Treatment of atrophic rhinitis can be either medical or surgical.

Medical measures include:

- Nasal irrigation using normal saline

- Nasal irrigation and removal of crusts using alkaline nasal solutions prepared by dissolving a spoonful of powder containing one part sodium bicarbonate, one part sodium biborate and two part sodium chloride.

- 25% glucose in glycerine can be applied to the nasal mucosa to inhibit the growth of proteolytic organisms which produce foul smell.

- Local antibiotics, such as chloromycetine.

- Vitamin D (Kemicetine).

- Estradiol spray for regeneration of seromucinous glands and vascularization of mucosa.

- Systemic streptomycin (1g/day) against Klebsiella organisms.

- Oral potassium iodide for liquefaction of secretion.

- Placental extract injected in the submucosa.

Surgical interventions include:

- Young's operation.

- Modified Young's operation.

- Narrowing of nasal cavities, submucosal injection of Teflon paste, section and medial displacement of the lateral wall of the nose.

- Transposition of parotid duct to maxillary sinus or nasal mucosa.

Causes can be remembered by mnemonic HERNIA:

- Hereditary factors: the disease runs in families

- Endocrine imbalance: the disease tends to start at puberty and mostly involves females

- Racial factors: whites are more susceptible than natives of equatorial Africa

- Nutritional deficiency: vitamins A or D, or iron

- Infection: "Klebsiella ozaenae", diphtheroids, "Proteus vulgaris", "E. coli", etc.

- Autoimmune factors: viral infection or some other unidentified insult may trigger antigenicity of the nasal mucosa.