Exploring the Influence of Silver Nitrate Cauterization on Quality of Life in Chronic Rhinitis: A Therapeutic Approach

Aim: Chronic rhinitis affects a significant portion of the population and often leads to significant medical expenses and reduced quality of life (QoL).This study explores the impact of silver nitrate cauterization as an alternative treatment for chronic rhinitis patients who did not respond to conventional therapies.Materials and methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted including 51 patients, aged 18-60, with chronic rhinitis who were unresponsive to standard pharmacotherapy.Participants were treated with a 15% silver nitrate solution applied topically to the nasal mucosa.The treatment was administered weekly for 4 weeks, and the Mini Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) was used to assess the impact on patients' QoL before and after treatment.Microsoft Excel was used for data management, and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for statistical analysis.A p-value < 0.001 was considered statistically significant. Results:The study found a statistically significant improvement in patients' QoL across all domains of the mini-RQLQ after treatment with silver nitrate.The average scores for various symptoms showed notable reductions, indicating the effectiveness of the treatment in providing symptomatic relief.Conclusion: Silver nitrate cauterization is a promising, cost-effective therapeutic option for chronic rhinitis patients who do not respond to standard therapy.This treatment offers long-term relief, and can be easily repeated if symptoms recur.Clinical significance: Silver nitrate cauterization significantly improves the quality of life and reduces symptoms in chronic rhinitis patients and can be considered as an alternative therapy in patients unresponsive to standard therapies.