{"id":12684,"date":"2026-01-14T16:16:45","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T16:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/?p=12684"},"modified":"2026-01-14T16:16:45","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T16:16:45","slug":"does-nasal-irrigation-effectively-fight-the-common-cold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/does-nasal-irrigation-effectively-fight-the-common-cold\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Nasal Irrigation Effectively Fight the Common Cold?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>As the winter season progresses, so does cold season. <\/span><\/p>\n

When we come down with a cold, we try different methods to relieve our cold symptoms.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, using a simple saline or saltwater solution can help reduce the duration of these symptoms. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A pilot study conducted in 2019 found that flushing the nose with a 3% saline solution, which is higher than the standard 0.9% concentration, can reduce cold symptoms in approximately two days. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, researchers say that saline nasal drops may help reduce transmission rates of\u00a0cold viruses.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the same 2019 study, 93% of participants reported that the 3% saline solution made a difference in their symptoms, and 61% indicated that they would use it again during another cold. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Most people may catch a cold two or three times each year, as the cold virus spreads easily via contaminated droplets.\u00a0Saline\u00a0solution is an affordable, easy-to-use treatment\u00a0that\u00a0may help slow down the spread of the cold virus between family members.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Saline nasal drops may\u00a0also\u00a0help\u00a0to\u00a0clear up a runny nose. The\u00a0solution\u00a0may help reduce\u00a0viral load, the amount of\u00a0the\u00a0virus\u00a0in a person\u2019s system, by flushing out the nasal passages.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Saline nasal drops help flush out mucous and inflammatory mediators, which\u00a0are chemical\u00a0messengers that play a crucial\u00a0role\u00a0in\u00a0initiating\u00a0and regulating the body\u2019s\u00a0inflammatory response.\u00a0This\u00a0can\u00a0improve cold symptoms and give the immune system a better chance to fight the\u00a0infection.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When you are looking to buy saline nasal drops or sprays, it is important to look for a saline percentage or the words \u201chypertonic\u201d or \u201cextra-strength\u201d on the label. Many brands of saline solutions sell 3% hypertonic nasal spray, but it is important to read the labels carefully to confirm the product does not contain other added medications.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can also make a saline solution at home with salt, baking soda, and water. It is important to\u00a0only use distilled or boiled and cooled tap water when preparing the solution, as the quality of tap water\u00a0varies,\u00a0and there may be things such as bugs and germs present.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To make the saline solution, combine three tablespoons of salt and one teaspoon of baking soda. Avoid any salts that\u00a0contain\u00a0iodine, preservatives, or anti-caking agents because these can irritate your nose. Put one teaspoon of the salt-baking soda mixture\u00a0into eight ounces of distilled or boiled water.\u00a0Baking soda helps reduce\u00a0irritation;\u00a0however, you may still experience some irritation in the nose or throat after using the saline solution.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although hypertonic nasal drops or sprays could be prepared correctly, they can still irritate\u00a0the nose and throat. Some people may even experience a temporary burning sensation.\u00a0Use the hypertonic saline\u00a0solution as tolerated.\u00a0It is important to talk to your healthcare provider about alternative cold remedies if\u00a0the saline solution\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0work well for you and if your cold symptoms persist or get worse.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are suffering from common cold symptoms and would like to learn more about nasal irrigation, you can make an appointment with an ENT doctor at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center by calling\u202f<\/span><\/span>718-206-7110.<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.<\/strong> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the winter season progresses, so does cold season. When we come down with a cold, we try different methods to relieve our cold symptoms. However, using a simple saline or saltwater solution can help reduce the duration of these … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1718,5,1,61,14,4],"tags":[347,716,2281,722,2235,2282,2283,473],"class_list":["post-12684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ear-nose-and-throat","category-general-health","category-health","category-lifestyle","category-mens-health","category-womens-health","tag-cold","tag-common-cold","tag-does-nasal-irrigation-effectively-fight-the-common-cold","tag-health","tag-mens-health","tag-nasal-irrigation","tag-the-common-cold","tag-womens-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12684"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12684\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12686,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12684\/revisions\/12686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}