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The interest of nasal wash in the common cold

Washing your nose during a cold can improve symptoms and shorten their duration. How and with what is it advisable to wash your nose during a cold?

Winter is coming... so are colds!

More than 200 viruses!

The common cold or seasonal infectious rhinitis is a viral infection caused by more than 200 types of virus. Reason why it is very difficult to design a vaccine.

Colds are very common, 2 to 3 colds per year in adults on average, and are even more common in children.

Signs that do not deceive

It is a very contagious condition but fortunately benign. The common cold progresses naturally towards recovery most often, in 1 to 2 weeks.

Once in contact with the virus, it takes 1 to 3 days before symptoms appear:

  • A stuffy nose
  • A clear or purulent nasal discharge
  • Sneezing
  • sore throat sometimes coughing
  • headaches
  • fatigue
  • moderate fever (38°C)

When to consult?

In adults and older children, it is necessary to consult when the fever persists , that the fatigue is intense , and when conventional symptomatic treatment does not relieve the pain .

A cold does not necessarily evolve through healing, it can get complicated by reaching the sinuses and evolve into sinusitis . Other complications may occur:otitis, conjunctivitis, bronchitis...

10% of colds are complicated by bacterial sinusitis , to avoid such an evolution it is therefore important to take good care of the common cold.

Why do we talk about nasopharyngitis?

A cold is initially localized in the nasal cavities, we speak of rhinitis, “itis” for inflammation, it is an inflammation of the nasal mucosa. The infection can spread to the pharynx located just below and behind the palate, this is called nasopharyngitis (inflammation of the nasal mucosa and pharynx).

Colds are very contagious

Viruses are transmitted by inhaling contaminated droplets thrown into the air by infected people, by coughing, sneezing, and even by talking. Transmission also occurs through the hands or through contaminated objects (door handles, telephone, supermarket shopping cart)

Rhinoviruses can survive from several hours to several days on surfaces. It remains contagious even if the surface is dry. To avoid transmitting a cold, hand hygiene is essential.

A few tips for fighting the common cold:

  • Air the house at least once a day for a few minutes, do not overheat the rooms
  • Humidify the ambient air to prevent drying of the nasal mucosa
  • Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. Wearing an anti-projection or surgical mask protects those around you from contamination
  • Wash your hands often, especially when they are soiled by splashes
  • Blow your nose regularly with single-use tissues, and wash your hands afterwards
  • Avoid contact with newborn babies, their mothers and immunocompromised people

Some precautions are helpful in managing the symptoms of a cold:

  • Drink to facilitate the elimination of secretions
  • Regularly evacuate nasal secretions by blowing your nose or suctioning
  • Avoid tobacco smoke
  • Hot drinks, syrups or lozenges also help temporarily relieve sore throats and coughs.

Some essential oils can help you clear your nose (eucalyptus radiata for example), just apply a few drops to a handkerchief or use bracelets that allow you to diffuse essential oils thanks to a ceramic stone.

Nose wash is commonly used to moisten and clear the nasal passages.

Nasal wash against colds

What do you wash your nose with?

Different types of saline solutions are used:

  • Physiological serum
  • Isotonic seawater
  • Hypertonic seawater

The physiological serum is a sodium chloride solution (NaCL, or salt) diluted in water. It is at the same concentration as the plasma in our blood, that is to say 9 g of NaCl per 1 litre. It is said to be isotonic .

Sea water is taken from regions of the ocean where the tides are strongest. A strong mixing of the water increases its richness in minerals and oxygen. After purification, we reduce its salt content because it is naturally concentrated around 35g per liter (3.5%) on average (its salinity varies on the surface of the globe). Depending on the quantity of salt removed, we obtain:

  • An isotonic seawater solution , it has the same concentration as blood plasma (0.9%) , this is the one used for daily nasal hygiene
  • Hypertonic seawater solutions , all concentrations above 0.9%. The closer you get to the 3.5% concentration of seawater, the greater the decongestant effect.

Where saline only contains sodium chloride, sea water also contains minerals and trace elements like for example:

  • Copper, which has anti-infective and anti-inflammatory properties
  • Manganese, which has antiallergic properties
  • Sulfur, which regenerates cells

Why wash your nose when you have a cold?

Washing your nose during a cold has been shown to improve symptoms and decreases the duration .

The nasal wash moistens the mucus and helps loosen secretions stuck to the mucous membrane. It eliminates microbes, dust and allergens attached to the mucous membranes.

Hypertonic solutions improve mucociliary clearance. These concentrated salt solutions have 2 effects on the nasal mucosa:

  • Mucolytic action :more fluid mucus is eliminated more easily
  • A decongestant action :in contact with more salty water, the cells of the nasal mucosa are emptied of their water and therefore “deflate” (principle of osmolarity:the water moves from the least concentrated to the most concentrated). The feeling of nasal obstruction is quickly relieved and without side effects.

Hypertonic solutions are to be used only in case of blocked nose, not for daily use, because in the long term they can irritate.


They can be found in the form of single-use pods, or spray. There are also hypertonic solutions associated with antibacterials and thinners.

The right thing to do to wash your nose

Start with a good nose blow, then put your head over a sink, tilting it to one side.

Place the single dose or the spray at the level of the upper nostril and press. The liquid exits through the nostril below. Do the same with the other nostril.

Finish again with a nose blow.

What about a saline preparation to make yourself?

There are recipes where you mix tap water with salt (sodium chloride), or tap water with sodium bicarbonate and salt. These saline solutions are then administered using a syringe, bulb or other device.

It is an economical way but the solutions must be used immediately and the organization and preparation time can discourage the most motivated.

These "homemade" saline solutions can irritate the nasal mucosa and cause discomfort, requiring you to change their composition regularly.

In addition, improperly performed nasal washing with an irrigation device can cause ear pain.