BRISBANE, Australia—Using a spray or spout of salt water to wash out the nose may get a person back to work faster after a cold or acute sinus infection, according to a new review (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010, Issue 3). However, researchers did not find enough evidence to show it can reduce symptoms significantly.
Australian researchers searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2009, issue 2) which contains the Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) Group's Specialized Register, MEDLINE (1966 to May 2009), EMBASE (1974 to May 2009), CINAHL (1982 to May 2009), AMED (1985 to 2009) and LILACS (May 2009) in order to evaluate the efficacy of saline nasal irrigation in treating the symptoms of acute respiratory tract infections (URTIs). The focused on randomized controlled trials comparing topical nasal saline treatment to other interventions in adults and children with clinically diagnosed acute URTIs.
Three randomized controlled trials with 618 total participants from the United States and Czech Republic were included. Most results showed no difference between nasal saline treatment and control. However, there was limited evidence of benefit with nasal saline irrigation in adults. One study showed a mean difference of 0.3 days (out of eight days) for symptom resolution, but this was not significant. Nasal saline irrigation was associated with less time off work in one study. Additionally, they found some evidence that nasal washes might reduce antibiotic prescriptions among those who seek the saltwater treatment.
Minor discomfort, such as dry nose or irritation, was not uncommon and 40 percent of babies did not tolerate nasal saline drops.
URTIs are infections of the upper airways that can cause symptoms for up to four weeks. Acute URTIs include colds, influenza and infections of the throat, nose or sinuses. The symptoms are often treated with painkillers and decongestants. Sometimes antibiotics are prescribed, although most acute URTIs are caused by viruses. Nasal saline sprays or irrigation have been used to treat symptoms of chronic airway infections, and sometimes for acute infections.
Saltwater washes have long been a part of ayurvedic care, a traditional medicine used on the Indian subcontinent. Now saline sprays and nose “irrigators” like the neti pot − a small spouted pot used to pour water through the nostrils − have been showing up more often in Western culture. Saline nasal washes could flush out excessive mucus and infectious material, and might strengthen the nose’s own filtration system of waving, hair-like cilia, some studies have suggested.