Long-Term Daily Nasal Saline Irrigation May Lead to More Sinus Infections
Page Tools
Data presented at the recent American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2009 Annual Scientific Meeting in Miami, Florida, suggest that long-term daily use of nasal saline irrigation may make patients more susceptible to sinus infections.
A total of 68 adult patients with recurrent rhinosinusitis who regularly performed nasal saline irrigation were monitored during 12 months of twice-daily use. These participants then discontinued nasal saline irrigation and were monitored for an additional 12 months. A separate group of 24 patients who continued to perform nasal saline irrigation served as controls.
Statistical analysis revealed a 62.2% decrease in the frequency of acute rhinosinusitis after participants discontinued nasal saline irrigation (544 infections during the initial 12 months vs 204 infections during the discontinuation phase). Those participants also had 50% fewer sinus infections than the control patients. The investigators speculated that chronic use of nasal saline irrigation could deplete the nose of its immune blanket of mucus.
The data were presented on November 8, 2009, by Talal M. Nsouli, MD, of Washington, DC.