Alternative therapies
Nasal saline irrigation has long been perceived as an adjunct treatment
for rhinitis, although efficacy was only recently documented in a
meta-analysis with no reported adverse reactions [121]. Recently, a
real life study in children showed significant improvement of AR
symptoms and reduction of medications, as these were assessed by VAS and
CARAT, when nasal irrigation was added to standard treatment [122].
Use of nasal filters in AR adults with grass allergy during a natural in
season exposure, provided significant efficacy, by means of improved
nasal symptom score, while safety and usability were also documented
[123]. It is however uncertain whether such intervention may be
tolerable in children. In respect to other ‘alternative’ treatments,
acupuncture has moderate to high evidence of efficacy for the treatment
of subjects with rhinitis, while butterbar has shown showed moderate
beneficial effects on AR symptoms [124]. Capsaicin is efficient for
the treatment of non-AR in adults; however pediatric studies are lacking
[125].