Effect of Combined Chinese and Western Nursing on Allergic Rhinitis: A Controlled Trial Assessing Symptoms, Quality of Life, Nasal Function, and Inflammation

This study evaluates the effectiveness of an integrated nursing approach (combining traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine) for patients with AR, including symptom relief, nasal function improvement, enhancement of quality of life, and regulation of inflammatory responses. A total of 120 patients with AR were randomly divided into a control group (n = 60, receiving standard Western medical care) and an observation group (n = 60, receiving additional integrative nursing interventions based on TCM). The intervention period lasted 8 weeks, with follow-ups at 4 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months post-intervention. Outcome measures included rhinitis symptom scores, treatment effectiveness, Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-20 (SNOT-20), EuroQol five-dimensional (EQ-5D) scores, olfactory function (University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test), inflammatory cytokine levels, regulatory T cell percentages, and rescue medication use. At 6 months post-intervention, the observation group showed considerably greater improvements than the control group: lower rhinitis symptom scores, higher treatment effectiveness, improved SNOT-20 and EQ-5D scores, enhanced olfactory function, reduced use of rescue medications, decreased levels of inflammatory markers, and increased regulatory T cell counts. The integrative nursing approach demonstrates promising therapeutic effects in managing AR. It effectively alleviates symptoms, improves nasal function and overall well-being, modulates immune-inflammatory pathways, and reduces reliance on symptomatic medication. These findings support further investigation of this approach in broader clinical settings.