Could a salt water spray help cold symptoms?
Publication Date:21/01/2008
Introduction
A nasal salt water spray may help children recover faster from cold symptoms and avoid catching so many colds, new research suggests. But there are problems with the study, which means it may not be completely reliable. Ask your pharmacist if you're interested in this treatment; you shouldn't make up a salt water solution yourself as it wouldn't be sterile.
What do we know already?
If you have young children, it can seem as if they always have a blocked up nose and a cold. Children catch colds very easily, especially when they're around other children at school and nursery. Mostly, they don't need treatment. Most people recover from a cold within 10 days. But colds can be a nuisance, especially if you or your child keep getting them.
Rinsing the nose with salt water has been used as a folk remedy for many years. Some salt water drops and sprays are available in pharmacies. But there hasn't been much good quality research to find out whether they work.
What does the new study say?
The new study showed that children with colds who used a salt water nasal spray had less symptoms of a runny or blocked up nose in the three weeks after they started using it. They also had fewer symptoms such as sore throat, runny nose and cough, eight weeks after they started using it. The nasal spray is based on the balance of salts and minerals found in the sea.
Tell me more about the study’s findings
The study looked at 400 children aged six to 10 years, who'd been seen by doctors while suffering from colds or flu. One hundred were given any medicines for the symptoms of colds and flu that the doctors thought they needed. In this study the medicines used were painkillers, nasal decongestants, mucolytics (to loosen mucus) and, in some cases, antibiotics. The other 300 children were given these medicines if needed, plus one of three different strengths of salt water nasal spray.
They used the nasal spray six times a day while they had a cold, then three times a day during the rest of the study.
At their second visit, after two to three weeks, children using the nasal spray had less symptoms of a runny or blocked nose. They were also much less likely to be taking nasal decongestant medicine. Fifteen in 100 children using the nasal spray were taking nasal decongestants, compared with 34 in 100 not using the nasal spray.
At the third visit, after eight weeks, the children using nasal spray had fewer symptoms of cough, sore throat and runny nose. They were also much less likely to have needed any type of medicines, or to have taken time off school because of illness. Seventeen in 100 children using nasal spray had taken time off school, compared to 35 in 100 who hadn't taken the nasal spray.
Where does the study come from?
The research was carried out by doctors at two hospitals, in Brno and Prague, Czech Republic. It was published by the Archives of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, which is owned by the American Medical Association. The company that makes the nasal spray sponsored the study, and was involved in planning the study design.
How reliable are the findings?
There were some problems with the research, which means it may not be completely reliable. These included:
- The children who didn't have the salt water spray weren't given any type of nasal spray. So we don't know whether ordinary water would have worked as well as sea salt water. And we don't know if the improvement was because of the placebo effect, where people feel better just because they've been given a new and interesting treatment.
- The doctors decided which children would have which treatments. So they might have been tempted to give the nasal sprays to children who generally had fewer colds anyway, or who they thought were more likely to use the sprays. In good quality studies, the health professionals involved don't know which treatment people are given until the study ends.
These problems might make the results look better than they actually are.
What does this mean for me?
When you look at a study, it's worth thinking about whether the people in the study are like you. If they're very different, or behave differently, the study may be less meaningful for you.
The children in this study, which was carried out in the Czech Republic, had all been taken to see a doctor because of a cold. Quite a lot of them were taking medicines for a cold. And a lot of them took time off school because of illness. If your children usually get over a cold without seeing the doctor, needing medicines, or having to take time off school, this study may be less relevant to them.
What should I do now?
If you are interested in finding out more about salt water nasal sprays or drops, ask a pharmacist. There are several types available for sale. Don't make up a salt water solution yourself, or use sea water. You might cause an infection if you spray non-sterile sea water or salt water into your or your child's nose.
From:
Šlapak I, Skoupá J, Strnad P, et al. Efficacy of isotonic nasal wash (seawater) in the treatment and prevention of rhinitis in children. Archives of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. 2008; 134 :67-74.
To find out more, see our information on the common cold.
News Archive
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited ("BMJ Group") 2007. All rights reserved
This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.
