A Comparative Pilot Study of Symptom Improvement Before and After Phototherapy in Korean Patients with Perennial Allergic Rhinitis

This study aimed to investigate the effects of aromatherapy oil inhalation on symptoms, quality of life, sleep quality, and fatigue level among adults with perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR). Fifty-four men and women aged between 20 and 60 were randomized to inhale aromatherapy oil containing essential oil from sandalwood, geranium, andRavensaraor almond oil (the placebo) for 5 minutes twice daily for 7 days. PAR symptoms determined by Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS), the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ), sleep quality by Verran Synder-Halpern (VSH) scale, and fatigue level by Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS) were assessed before and after intervention period. Compared with the placebo, the experimental group showed significant improvement in TNSS, especially in nasal obstruction. The aromatherapy group also showed significantly higher improvements in total score of RQLQ and CFS. These findings indicate that inhalation of certain aromatherapy oil helps relieve PAR symptoms, improve rhinitis-specific quality of life, and reduce fatigue in patients with PAR. In conclusion, inhalation of aromatherapy essential oil may have potential as an effective intervention to alleviate PAR.

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Clinical Study on Acupuncture Treatment of Perennial Allergic Rhinitis (PAR) Based on Zelen’s Design

Annals of Chinese Medicine ◽

10.46949/acm.2020.1.3 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-10

Keyword(s):

Allergic Rhinitis ◽

Symptom Score ◽

Acupuncture Treatment ◽

Nasal Symptom ◽

Syndrome Differentiation ◽

Perennial Allergic Rhinitis ◽

Total Nasal Symptom Score ◽

Before And After ◽

Systemic Symptoms

Abstract Objective: Perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR) is clinically defined as an inflammatory condition of the nose characterised by nasal obstruction, sneezing, itching, or rhinorrhea, occurring for an hour or more on most days throughout the year. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment for PAR. Methods: 76 subjects were enrolled with inclusion criteria and randomly divided into the acupuncture group (AG) and drug group (DG) based on Zelen’s design. In AG, Yintang (EX-HN3), LI20 (bilateral), LI11 (left), LI4 (left), ST36 (bilateral) were selected as primary acupoints, and adjunct acupoints were added based on syndrome differentiation. Acupuncture treatment for four weeks was performed once every two days. In DG, Desloratadine Citrate Disodium tablet was administrated orally once every day for four weeks. The variations of total nasal symptom score (TNSS) and overall non-nasal symptom score (TNNSS) were tested within three days before, at Week-4 during, and at Week-4 (follow-up) after the treatment. Results: Thirty-two subjects in the AG and 38 subjects in the DG completed the trial. The differences between TNSS and TNNSS scales in the same groups showed a statistical difference (P<0.05) before, during, and after the treatment. The statistic differences between TNSS and TNNSS in those two groups were not obtained (P＞0.05) before and after the treatment. The differences in those two groups during the follow-up visit were statistically different (P<0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture could effectively control the nasal and systemic symptoms of PAR, and its effect was more persistent than the administration of Desloratadine Citrate Disodium.

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