Botox sponge treats allergic runny nose

GOTTINGEN, Germany, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Injecting botulinum toxin -- botox -- to treat intrinsic or allergic rhinitis, or runny nose, may be a thing of the past, German researchers said.

Rainer Laskawi and a team of researchers from the University Medical Center Gottingen, Germany, tested the effectiveness of the botox sponge in treating allergic rhinitis and compared it to patients given saline as a placebo.

"Intrinsic rhinitis affects a lot of patients and can be quite disabling for the patient," Laskawi said in a statement. "Botox injections can help, and we wanted to explore a less invasive alternative."

The researchers inserted sponges into the patients' nostrils for 30 minutes, which were soaked with botox directly after the insertion. The patients kept a "nose diary" for 12 weeks, detailing sneezes per day, tissues used and a "congestion score."

The study, published in the journal Head & Face Medicine, found the group of patients who received the treatment scored better on all aspects compared to those who were given a placebo.