Treatment of allergic and vasomotor rhinitis by the local application of different concentrations of silver nitrate.

In 1980, Bhargava et al. reported a new treatment of allergic and vasomotor rhinitis by the local application of 15 per cent silver nitrate. The results of further studies of the treatment by using different concentrations of silver nitrate ranging from 5 per cent to 25 per cent and normal saline as placebo are presented here; 15 per cent has been found to be the most effective concentration giving successful results in 75.7 per cent of cases. It is applied to the anterior portion of both inferior turbinates and the anterior part of the nasal septum once a week on five occasions. Best relief was obtained from the most annoying symptoms of sneezing and rhinorrhoea. Asthma was controlled in 50 per cent of such patients who had attacks of allergic rhinitis followed by asthma. For this widely prevalent disease, the treatment was found to be simple, easy and useful, with negligible side-effects.