Allergic rhinitis

Nonprescription medications for allergic rhinitis (hay fever) are over-the-counter drugs that treat symptoms such as runny nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing.

Author/s:

Sarah E Vordenberg

Ginger Extract Versus Loratadine in the Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Brian Desmarais — Sat, 02 May 2020 20:13:25 +0000

Date Added:

May 2, 2020

Journal/Publication:

BMC Complimentary Medicine and Therapies

Publication Date:

April 20, 2020

Issue:

Volume:

Pages:

119

URL:

Ginger Extract Versus Loratadine in the Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Type:

Clinical Research Results

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

10.1186/s12906-020-2875-z

Keywords

MeSH

Ginger root extract, widely available online and in stores, appears to be as effective for allergic rhinitis as loratadine with fewer side effects. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

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Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a non-infectious immune disease and incidents of the disease has continuously increased in Thailand. Ginger, a Thai herb, is used in food and Thai traditional medicine. This study was designed to assess efficacy and safety of ginger extract in comparison with loratadine for AR treatment.

Methods: AR patients were treated with ginger extract 500 mg (n = 40) against those treated with loratadine 10 mg (n = 40) in a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial for 3 and 6 weeks. The efficacy was evaluated from clinical examinations i.e. total nasal symptom scores (TNSS), cross-sectional area of the nasal cavity with acoustic rhinometry (ARM) and rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ). The safety of treatment was measured by blood pressure, blood analysis and history-taking for side effects.

Results: The results showed both ginger extract and loratadine treated groups significantly decreased TNSS scores but there was no significant difference between the two groups. In acoustic rhinometry measurement, the ginger treated group significantly gradually increased the estimated volume of the nasal cavity and decreased distances from the nostril, but the loratadine treated group did not cause a change. Both groups gave significantly improvement in every aspect of the RQLQ at third weeks. The treatment with ginger extract was as safe as loratadine as shown by renal and liver function results obtained from blood analysis. Both treatments had no effect on blood pressure of the patients.

Conclusions: The ginger extract is as good as loratadine in improving nasal symptoms and quality of life in AR patients. However, ginger extract caused less side effects especially, drowsiness, fatigue, dizziness and constipation. Therefore, the ginger extract could be used as alternative treatment for patients with AR.

Trial registration: Registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (Registration number: NCT02576808) on 15 October 2015.

Keywords: Allergic rhinitis; Clinical trials; Ginger extract; Loratadine; Quality of life.

Author/s:

Yamprasert, R., Chanvimalueng, W., Mukkasombut, N., Itharat, A.