Clam Extract Decreases Nasal Symptoms and Improves Sleep Quality after Septoturbinoplasty

Nasal septal deviation (NSD) causes nasal blockage, which results in lower sleep quality among patients. A high percentage of patients still suffer from nasal symptoms as a result of the inflammatory response that occurs with septoturbinoplasty. Freshwater clams are a common food with an anti-inflammatory effect and have been used for promoting liver function for patients in China.

The study intended to evaluate the effects of clam extract (CE) in reducing inflammatory response, alleviating nasal blockage, and improving sleep quality for NSD patients after septoturbinoplasty.

The study was a randomized, controlled pilot that used a prospective design.

The study took place at the Cheng Hsin General Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan.

Participants were 52 patients with NSD at a clinic at the hospital.

Patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups: (1) an intervention group that received CE capsules and (2) a control group that received empty capsules that were identical in appearance to the CE capsules. Participants received the treatments 3 times a day for 2 weeks after septoturbinoplasty.

Participants were assessed for nasal-symptom severity, wound inflammation, serum concentration of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and sleep quality. All outcome measures were undertaken at baseline, on various days during the study depending on the measure, and postintervention on day 14 for wound assessment and sleep quality.

After the septoturbinoplasty, the intervention group had lower nasal-symptom severity, wound inflammatory response, TNF-α concentration, and sleep disruption than those in the control group (P < .05).

After septoturbinoplasty, CE can reduce nasal-symptom severity and inflammatory response and also improve patients' sleep quality. The anti-inflammatory effects of CE indicate that it can be considered to be an adjuvant therapy to improve sleep quality after surgery.