Rhinitis is clinically divided into acute rhinitis, chronic rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, and atrophic rhinitis, whose clinical symptoms are mainly nasal congestion and runny nose, and the examination is based on nasal mucous membrane congestion, turbinate enlargement, and increased nasal secretions. Different inflammatory diseases have different concurrent symptoms, such as acute rhinitis is mainly acute attacks; chronic rhinitis is mainly long-term interval, alternating attacks; allergic rhinitis is accompanied by nasal itch; atrophic rhinitis is accompanied by dryness and mucous crust in the nose. The author treated 86 cases of various rhinitis during his work in Thailand from 1998 to 1999, which are summarized below.
General information
There were 86 cases in this group, 62 males and 24 females, the oldest being 65 years old and the youngest 27 years old, with the longest duration of 35 years and the shortest being 3 days. Among them, there were 8 cases of acute rhinitis, 36 cases of chronic rhinitis, 32 cases of allergic rhinitis and 10 cases of atrophic rhinitis.
Treatment method
Acupuncture points: Tongtian (double), Yintang, Yingxiang (double).
Technique: all acupoints were applied by flat pricking method, Tongtian to the degree of local rising, Yin Tang and Ying Xiang to the degree of needle sensation directly to the nasal cavity, eyes slightly moist. 1 time/day, 5 times a course of treatment.
Therapeutic effect analysis
Efficacy criteria.
Cured: symptoms disappear, no congestion of nasal mucosa, no nasal secretions.
Effective: intermittent attacks of symptoms, reduced congestion of nasal mucosa and reduced nasal secretions.
Effective: symptoms continued to occur, but reduced, nasal mucosa congestion, nasal secretions decreased.
Ineffective: no change (4 courses of treatment).
Analysis of results.
Table 1: Therapeutic effect
Number of cases
Cured
Apparent effect
Effective
Ineffective
Healing rate
Effective rate
86
28
24
26
8
60.4 %
90.7%
From the above table, the healing rate and effective rate show that acupuncture is effective in treating rhinitis.
Table 2: Types of diseases and efficacy
Number of cases
Healed
Effective
Effective
Ineffective
Healing rate
Effective rate
Acute rhinitis
8
8
0
0
0
100 %
100 %
chronic rhinitis
36
11
12
13
0
63.9 %
100%
Allergic rhinitis
32
9
12
11
0
65.7 %
100 %
Atrophic rhinitis
10
0
0
2
8
0 %
25 %
From the above table, we can see that the efficiency rate of acute rhinitis, chronic rhinitis and allergic rhinitis is 100%, i.e. all of them are effective. In contrast, the effective rate of atrophic rhinitis was only 25%, and compared with other rhinitis, the p-value was 0.05, indicating that there was a significant difference. That is, acupuncture treatment of atrophic rhinitis is less effective, or even ineffective.
Table 3: Disease duration and efficacy
Number of cases
Cured
Effective
Effective
Ineffective
Healing rate
Effective rate
1 month
8
8
0
0
0
100 %
100 %
1 month – 1 year
27
12
10
5
0
81.5 %
100%
1 year
51
8
14
21
8
43.1 %
84.3 %
After statistical treatment, the first two comparisons P” 0. 05, no significant difference, while the last two comparisons P” 0. 05, indicating a significant difference. That is, the longer the duration of the disease, the worse the efficacy, while those with a disease duration of less than one year had better efficacy, and there was no significant difference.
Discussion
Rhinitis belongs to the category of nasal asphyxia and nasal congestion in Chinese medicine, and its main symptoms are nasal congestion and runny nose. The lung is open to the nose, so rhinitis is related to the evil in the lung meridian, mostly due to external sensation, wind with cold and heat attacking the lung, and loss of lung qi. Yin Tang and Ying Xiang are localized points, Yin Tang is located in the root of the nose, Ying Xiang is held in the side of the nose, the two points can be used together to disperse wind and cold, clear heat, and open the lungs, Tong Tian is located at the top of the head, is a bladder meridian points, for a variety of nasal disease points, as the “Hundred Disease Fu” cloud: “Tong Tian to go to the nasal nose without hearing the pain”, the points used together to promote the lung qi, the function of the nasal orifice. From the above results, we can also see that the effect of atrophic rhinitis is not good, while the effect of other rhinitis are good, and there is no significant difference. At the same time the longer the duration of the disease, the worse the efficacy. In conclusion acupuncture Tongtian, Yin Tang and Ying Xiang for rhinitis.