Feasibility of herbal steam bath on nasal allergic rhinitis symptoms: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Allergy rhinitis (AR) is a chronic inflammatory disease in reversible airflow obstruction or asthma. In Thailand, the prevalence has still increased. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of herbal steam baths and steam baths in AR patients. A single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted. The participants received steam baths with or without herbs for 30 min 3 times a week for 4 consecutive weeks. The measurements used the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of AR symptoms, measure the other types of treatments, the factors associated with AR symptoms, the time period that symptoms occurred, and examination pale and swelling in the nasal cavity. The results showed that AR symptoms statistically reduced, but this was not significant when compared between groups. Type of treatment in both groups showed significant reductions from baseline to weeks 4 (P < 0.05).