It’s a type of nose drop.
A recent study has shown that using saltwater nasal drops can reduce the duration of a cold in children by two days. According to Dr. Steve Cunningham, a pediatric respiratory medicine professor at the University of Edinburgh, children who used the saltwater treatment experienced cold symptoms for an average of six days, compared to eight days for those receiving standard care. Additionally, the children using saltwater drops required fewer medications during their illness.
Colds are common in children, with most experiencing 10 to 12 per year, which can significantly impact families. While over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen and ibuprofen help alleviate symptoms, there has been no treatment proven to speed up recovery—until now. In this study, more than 400 children aged six or younger were randomly assigned to either use saltwater nasal drops or continue with usual care when they caught a cold. About 300 children developed colds, and half were treated with the homemade saltwater solution.
The saltwater treatment not only helped the children recover more quickly, but it also reduced the spread of the cold to other family members. Families whose children used the saltwater drops reported fewer secondary infections, with 46% of family members catching colds, compared to 61% in families using usual care. The majority of parents felt that the saltwater drops helped their child recover faster, and many planned to use the treatment again in the future.
The study suggests that saltwater boosts the respiratory system’s ability to fight off cold viruses. Salt contains chloride, which helps nasal cells produce hypochlorous acid—a substance that suppresses viral replication, shortening the infection. These findings, presented at the European Respiratory Society’s annual meeting, could offer a simple, cost-effective way for parents to manage colds in their children, potentially reducing both health and economic burdens. Further research is planned to explore the effects of saltwater drops on wheezing during colds, with promising initial results.
Discussion about this post