Early intervention improves clinical responses to seasonal allergic rhinitis by stimulation in sphenopalatine ganglion (Xinwu acupoint).

OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of early intervention (4 weeks before pollen dispersal) with sphenopalatine ganglion (Xinwu acupoint) stimulation in patients with allergies after the onset of seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR). METHODS: This is a prospective, randomized and unblinded half-open study. Forty-one SAR volunteers were randomly assigned to either the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) acupuncture plus supplementary acupuncture (SPG group) or the sham-SPG acupuncture plus supplementary acupuncture (SA group) stimulation 4 weeks before the onset of allergy season. The changes of the total nasal symptom score (TNSS) and the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) scores were measured on the first week in the onset of allergy season. RESULTS: Four patients dropped out due to local hematoma and pain in the SPG and SA groups. The remaining 37 patients continued through to the end of the trial. After early intervention 4 weeks before the onset of allergy season, the sneezing, nasal congestion and itchiness scores in the first week of onset time were significantly lower in the SPG group than in the SA group patients ( 0.001). The RQLQ score obtained at the onset of symptoms indicated that symptoms were more significantly ameliorated in the SPG group than in the SA group (0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study confirmed that early intervention by sphenopalatine ganglion (Xinwu acupoint) stimulation can effectively improve the symptoms and the quality of SAR patients' daily lives.

The role of combination of traditional Chinese and western medicine on severe allergic rhinitis / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective To explore the effects of combination of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)and western medicine on a variety of allergen induced severe perennial seasonal allergic rhinitis patients who were treated invalidly with antihistamines and intranasal flixonase for more than two years.Methods 16 patients with moderate to severe allergic rhinitis who were uncontrolled with antihistamines and intranasal flixonase for one week were treated by combination with TCM of Xin-Yi-Qing-fei San or Gyokubeifu-san mixed formula for two weeks.Nasal symptoms,its effects on the quality of daily life,and telephone follow-up half a year later were evaluated.Mini Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (Mini-RQLQ) and Nocturnal Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (NRQLQ) were used to evaluate the quality of life.Results After 2 weeks combination-treatment,the nasal symptoms of congestion,rhinorrhea,sneezing,nasal itching,and nasal obstruction were significantly improved compared with combination-before [(52.0± 11.1)％,(69.1±5.3)％,(68.3±12.3)％,(55.5±10.0)％to (10.9±2.4)％,(8.9±3.2)％,(12.5±4.3)％,(13.2±5.3)％,respectively].The before and after treatment of nasal function of nasal minimum cross-sectional area (MCA),nasal cavity volume (V5) and nasal airway resistance (R75 and R150) respectively were (0.58±0.12)cm2,(0.38 ± 0.23) Pa/cm3 · s-1,(0.44 ± 0.32) Pa/cm3 · s-1,(3.50 ± 2.33) cm2 to (0.48 ± 0.23) cm2,(0.31 ±0.33) Pa/cm3 · s-1,(0.31 ±0.37)Pa/cm3 · s-1,(2.24± 1.03) cm2 (P＜0.01).In addition,findings of patients with nasal symptoms by half year follow-up were significantly better than those of before.Conclusion The interventionof TCM can effectively control the perennial and seasonal severe symptoms of patients with AR,and improve the quality of life of patients.

"Clinical study on the acupuncture of ""zhibi 3"" in the treatment of non-allergic rhinitis" / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective To observe the Clinical study on the acupuncture ot zhibi 3 in the treatment of non-allergic rhinitis.Methods 20 individuals over 15 years old with non-allgergic rhinitis were prospectively recruited from rhinology clinic and ward of Beijing TongRen Hospital from December 2008 to August 2009.Acupuncture points of treat nasal 3 and the compatibility of Fengchi,Hegu were performed by once a week for 7 weeks.The changes of the total nasal symptom score (TNSS) and the Mini-Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (Mini-RQLQ) were observed at baseline and recertification every week.Results After 7 weeks treatment,we found the fourth week of score in fatigue (0.5±0.2; 2.6±1.2,respectively),embarrassed (1.0±0.3; 3.7-0.3,respectively),sleep (0.8±0.1; 4.1±0.9,respectively)、the quality of life (1.0±0.4; 3.8±0.7,respectively),congestion (0.6±0.4; 2.6± 1.0,respectively),rhinorrhea (1.2±0.5; 4.4±0.7,respectively),sneezing (1.6±0.5; 5.0±0.6,respectively),nasal itching (1.7±0.6; 4.4±0.9,respectively) were significantly improved over 75％ (15/20) compared with the baseline (P＜0.05).However,at the sixth week,congestion,rhinorrhea,sneezing were recurring,especially rhinorrhea,but the benefit effects of acupuncture were more than 55％ comparing with baseline.Contusion Acupuncture of zhibi 3,and Fengchi,Hegu may have the effective effects on non-allergic rhinitis.