«We have found that even a very brief intervention of a video showing patients how to use
saline nasal irrigation can improve symptoms, help people feel they do not need to see the doctor to manage the problem, and reduce the amount of over-the-counter medication they need to use,» said Dr. Paul Little, Primary Care and Population Sciences Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
The study involved 871 patients from 72 primary care practices in England who were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 advice strategies: usual care, daily
nasal and
saline irrigation supported by a demonstration video, daily steam inhalation, or combined treatment with both interventions.