Stuffed up and miserable from allergies? A traditional Chinese mix of 11 herbs called Biyan Pian can relieve congestion and help you breathe easier, according to companies that sell it. Western scientific evidence for the formula is scant, though one recent preliminary study found it effective.

    Biyan Pian literally means 'nose inflammation pill.' In the U.S., it is sold in supermarkets and natural-food stores and through acupuncturists either as tablets or as a strongly flavored tea. Its ingredients include Xanthium fruit, magnolia flower, wild chrysanthemum and Chinese licorice root. It is marketed to allergy sufferers and to people with inflamed nasal passages from a cold or the flu.

    There is little published Western evidence for Biyan Pian. Natural Standard Research Collaboration, a Cambridge, Mass., scientist-owned group that evaluates natural therapies, says it didn't find enough evidence to even grade it. One of the few Western studies was published earlier this year. In a January study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, a tea containing Biyan Pian was found to be effective in treating symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis, a long-lasting and often miserable inflammation of the nasal passages.

    In the study, researchers at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta found that the 27 study patients who drank four cups a day of tea enjoyed a better quality of life, including fewer headaches, relief from nasal congestion and less trouble falling asleep. The study didn't have a placebo group for comparison, generally considered necessary for a conclusive result. The study was funded in part by Traditional Medicinals Inc., the Sebastopol, Calif., company that sells the tea.

    Terry Courtney, dean of Bastyr University's School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Seattle, says she has found in her patients that Biyan Pian tablets work well as a mild herbal decongestant. It is appropriate for 'dry' congestion, a condition in which phlegm and mucus seems stuck and the person may feel headachy or hot, she adds. 'Within 20 minutes of ingesting it, people begin to blow their nose. Inflamed and swollen passages start to calm down,' Ms. Courtney says. If you see no effect, Biyan Pian may not be the best treatment for you, she adds. The treatment isn't best suited for people with runny noses and sneezing, she says.

    The herb mix is considered fairly safe, though one of its components, licorice root, has been linked to high blood pressure in large amounts. In the traditional formula sold in most tablets, licorice is present in only small quantities and shouldn't be a problem, clinicians say. Traditional Medicinals' Breathe Easy tea, in which additional licorice root has been added to the Biyan Pian formula, carries a warning that it shouldn't be used in patients with high blood pressure.

    In some people, says Roger Batchelor, an assistant professor at the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Ore., the herb mix can create excessive sinus drying and should be discontinued.

    因为过敏而鼻子不通、悲惨万状？经销由11种草药制成的"鼻炎片"的公司说，这种传统中药制剂可以缓解鼻塞、助你呼吸顺畅。西方科学缺乏有关这种药剂的证据，不过前不久的一项初步研究表明这种药有效。

    在美国，鼻炎片通过超市、天然食品店或针灸诊所销售，其形式为药片或是味道浓烈的茶饮。其成份包括苍耳子、木兰花、野菊花和甘草。这种药针对过敏患者以及因感冒或流感而致鼻腔发炎者。

    西方很少有关于鼻炎片的效用研究报告。马萨诸塞州剑桥的天然标准研究协会（Natural Standard Research Collaboration）是一家评估天然疗法的科学家组织，该协会称，没有发现足够的证据，连评级都不够。为数不多的关于鼻炎片的西方研究结果之一今年早些时候发表。在《替代和补充医学杂志》（Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine）今年1月的一篇论文中，一种含有鼻炎片成份的茶饮被发现对于治疗慢性鼻窦炎的症状起到了效果，这是一种持续时间很长、常常十分痛苦的鼻腔炎症。

    在论文中，亚特兰大的Morehouse医学院研究人员发现，27名接受研究的病患每天喝下四杯茶，他们的生活质量因此有所提高，包括头痛减少、鼻塞现象减轻、入睡也更容易。研究没有设置服用安慰剂的对照组，通常要得出决定性的结论，对照组是必不可少的。这项研究的部分资金由位于加州塞瓦斯托波尔的 Traditional Medicinals Inc.提供，该公司经销这种茶。

    位于西雅图的巴斯蒂尔大学（Bastyr University）针灸和东方医学学院（School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine）院长考特尼（Terry Courtney）说，她从自己的病人身上发现，鼻炎片作为一种温和的缓解鼻塞的中药效用很好。她补充道，这种药适用于"干性"鼻塞，也就是鼻涕就像堵住的症状，患者可能会感觉头痛或发热。考特尼说，用药20分钟内，患者就可以擤鼻涕了，发炎肿胀的鼻腔也开始缓解。她还说，如果你感觉没有效果，那说明鼻炎片可能不适合你；这种药对于流涕不止、老是打喷嚏的患者来说并不是最适用的。

    这种复方中药被认为是相当安全的，不过其成份中的甘草被认为如果用量过高有可能导致高血压。临床医师说，在大多数药剂所使用的传统配方中，甘草的剂量很小，应当不会造成问题。Traditional Medicinals公司的"呼吸舒畅"茶在鼻炎片配方的基础上加大了甘草的剂量，这种茶的包装上有警示，说明高血压患者不可饮用。

    位于俄勒冈州波特兰的美国自然医学院（National College of Natural Medicine）助理教授巴切勒（Roger Batchelor）说，这种复方中药可能会导致一些人鼻窦过于干燥，在这种情况下应当停用。