Rhinolight

London

Relieve the symptoms of Hayfever and enjoy the outdoors this summer

This year’s hay fever seasons has been particularly bad. Initial treatments remain oral medicines (anti-histamines), steroid nasal sprays and eye drops. But what is available when these treatments just don’t work? Rhinolight is gaining favour as the only non-chemical treatment available and what’s great is that it can be used in conjunction with standard hay fever treatments.

Hay fever symptoms are due to excess fluid in the facial tissues and can mimic the common cold (or covid19!) such as runny nose, or blocked, itchy nose with sneezing, and red itchy watery and even puffy eyes. This happens when your immune system overreacts to allergens in the air e.g. grass or tree pollen/dust mite droppings/mould spores in the air that are sucked into the nose on inhaling.

What is Rhinolight?

It has been known for decades that light has anti-inflammatory properties e.g. eczema/rashes often improve on holiday in a sunny climate and in fact light treatment to the skin is an established method for treating psoriasis and eczema.

The allergic changes occurring in the nasal lining in hay fever sufferers is similar to skin changes in eczema sufferers, so in 2001, developers started working on the concept of how to get light therapy into the nose. The result of this long research was the Rhinolight machine that shines a high-intensity light of special composition (long-wave ultraviolet A light UVA and short-wave ultraviolet B light UVB) into each nostril for 2-3 minutes every few days. The results have been impressive at ROC cli for this non-medication treatment of hay fever.

It also works for all-year-round symptoms (known as perennial rhinitis) often caused by house dust mite allergy or mould allergy, or even allergy to your pet!

ROC was the first clinic in the UK to provide this newest treatment to its patients and is being taken up by Allergists and ENT Consultants around the country over the coming years.

Do I need any tests before treatment with Rhinolight?

Yes. Allergic rhinitis should ideally be proven (e.g. by skin prick testing or IgE blood tests etc) and the causal allergen needs to be known before a treatment plan is booked, as there are different course lengths available for different types of allergy.

At ROC Clinic we can offer allergy testing as above, so if necessary, please enquire about our Allergy Consultations for more information.

Alternatively, if you have had allergy testing elsewhere, then please book in for a 30-minute appointment with Dr Harrison to discuss your symptoms, review your test results and examine your nose. She will then decide whether you are likely to benefit from Rhinolight and how many treatment sessions you may need.

How is treatment delivered?

  • For seasonal rhinitis (only in the spring/summer months) the suggested treatment protocol is 6 sessions starting at 2 minutes per nostril increasing to 3 minutes per nostril over a 2-week period.
  • For all-year-round rhinitis the suggested treatment protocol is 3 sessions in the first week starting at 2 minutes per nostril, then once weekly sessions for the next 5 weeks increasing to 3 minutes per nostril, to complete a total 6-week course.
 How does it work?
 
  • Rhinolight uses a combination of visible light, UVB and UVA that directly affects the allergy cells in the nose and hence stops the allergic pathway occurring in the nose that cause symptoms.

    • Rhinolight blocks histamine release from mast cells
    • Rhinolight reduces the number of eosinophil cells and hence production of IL-5
    • Rhinolight causes cell death in lymphocytes and eosinophils

When will I get better?

 

It is a painless, quick treatment and the patients’ quality of life often improves after the first two treatments. The treatment, however, does not work for everyone, but the success rate is around 90%. Most patients felt symptom clearance only when they reached sessions 6, 7 or 8 (or session 10 in severe cases).

The only common side effect is nasal dryness, but this can be treated with over-the-counter nasal lubricating drops.

If you would like to enquire about this great new treatment, please get in touch.

Will Rhinolight cure my nasal allergy symptoms?

 

No, there are no guarantees of success but based on the results of the many thousands of patients across Europe and Australia already treated with Rhinolight, there is every reason to be optimistic that this will be a successful strategy for your nose/sinus issues.

Check out our testimonials

It’s always a pleasant experience attending the clinic. From the warm welcome at reception to the superior care I receive from the clinical team. There is always time to ask questions. I would highly recommend the clinic to others.
I was seen within 24 hours of calling. The doctor was fantastic with the consultation, the examination and his comforting expertise. I saw who I needed to see all within the hour. I went home with a sound mind on the issue. Thank you so much!
N.M, 2023
Testimonial
The service in ROC Private Clinic is always top-notch. The clinic is very neat and the service is excellent. From the reception desk to the doctors who are very knowledgeable and friendly.