Hot chili peppers are known to make people "tear up," but a new
study led by University of Cincinnati allergy researcher Jonathan
Bernstein, MD, found that a nasal spray containing an ingredient
derived from hot chili peppers (Capsicum
annum) may help people "clear up" certain types of sinus
inflammation.
The study, which appears in the August 2011 edition
of Annals
of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, compares the use of
the Capsicum
annum nasal spray to a placebo nasal spray in 44 subjects
with a significant component of nonallergic rhinitis (i.e., nasal
congestion, sinus pain, sinus pressure) for a period of two
weeks.
Capsicum annum contains capsaicin, which is the main
component of chili peppers and produces a hot sensation. Capsaicin
is also the active ingredient in several topical medications used
for temporary pain relief. It is approved for use by the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration and is available over the counter.
"Basically, we concluded that the spray was safe and effective on
non-allergic rhinitis," Bernstein says of the study which showed
that participants who used a nasal spray withCapsicum reported
a faster onset of action or relief, on average within a minute of
using the spray, than the control group.
Non-allergic rhinitis is an upper respiratory condition not caused
by allergies but instead caused by environmental factors such as
weather, household chemicals or perfumes; however, there are some
people who have no triggers or don't know what triggers are causing
the inflammation, Bernstein says.
This is the first controlled trial where capsaicin was able to be
used on a continuous basis to control symptoms. It is considered a
significant advance, "because we don't really have good therapies
for non-allergic rhinitis," says Bernstein, adding that in previous
trials the ingredient was too hot to administer without
anesthesia.
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University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center
Thanks to University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center for
this article