Sinus problems are treated well with safe, inexpensive treatment

A new study from University of Michigan Health System researchers is the first of its kind to show greater efficacy of saline irrigation treatments versus saline spray for providing short-term relief of chronic nasal symptoms. Participants in the study who were treated with irrigation experienced a much greater benefit than those who were treated with saline spray, in terms of both the severity and frequency of their symptoms. "Strikingly, subjects experienced 50 percent lower odds of frequent nasal symptoms compared with the spray group."

The findings, which appear in the new issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, could be significant for the multitudes of people who suffer from chronic nasal and sinus conditions. Treatments including antibiotics, antihistamines and anti-inflammatory drugs can be helpful, but for many patients, symptoms persist. The authors of this study say their findings suggest that otolaryngologists and primary care physicians should recommend this treatment to their patients more often. Saline sprays are often used as an alternative to irrigations because spray "is often perceived to be equivalent to and better tolerated than irrigation," the researchers note.

Frequency of symptoms also improved in both groups, though more for the irrigation than the spray group. While 61 percent of the spray group reported having symptoms "often or always" after the eight-week study, just 40 percent of the irrigation group did. "It's clear from our results that both treatments led to a decrease in frequency and severity of symptoms, but the difference is that the salt water flush led to substantial improvement," researchers said.

Bonnie - we often recommend saline irrigation and sprays for allergies, chronic sinus infections, etc. This is the first major study we have seen on the treatments.