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?
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.
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:
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.
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).
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:
Some precautions are helpful in managing the symptoms of a cold:
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.
Different types of saline solutions are used:
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:
Where saline only contains sodium chloride, sea water also contains minerals and trace elements like for example:
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:
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.
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.
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.
