Over two-thirds of patients have tried a complementary therapy before seeking conventional medical help. In view of this it is important that doctors keep abreast of developments in this area and of the range of therapies which are now being offered. The interaction between drugs and herbal remedies is one example where this is of particular importance. This review assesses the current evidence base for complementary therapies in nasal disease. Contemporary medicine can learn much from the patient-centred approach that is central to many complementary therapies. There is, as yet, little evidence to support the effect of complementary therapy over those of the placebo effect, cognitive dissonance and the natural resolution of many disease processes.