Lingaiah Jadi1, Vineel Muppidi2, Kalicheti Prabhakar Reddy3, Sudeep Madisetti4, Boundinika Madhuri Nanduri5, Madisani Anunya Reddy6
BACKGROUND
Allergic rhinitis is IgE-mediated nasal mucosal hypersensitivity reaction after exposure to the offending allergen. Treatment options for allergic rhinitis includes allergen avoidance, immunotherapy, local/systemic antihistamines and steroids. Nasal saline irrigation is a possible potential treatment or adjunct to pharmacological treatment. It produces improvement in nasal symptoms, reduction in medicine consumption, by acceleration of mucociliary clearance time and thus improvement in quality of life.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Our prospective study was performed with 52 patients in between the ages of 20-60 years who presented with recurrent (more than 1 year) symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis. Isotonic saline nasal irrigation was added for a period of 8 weeks along with other measures of allergic rhinitis treatment such as allergen avoidance and pharmacotherapy and quality of life was assessed by the severity of symptoms.
RESULTS
This study was designed to evaluate the reduction in symptom score with the use of isotonic saline nasal irrigation given twice daily for 8 weeks in seasonal allergic rhinitis along with the standard treatment i.e. antihistamines and intranasal corticosteroid spray. Total of 52 patients were studied. The usage of isotonic saline nasal irrigation improved the quality of life in terms of reduction in the severity, frequency and duration of symptoms compared to the relief he had in the previous years when he used only intranasal steroids.
CONCLUSION
Nasal irrigation with isotonic saline is a safe, inexpensive, easy to use and effective adjunctive therapy in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis to alleviate the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. It resulted in significant improvement in the quality of life.
