Effect of vitamin D₃ supplementation on Sinonasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) and visual analogue scale scores in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis
Abstract
Background & objective: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a persistent inflammatory condition of the nasal and paranasal sinus mucosa lasting more than 12 weeks. Symptoms such as nasal obstruction, facial pain, and olfactory dysfunction can substantially impair patients’ quality of life. Vitamin D₃ has been proposed as a supportive therapy due to its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of vitamin D₃ supplementation on CRS symptom severity using the Sinonasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS).
Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a one-group pretest–posttest approach without a control group. A total of 17 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis were included. Participants received oral vitamin D₃ at a dose of 1,000 IU per day for 30 days. SNOT-22 and VAS scores were assessed before and after the intervention. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Results: Vitamin D₃ supplementation resulted in a significant reduction in symptom severity. The mean SNOT-22 score significantly decreased after the intervention (P = 0.004). Similarly, VAS scores showed a significant reduction following supplementation (P = 0.005), indicating improvement in pain and overall symptom burden.
Conclusion: Vitamin D supplementation was associated with significant improvement in symptoms and pain among patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. These findings suggest that vitamin D supplementation may serve as an effective adjuvant therapy for the management of chronic rhinosinusitis.
Keywords: Chronic rhinosinusitis; Pain; SNOT-22; Supplementation; Vitamin D₃
Citation: Siregar SM, Soetjipto, Romdhoni AC, Hakim MSA. effect of vitamin D₃ supplementation on Sinonasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) and visual analog scale scores in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. Anaesth. pain intensive care 2026;30(6):710-715. DOI: 10.35975/apic.v30i6.3265
Received: January 29, 2026; Received: March 12, 2026; Accepted: April 17, 2026
