تاثیر بخور مرزنگوش (Origanum vulgare) در بهبودعلایم بالینی رینوسینوزیت مزمن

Background and purpose: Symptoms of chronic rhinisinositis (CRS) are cumbersome and refractory to most systemic medications and even after surgical intervention, the recurrence of symptoms are frequent. In order to study the beneficial effects of Origanum vulgar inhaler in relaxing the symptoms, this study was conducted in Boo Ali Sina Hospital, Sari, Iran. Materials and Methods: The study was a randomized double blind placebo controlled clinical trial carried out from April to December 2005. The diagnosis of CRS was made by an ENT specialist upon clinical and CT scan findings and or signs during functional endoscopy sinuses surgery (FESS). Patients younger than 15 years old, with a history of allergic eye disease and symptoms of infections were excluded. Patients were randomized in case and control groups (32 in each) according to age, sex and disease chronicity. After verbal explanation of the trial, an informed consent form was signed by each patient. The study was approved by the medical ethics committee of the Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Origanum vulgar was gathered from local mountains (Kojor area, Nour, Mazandaran, Iran), and identified by an experienced botanist. The airial organs of the herb were dried, macerated followed by 75% hydroalcoholic extraction and standardized by Emerson method. The active ingredient and placebo in the same bottles were administered to the patients and they were asked to add 5 ml of the liquid to boiling water and inhale it for 15 minutes, three times a day for two weeks. A telephone contact was made to the patients, to increase the compliance to treatment. A questionnaire was filled in for each patient before and after the intervention by a doctor blind to groups. Chi square test was used for comparing the differences in symptoms and P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Sixty four patients were recruited and allocated equally in case and control groups matched for age, sex and duration of symptoms. 15.6 and 25 percent of the cases and controls had history of sinuses surgery. All symptoms including headache, nasal congestion, sinus pain, post nasal discharge, eye pain and purulence in nasal cavity were significantly reduced after the intervention except hyposmia and nasal discharge (p<0.00). No side effect was reported. Conclusion: Inhalation of 75% hydroalcoholic extrac of Origanum vulgar is effective in relaxing most symptoms of CRS.