Hydrogen Nasal Rinse Reduces Chronic Rhinitis Symptoms Better Than Saline
The Beneficial Effects of Hydrogen-Rich Saline Irrigation on Chronic Rhinitis: A Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial
Research hubs: Respiratory System
- Evidence type
- Randomized controlled trial · Human study
- Authors
- Ling Jin, Kai Fan, Shiwang Tan, Shangxi Liu, Qin Ge, Yang Wang, Zisheng Ai, Shaoqing Yu
- Journal
- Journal of Inflammation Research
- Year
- 2022
- PMID
- 35873384
- Study Type
- Human
- Participants
- 120
- Delivery
- Saline (Dissolved)
- Dose
- nasal irrigation with hydrogen-rich saline
- H₂ concentration
- 0.6 mmol/L
- Duration
- 4 weeks
- Funding
- National Science Foundation of China (No.81873689); Clinical Research Plan of SHDC (No. SHDC2020CR4090); Clinical Science and Technology Innovation Project of SHDC (No. SHDC12019X07); Health Commission Advanced Technology Promotion Project of Shanghai City (No.2019SY071); Clinical Research Project of Tongji Hospital of Tongji University (Grant No.ITJ(ZD)1801); Clinical Research Program of Shanghai Municipal Health Commission (No.202140293)
- Conflicts of interest
- None declared
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 13 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Rinsing the nose with hydrogen-rich saline is more effective at reducing symptoms of chronic nose inflammation, especially in patients with allergies, than regular saline.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline nasal irrigation reduced chronic rhinitis symptoms and nasal inflammation markers more effectively than standard saline irrigation, with the greatest benefit seen in patients with allergic rhinitis.
Summary
This study tested whether saline solution enriched with hydrogen gas could better treat chronic rhinitis (long-term nasal inflammation) than regular saline solution. Researchers gave 120 patients with chronic rhinitis either hydrogen-rich saline or regular saline as a nasal rinse and measured symptom improvement and inflammation markers. Hydrogen-rich saline reduced nasal symptoms and inflammation proteins more effectively than regular saline, especially in patients with allergic rhinitis, with no adverse effects reported.
Practical Takeaway
This randomized controlled trial suggests hydrogen-rich saline irrigation may offer modest additional benefits over regular saline for chronic rhinitis symptoms, particularly for those with allergic rhinitis. However, the study did not report treatment duration or sample characteristics, making it difficult to assess how substantial these improvements are in practical terms. More research is needed to determine whether these benefits justify the additional cost of hydrogen-enriched solutions compared to standard saline irrigation.
Abstract (excerpt)
Purpose: Chronic rhinitis (CR) is a common chronic inflammation of the nasal mucosa. Nasal saline irrigation has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for CR. In this study, we investigated the beneficial effects of hydrogen-rich saline irrigation as an anti-inflammatory irrigation therapy…