Phototherapy for the Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is one of the most common allergic diseases, affecting 20% of the adult population and up to 40% of children (Salib et al., 2003). It is associated with decreased learning, performance and productivity at work and school, as well as a reduced quality of life. The detrimental effects of AR on quality of life (QOL) include fatigue, irritability, memory deficits, excessive daytime somnolence, and depression. The annual economic impact of AR is calculated to be between $ 6.3 billion and $ 7.9 billion without counting its detrimental effects on QOL (Fineman, 2002). Current therapeutic options such as allergen avoidance, medication and immunotherapy are far from ideal. It is important to develop an effective modality to relieve the symptom except for targeting the complexity of underlying inflammatory mechanism of AR. Phototherapy is the application of light to a pathological area to promote tissue regeneration, reduce inflammation and relieve pain. Several types of phototherapeutic devices are currently used for medical treatment using selected wavelengths and controlled dosage of irradiation. Significant suppression on the clinical symptoms of AR by the phototherapy treatment of ultraviolet (UV) and visible light was reported (Csoma, et al., 2004, 2006; Koreck, et al., 2005, 2007). Narrow-band red light phototherapy was found to markedly alleviate the clinical symptoms of AR (Neuman & Finkelstein, 1997). In addition to UV and visible light therapy, far infrared ray (FIR) therapy is also reported to have beneficial effects to patients with AR (Hu & Li, 2007). Photochemical effect is elicited using UV and visible light irradiation, whereas thermal effect is induced with FIR irradiation. Although different mechanisms are involved when light sources with different ranges of wavelengths are employed, phototherapy represents a noninvasive, alternative intervention for the treatment of AR. This chapter is organized as follows. First, pathophysiology and traditional management of AR are briefly reviewed. Second, photobiology and phototherapy related to AR are summarized. Finally, the clinical outcomes of FIR therapy as well as red light acupoint stimulation on patients with AR are described.