There is reasonably good evidence that nasal irrigation with saline can be useful for relief of seasonal allergy symptoms. Other complementary practices frequently used for symptom relief, such as the herb butterbur might be helpful, but the scientific evidence is limited, conflicting, or demonstrates safety concerns of the therapies. More studies are needed before researchers can say whether these approaches are (or are not) effective and safe for treating seasonal allergy symptoms.
This issue of the Digest provides information on what the science says about several complementary health approaches for seasonal allergies, such as saline nasal irrigation, butterbur, honey, acupuncture, and other practices.
Read more »
What the Science Says: Seasonal Allergies and Complementary Health Practices
Learn what current research has to say about:
Saline Nasal Irrigation
Butterbur
Honey
Acupuncture
Read more »
Additional Resources
Clinical Practice Guidelines
Scientific Literature
For Your Patients
5 Things To Know About Complementary Health Approaches for Seasonal Allergy Relief
Visit NCCIH’s website to read the full issue of this month’s Clinical Digest
NCCIH Clinical Digest is a service of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NCCIH Clinical Digest, a monthly e-newsletter, offers evidence-based information on complementary and integrative health, including scientific literature searches, summaries of NCCIH-funded research, fact sheets for patients, and more.
NCCIH is 1 of 27 institutes and centers at the NIH. The mission of NCCIH is to define, through rigorous scientific investigation, the usefulness and safety of complementary and alternative medicine interventions and their roles in improving health and health care. For additional information, call NCCIH’s Clearinghouse toll free at 1-888-644-6226, or visit the NCCIH Web site at nccih.nih.gov.
|