Five and four studies, respectively, support use of external nasal dilator strips, nasal clips
TUESDAY, July 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — External nasal dilator strips and nasal clips seem to be effective for relieving obstruction of the internal nasal valve, according to a review published online June 30 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
Nicole Kiyohara, from the University of California-Irvine, and colleagues conducted a systematic review to examine the efficacy of over-the-counter mechanical nasal dilators and classify these products by mechanism. A database of 33 available over-the-counter mechanical nasal dilators was generated; for the devices examined in published literature, efficacy was based on objective measures.
The researchers identified four broad classes based on analysis of each product’s mechanism: external nasal dilator strips, nasal stents, nasal clips, and septal stimulators. Five, four, one, and no studies supported the use of external nasal dilator strips, nasal clips, nasal stents, and septal stimulators, respectively.
“Our findings suggest that external nasal dilator strips and nasal clips effectively relieve obstruction of the internal nasal valve and may be an alternative to surgical intervention in some patients,” the authors write.
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