Regular nasal irrigation modulates nasal microbiota and improves symptoms in allergic rhinitis patients: a retrospective study

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of regular nasal irrigation on nasal microbiota and symptom improvement in allergic rhinitis patients.

Methods: This retrospective study involved 202 allergic rhinitis patients. Participants were divided into a conventional treatment group (mometasone furoate spray and loratadine) and an observation group (nasal irrigation added to the conventional regimen). Nasal microbiota diversity, biofilm formation, nasal symptoms, and quality of life were assessed before and after a one month of treatment. A correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the relationships between nasal irrigation and clinical outcomes.

Results: The nasal irrigation group exhibited significant reductions in nasal microbiota richness (P = 0.014), biofilm-forming Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis (P < 0.001, P = 0.001, respectively), with improvements in nasal pruritus, rhinorrhea, congestion, and sneezing (all P < 0.05), compared to the conventional treatment group. Post-treatment, the nasal irrigation group showed more notable improvement in quality of life scores (P = 0.007). Correlation analysis revealed significant associations between nasal irrigation, reduced microbial richness, and symptom severity.

Conclusions: Regular nasal irrigation serves as an effective adjunctive treatment for allergic rhinitis by modulating nasal microbiota, alleviating symptoms, and enhancing quality of life.

Keywords: Allergic rhinitis; biofilm formation; nasal irrigation; nasal microbiota; quality of life; symptom improvement.

Figure 1

Comparison of nasal microbiota diversity between the two groups. A: Chao1 Richness Estimator; B: Ace; C: Simpson Diversity Index; D: Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index. Ace: Abundance-based Coverage Estimator. ns: no statistically significant difference; *: P < 0.05.

Figure 2

Comparison of biofilm formation between the two groups. A: Staphylococcus aureus; B: Staphylococcus epidermidis; C: Corynebacterium spp; D: Streptococcus pneumoniae; E: Pseudomonas aeruginosa. ns: no statistically significant difference; **: P < 0.01; ***: P < 0.001.