The ancient art of nasal rinsing may protect you from the common cold

On average, Typical American contracts Two to three colds Annually between September and May, at an estimated rate It costs About $40 billion to the economy. Effective forms Treating or preventing colds It has proven difficult to obtain, with the majority of medications being over-the-counter Achieving modest results; It is difficult to create a drug that treats a wide range of viral pathogens. The need for better respiratory protection during the winter months is clear. It can be found in a practice dating back thousands of years.

The concept of saline nasal irrigation, or washing the nasal passages with a salt water solution, is… He thought it was It was introduced as part of Ayurveda, an alternative medicine system that originated in the Indian subcontinent over 5,000 years ago. Now, modern science is beginning to prove that this ancient practice actually works as a surprisingly effective shield against many seasonal cold-causing bugs.

In 2024, Major new study Among nearly 14,000 people funded by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Research, they found that using a simple nasal spray containing saline between three and six times a day at the first sign of infection reduced the duration of illness by about 20 percent. A Follow-up studypublished last year, reported similar benefits.

According to Paul Little, a professor of primary care research at the University of Southampton who led both studies, sodium chloride – the chemical name for salt – is able to stimulate a natural antiviral mechanism inside the nose. “The chloride in the saline solution is absorbed by the cells of the nose and throat, and turns into hypochlorous acid inside these cells, which prevents the virus from reproducing,” Little says. “By doing this, the viral load in the nose is reduced.”

Archived medical journals reveal that the practice has been examined as part of Western medicine since the 19th century^y last century, but it was often treated with a degree of suspicion. During the early stages of the COVID pandemic, many healthcare professionals rejected the suggestion that nasal irrigation with saline might be able to prevent infection. This was the technique Included at the beginning Among other treatments were debunked on the World Health Organization’s anti-Covid myth page, before later being removed as a steady stream of research begins to demonstrate that regular use of saline sprays or irrigation can truly limit the effects.

One study It found that people who practiced saline nasal irrigation for two weeks after testing positive for Covid were more than eight times less likely to be hospitalized, leading to renewed interest among doctors about its ability to ease the effects of other seasonal infections.

“Doctors and researchers are starting to pay increasing attention to nasal irrigation with saline because it helps, is natural, and is easy to understand,” says David Rabago, MD, a professor at Penn State College of Medicine. “So far, the results of several small studies and some large studies indicate that nasal irrigation with saline is safe and effective.”

In addition to preventing virus replication within nasal cells, it appears that saline can increase the activity of a group of white blood cells called neutrophils — which help fight pathogens — while enhancing the ability of mucus to surround and trap viruses.

“When the mucus cells are completely moist, they form a barrier and envelop the virus, so you can either swallow it as the (stomach) acid breaks down or cough it up,” says Amy Baxter, MD, a pediatrician and assistant clinical professor of medicine at Augusta University. “It’s a bit like how soap works; it surrounds the dirt and makes it easier to remove because it completely encapsulates these small molecules.”