It’s that time of year again. Patients will start seeking out remedies for their sneezing, congestion, runny nose, and itchy eyes. Be prepared to guide them.
When done properly, nasal irrigation remains a good option for both adults and children. Meta-analyses of clinical research in adults and children with allergic rhinitis show that using nasal irrigation daily for up to 3 months improves symptoms such as itching and sneezing. But remind patients that only boiled, distilled, or sterile water should be used – never plain tap water due to risks of amoebic brain infections. And irrigation pots and rinse bottles should be washed with hot soapy water after every use – regularly using nasal irrigation with contaminated pots might actually increase the risk for sinus infections. Finally, if patients use a Neti Pot, make sure they’re using it properly.
You might also get questions about resveratrol. Clinical research in adults with hay fever shows that using a nasal spray containing resveratrol 0.1% three times daily for 4 weeks reduces nasal symptoms. And in kids, clinical research shows that using a nasal spray containing resveratrol 0.05% three times daily for 2 months improves itching, sneezing, runny nose, and nasal congestion from pollen allergies. Nasal sprays have been used safely in adults for up to 4 weeks, and in kids 4 years and older for up to 2 months.
The evidence on probiotics is also growing. Clinical research shows that taking Lacticaseibacillus paracasei (L. paracasei) LP-33 as 2 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) daily for 5 weeks can improve quality of life by almost 18% in adults with persistent allergic rhinitis due to grass pollen, in addition to treatment with loratadine. But this improvement seems to be related to eye symptoms, not nasal symptoms. Similarly, taking L. paracasei LP-33 10 billion CFUs daily for 30 days improves quality of life by 28% in children with allergies due to dust mites – but as with adults, it doesn’t seem to benefit nasal symptoms. Both live and heat-killed products are likely safe when used by adults and children of most ages.
Many other natural medicines and modalities have been studied for allergic rhinitis, including butterbur and stinging nettle. Check out our Comparative Effectiveness chart to learn more.
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