Salt Water Rinse for Colds
A pilot, open labelled, randomised controlled trial of hypertonic saline nasal irrigation and gargling for the common cold
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 556 / 90
Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 556 / 90
Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Publication
Journal
Scientific Reports
Year
2019
Authors
S. Ramalingam, C. Graham, J. Dove, L. Morrice, Aziz Sheikh
Related Content
Claims (9)
Rinsing your nose with salt water gives your nose cells what they need to make a natural germ-fighting chemical, which helps your body fight off viruses better.
Rinsing your nose with salt water gives your nose cells a special ingredient that helps them make a natural germ-fighting acid to fight off viruses.
Salty water might help your body's cells fight off viruses better by boosting natural defenses, which could explain why saline treatments work in some medical trials, but more research is needed to be sure.
Using saltwater nose rinses and gargling might help you get over a cold faster by about 2 days if you start doing it right when symptoms begin.
Using saltwater nose rinses and gargling might help people with viruses shed less of the virus, making them less contagious and possibly feeling better faster, but this is based on a small study and needs more research.