Simple advice against colds: Saline solution reduces sick days

It is Strama, the regions' cooperative council against antibiotic resistance, which in an information campaign before the virus season advises how to effectively counteract the common cold.

The advice is based on a randomized British study done with around 14,000 people, where they tried using a saline spray against colds.

It showed that the number of sick days decreased by 20 percent (from 8.2 to 6.4 days/six months) and the use of antibiotics by 25-30 percent.

- The study did not investigate the mechanisms, but it could be a combination of washing away viruses and the effect of the chloride ions in the salt. In test tubes, they have been shown to stimulate the intracellular viral defense, says Karin Rystedt, specialist doctor in general medicine at Strama in the Västra Götaland region.

The solution washes away virus particles from the mucous membranes in the nose and thins the snot so that it can be sniffed out.

Similar conclusions have previously been drawn from a study in which saline solution was dripped into the noses of children, which is accepted advice for toddlers with colds.

According to Rystedt, the British study on adults showed surprisingly good results.

- There was a big difference in the number of days with self-reported disease symptoms and also significantly fewer days with stronger symptoms in those who used a nasal spray with saline. There was a 20-30 percent reduction in absences from school and work for these people.

A key seems to have been to start treatment very early and start spraying at the first perceived discomfort.

- The participants were also asked to use the nasal sprays if they had exposed themselves to the risk of infection, met people with cold symptoms or been in a room with many other people.

In the study, an isotonic saline solution of 0.9 percent was used, the same as the body has.

- You don't know which salinity has the greatest effect, but personally I run with a slightly more hypertonic saline solution, with a little more salt, because it seems that the effect of the chloride ions seems to be part of the mechanism. Those who have done the study also said that if they did it again, they would have used a more hypertonic mixture.

According to Karin Rystedt, it is not likely that there will be an equally large dampened effect on the use of antibiotics, since we have a somewhat lower prescription from the start.

- But the symptom-relieving effect should be just as good for Swedish colds!