Pregnancy Rhinitis and Quality of Life: A Retrospective Controlled Comparison of Intranasal Corticosteroid, Short-Term Nasal Decongestant, Saline Irrigation, and Standard Care

Objective:To compare the effects of intranasal corticosteroid therapy, short-term topical nasal decongestant treatment, isotonic saline irrigation, and standard supportive care on disease-related quality of life, nasal symptoms, and objective measures of nasal airflow in pregnant women with pregnancy rhinitis.Methods:This retrospective controlled study included 200 pregnant women with pregnancy rhinitis, equally allocated to four groups based on documented management: intranasal corticosteroid, topical nasal decongestant, isotonic saline irrigation, and standard-care control (n=50 each). We assessed outcomes at baseline and during follow-up, with the primary endpoint at Day 28. The primary outcome was change in the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22). Secondary outcomes included the nasal obstruction visual analog scale (VAS), Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS), peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF), mouth-breathing and sleep-related symptoms, and treatment-related adverse events.Results:Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were comparable across the four groups. At Day 28, mean SNOT-22 score reductions were 22.3 ± 5.2 with intranasal corticosteroid, 14.2 ± 4.0 with topical nasal decongestant, 16.8 ± 4.0 with saline irrigation, and 6.6 ± 3.3 with standard care (p