Saline Nasal Wash Helps Kids Fight Colds, Flu

[struggle4progress]

By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
Monday, January 21, 2008; 12:00 AM

MONDAY, Jan. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Rinsing with a special saline nasal wash made from Atlantic seawater improves symptoms in children with colds and flu, and may prevent recurrence of these infections, a new study claims.

"We brush our teeth every day, however, we do not pay attention to our noses -- a potential gate for infection," said study co-author Dr. Jana Skoupa, of Pharma Projects in Prague, Czech Republic. "Nasal wash should be used, based on our findings, immediately."

The study seems to confirm what many doctors already know.

"We have recommended this for years. This study gives some objective evidence," said Dr. Jonathan Field, emeritus director of the pediatric allergy and asthma clinic at New York University/Bellevue Medical Center in New York City ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/21/AR2008012101538.html

[Jackpine Radical]

1. I use a neti pot with a physiological sea salt solution.

It's very helpful for winter sinusitis.

[aquart]

2. Atlantic seawater? From how far out in the Atlantic?

Because coastal....eeewww.

[havocmom]

3. Seriously!

How bout boiled and cooled tap (in most areas it's reasonably safe) with a half teaspoon salt per cup?

Atlantic seawater? Wouldn't tossing salt in the toilet and giving the kiddies swirlies be pretty much the same?

[eleny]

4. Add a pinch of baking soda to keep it from irritating nasal passages

Works great and feels good that way.
:hi:

[havocmom]

5. My tap has so much soda naturally...

it IS irritating on it's own. But that is damned good advice for those with hard water.

[eleny]

8. Yeah, we have the hard stuff out here in Colorado

It's a bruiser without the soda!

[struggle4progress]

6. That's pretty much what I do. And it does work great.

[Warpy]

7. The last time I had a head cold was 1988

I was working with jammed sinuses and was desperate. I found some spare respiratory saline solution ampules (goldfish) in a cabinet with a fluorescent under light, nice and warm. I snuffled a couple of them up my nose and miracle of miracles, it worked! All my sinuses let go at once. It was ugly, but the relief was fantastic.

One of my coworkers came into the closet to find out what the racket was. It was a little embarrassing, but getting all that green, bloody crap out of my head was worth it, even if the only tissues were rough paper towels.

I've been a believer in warm saline solution ever since.

[eleny]

9. The sinuses are the first line of defense

When they're under stress it can be the beginning of a downward health spiral.

[varkam]

10. Uh-oh, looks like the study was funded by the manufacturer!

The trial was funded by French company Goemar Laboratoires, which makes the product, Physiomer, that used in the study.

I guess that means the results are null and void, right?

Seriously, though, IIRC such nasal wash techniques can help fight off a cold and reduce the severity of symptoms associated with the flu - though I really don't see why it is being recommended every day as akin to brushing one's teeth. I don't really see how doing this every day would do much of anything, really. Also, they did it six times a day in the trial. That seems like a whole heck of a lot to me.

[cosmik debris]

11. I've been doing that for over 50 yrs.

Didn't realize there was any question about its efficacy.

[Celebration]

12. But how do you know

It is not the placebo effect?

;)

Seriously difficult to do a placebo group on this study...............

[cosmik debris]

13. No need for all that.

The chemistry and physics of saline solution and mucous is known and agreed upon by virtually all chemists and physicists. It is a well understood mechanism. Salt water dissolves snot. There is no rational dispute on that subject.

But if it makes you feel better, we'll say that the salt activates the water's memory and allows it to put out the fire in the snot's chakra. Better?

:)

[Celebration]

15. according to the article

you have not been doing what this study says--

"As far as I know, Physiomer is not available in the U.S. It is the leading brand in Europe," Skoupa said. "The manufacturing process uses electro-dialysis (not simple dilution of seawater) to achieve isotonicity. This results in preserving the majority of minerals and trace elements in similar concentrations to seawater from the Atlantic Ocean."

An isotonic solution has the same concentration of salt as the human body.

"I would not just simply expect a normal saline solution to be the same thing," DeWitt said.

[cosmik debris]

16. Well, I guess that discredits my theory about memory water

and fire in the snot chakra.

Back to the drawing board.

:)

[Celebration]

17. As well as

"Salt water dissolves snot. There is no rational dispute on that subject."

Some apparently think it takes this particular type of solution to have real life effects. And if it were so accepted, why are there calls for more studies? And, in fact, why don't most doctors insist on doing this for children now?

BTW, I think it is a good idea. I have no problem with it, and I have no idea whether or not the particular solution is important.

I am more interested to find out if six time a day is really necessary. I mean, very few people brush their teeth that many times per day.

This solution is only available in Europe now. But tons of people here use neti pots.

Here is the yogi way of doing a nasal floss. Can you handle it?

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1007570/yoga_series_sutraneti_the_yogic_way_of_cleaning_the_nose/

I haven't tried that.

I just use an herb in my nose sometimes that the acupuncturist gives me. I swallow it when it gets in the back of my throat. Somehow it seems to treat sinus infections. Unfortunately it has to be refrigerated so it is a little cold.

[cosmik debris]

18. No, not at all.

Salt water still dissolves mucous. I don't know where you got the idea that it doesn't, but it does most certainly dissolve snot.

[Celebration]

14. I have no problem with it

Yogis have been cleaning their noses for centuries, at least. But then I wonder why this statement, from the article?

"This is very promising, but there need to be more studies to confirm what the authors have found," Dr. Tom DeWitt, director of general pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. "It is a suggestion that it may be an alternative to cold preparations that the FDA ."

[varkam]

19. I'm guessing because...

the fact that Yogis have been doing it for centuries doesn't make for sound scientific evidence of efficacy.