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Saline Nasal Wash Improves Children's Cold Symptoms

Snorting a little seawater can help fight the common cold

January 23, 2008

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A study published in the January issue of Archives of Otolaryngology, found that a salt water nasal wash solution made from processed seawater appears to improve nasal symptoms and may help prevent the recurrence of respiratory infections when used by children with the common cold.

The study was released as other researchers were reporting that non-prescription cough medicines don't help children with colds and might even cause harm. Another study suggested they don't help adults much, either.

“Nasal irrigation with balanced saline solutions seems effective in such health conditions and is often used in a variety of indications as an adjunctive treatment,” the authors write in the article. “Although saline nasal wash is currently mentioned in several guidelines, scientific evidence of its efficacy is rather poor.”

Researchers at the Teaching Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic randomly assigned 401 children age 6 to 10 with cold or flu to two treatment groups -- one receiving standard medication and the other also receiving a nasal wash with a modified processed seawater solution.

“Patients were observed for a total of 12 weeks, from January to April 2006, during which health status, symptoms and medication use were assessed at four visits over the course of the trial,” the authors write.

“Acute illness was evaluated during the first two visits (up to three weeks), prevention during the following two visits (up to 12 weeks). The third visit, scheduled for week eight after study entry, could be conducted over the telephone.”

For kids in the nasal wash group, the formula was administered six times per day during the first phase and three times per day during the prevention phase, in one of three strengths: medium jet flow (9 milliliters per nostril), fine spray (3 milliliters per nostril) and a dual eye/nose formula with fine spray (3 millimeters per nostril).

Less stuffy

A total of 390 children completed the study. By the second visit, the noses of patients using saline were less stuffy and runny.

During the prevention phase, eight weeks after the study began, those in the saline group had significantly less severe sore throats, coughs, nasal obstructions and secretions than those in the standard treatment group.

In addition, during the prevention phase, fewer youngsters in the saline group were using fever-reducing drugs, nasal decongestants, mucus-dissolving medications or antibiotics. During the same period, children using saline had fewer days of illness, missed school days or complications.

The nasal wash was well tolerated, although participants reported less discomfort using the fine spray formulations. “We did not hear substantial complaints about compliance, and good compliance seemed to be confirmed by the weight of returned empty bottles,” the authors write.

Saline washes may work by reducing the production of inflammatory compounds or by creating a favorable environment for cilia, tiny hairs in the respiratory system, to sweep away mucus and particles.

“It is not clear whether the effect is predominately mechanical, based on clearing mucus, or whether salts and trace elements in seawater solutions play a significant role,” the authors write.

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