RhinAer vs. ClariFix
If you’ve been researching chronic rhinitis treatments, you’ve likely also come across ClariFix, which targets the same posterior nasal nerve but uses extreme cold instead of heat. ClariFix is a cryotherapy device that freezes tissue to temperatures between negative 60 and negative 80 degrees Celsius, destroying the nerve tissue through freezing rather than radiofrequency energy.
Both procedures are performed in the office under local anesthesia and take a similar amount of time. The side effect profiles overlap considerably: temporary congestion, mild discomfort, and occasional bleeding. ClariFix has a few additional reported side effects, including nasal dryness, ear blockage, and watery or dry eyes, which relate to the broader effects that freezing can have on surrounding tissue. RhinAer’s temperature-controlled approach is designed to be more precise in its targeting, though both procedures have shown effectiveness for chronic rhinitis.
Neither procedure has been tested head-to-head in a randomized trial, so there’s no definitive answer on which is “better.” The choice often comes down to what your ENT specialist has experience with and which device is available in their office.
Cost and Insurance Coverage
Insurance coverage for RhinAer varies and can be inconsistent. Some major insurers, including Kaiser Permanente, have reviewed both radiofrequency ablation and cryotherapy for chronic rhinitis under their coverage criteria, but policies differ by plan and region. Before scheduling, it’s worth asking your doctor’s office to verify coverage with your specific insurer. If the procedure isn’t covered, out-of-pocket costs typically run into the low thousands, though this varies by practice and location. Some offices offer payment plans for patients paying without insurance.