[Clinical experiences with local capsaicin treatment of chronic rhinopathy]

Eighty-four patients with clinical findings of hyperactive rhinopathy and no significant septal deviations were treated for 4 weeks with topical applications of capsaicin, which is the pungent substance in hot peppers. A neutral solution of low-dose capsaicin allowed patients to administer self-therapy without the need for local anesthesia. The majority of the patients showed a marked reduction in symptoms without significant side effects. Patients with (additional) allergic or medication-related rhinopathy seemed to show fewer therapeutic effects when compared to patients with only hyperactive rhinopathy.