Description

The purpose of this research is to determine whether patients with chronic rhinitis treated with mometasone and azelastine irrigations will show significant clinical improvement when compared to patients treated with mometasone and azelastine nasal sprays, and also compared to nasal irrigation with mometasone alone. Patients with chronic rhinitis require lifelong treatment options that are safe yet efficacious. Topical therapies, such as antihistamine sprays and steroid sprays as well as saline irrigations, are appropriate options as they offer symptom control without the side effects often seen in antibiotics. Azelastine and mometasone are FDA approved medications for the treatment of chronic rhinitis. Using these drugs in an off-label format in the form of irrigations rather than sprays is standard of care in rhinology. Prior studies suggest irrigation may be better than spray for topical mometasone, but more data is needed to establish the same for the combination of mometasone and azelastine. Eligible patients who are enrolled in the study will be randomized and will complete six months of one of three medication regimens. Subjects will come back to the office for three follow up visits at 4, 12, and 24 weeks after the treatment, where they will have a basic nasal endoscopy performed and be asked to complete a questionnaire about their nasal blockage symptoms.