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Nasal saline irrigation and steam inhalation often are recommended for patients with acute and chronic sinusitis, but studies on the effectiveness of these treatments have yielded conflicting results. In this U.K. study, 871 adult primary care patients with at least one chronic sinusitis episode or two acute sinusitis episodes during the previous 3 years — and with “moderate-to-severe impact of sinus symptoms on quality of life” — were randomized to daily nasal saline irrigation with a neti pot, daily steam inhalation, both, or neither for 6 months.
Among the 671 patients who completed questionnaires at 3 months, nasal irrigation was associated with a small but significant improvement on the 100-point Rhinosinusitis Disability Index (RSDI) s…