• Ju Wan Kang, Joo Ae Lim, Han Cheol Lee, Ju Ha Park, and Seung Hwan Han.
• Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 06237, Republic of Korea.
• Medicina (Kaunas). 2023 Jan 26; 59 (2).

AbstractAllergic rhinitis is one of the most common health challenges and has a chronic and repetitive course that requires symptomatic treatment. We aimed to investigate the effect of phototherapy on allergic rhinitis and how long it takes to demonstrate treatment effect. Twenty-one patients who were diagnosed with allergic rhinitis using the skin prick test were enrolled. Red light (660 nm) and infrared light (940 nm) with a low power energy of 5 mW were used three times a day at intervals of at least 5 h. The Rhinoconjuntivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) and a visual analog scale (VAS) were used to measure the changes in symptoms. The median RQLQ and VAS scores before treatment were 62 (49-81.5) and 3 (2-5) points, respectively. The RQLQ score improved significantly at two and four weeks after treatment (52 [39-62.5]) and 46.0 [30.5-57.0], respectively). The VAS scores also improved significantly at two and four weeks after treatment. Nasal obstruction and rhinorrhea improved significantly at one week after the procedure. Low-power (5 mW) light irradiation (660 nm red light and 940 nm infrared) was effective in improving the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. In addition, symptom improvement became clear approximately a week after use. Further studies are required to reach a definitive conclusion.

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