Effects of steam inhalation on nasal patency and nasal symptoms in patients with the common cold

Dov Ophir*, Yigal Elad

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

63 Scopus citations

Abstract

The effects of steam inhalation on nasal patency and on nasal symptoms were studied in 62 patients with the common cold by a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Treatment consisted of two 20-minute sessions, during which the patient inhaled saturated, hot (42° to 44°C) air through the nose. The subjective response was recorded by each patient during the week following treatment on a daily symptom score card. Nasal patency was determined before treatment, the following day, and 1 week later by measuring peak nasal expiratory and inspiratory air flow. Highly reproducible results were obtained by using these objective methods. Steam inhalation resulted in alleviation of cold symptoms and increased nasal patency in a significantly higher percentage of patients in the actively treated group than in the placebotreated group. Possible explanations for the effectiveness of treatment are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)149-153
Number of pages5
JournalAmerican Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Medicine and Surgery
Volume8
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1987
Externally publishedYes

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