Effect of rhinophototherapy on nasal congestion in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis

Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2021 Apr;41(2):151-158. doi: 10.14639/0392-100X-N0907.

Abstract
in English, Italian

Objective: The aim of the present study was to objectively and subjectively evaluate the effects of adding rhinophototherapy to intranasal beclomethasone dipropionate to treat nasal congestion in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Method: Seventy-five seasonal allergic rhinitis patients were randomly divided into two groups. Patients in Group 1 received intranasal beclomethasone dipropionate for two weeks and patients in Group 2 had rhinophototherapy added to the same medical therapy as Group 1. The effectiveness of treatments was evaluated with the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ), Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation scale (NOSE) questionnaires and active anterior rhinomanometry.

Results: After treatment, significant improvement was observed in Group 2 vs Group 1 in terms of RQLQ (p = 0.011) and NOSE (p = 0.001) scores. In Group 2, significant differences were observed between before and after treatment for inspiratory total nasal resistance (p = 0.004). However, no significant differences vs. baseline were observed in Group 1.

Conclusion: Our study shows that adding intranasal phototherapy with a combination of UVA, UVB and visible light therapy to nasal beclomethasone dipropionate treatment objectively improves nasal patency in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Effetto della rinofototerapia sulla congestione nasale nei pazienti con rinite allergica stagionale.

Obiettivo: Valutare in maniera oggettiva e soggettiva gli effetti del dipropionato beclometasone con l’aggiunta della rhinofototerapia nel trattamento della rinite allergica stagionale.

Metodi: Settantacinque pazienti affetti da rinire allergica stagionale sono stati randomizzati in due gruppi. Gruppo 1, trattamento con dipropionato beclometasone per due settimane. Gruppo 2, rinofototerapia in aggiunta al trattamento del gruppo 1. L’efficacia dei trattamenti è stata valutata con il Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ), il Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation scale (NOSE) e la rinomanometria attiva anteriore.

Risultati: È risultata una differenza statisticamente significativa fra il gruppo 2 e 1 in termini di RQLQ (p = 0,011) e NOSE (p = 0,001). Nel gruppo 2 sono risultate delle differenze nelle resistenze nasali (p = 0,004) prima e dopo il trattamento e nessuna differenza statisticamente significativa nel gruppo 1.

Conclusioni: L’aggiunta della fototerapia intranasale con UVA, UVB e luce bianca migliora i sintomi nei pazienti con rinite allergica stagionale.

Keywords: nasal congestion; rhinomanometry; rhinophototherapy; seasonal allergic rhinitis; total nasal resistance.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Beclomethasone
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Humans
  • Nasal Obstruction* / drug therapy
  • Nasal Obstruction* / etiology
  • Quality of Life
  • Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal* / complications
  • Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal* / drug therapy
  • Rhinomanometry

Substances

  • Beclomethasone