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Saline nose spray is a fancy word for a salt water spray! Years ago, many physicians (myself included!) used to provide a “recipe” for parents to make their own salt water nasal mix. Now rows and rows of saline nose spray solutions line store shelves everywhere.
Most people understand the value of saline nose sprays in infants who have trouble breathing. However, after infancy, people tend to use nasal saline only “when symptoms become really bad”. I struggle to understand why symptoms must be really bad.
Allergies are a major reason many of my patients suffer from problems. If you know your allergies flare every April or after soccer matches, why not proactively use saline nose spray? Check out this post for a detailed discussion about the best nasal allergy treatments.
Regardless of the cause, excess nasal mucus production can lead to many infections.A major part of my Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) practice for over 25 years remains dedicated to discussing this issue.
The pink tissue that lines your nose and sinuses, called a mucous membrane, becomes swollen as a reaction to viruses, bacteria, pollen, dust or other allergens. After swelling, the tissue begins to produce additional mucus.
My previous post highlights the amazing benefits of mucus to help our bodies remain healthy. Basically, mucus is a liquid that is made by special cells in several different locations in our bodies, including the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. One special type of immunoglobulin forms in these tissues and collects in mucus to help fight infections.
We commonly think that producing mucus means that we are sick. However, we always produce mucous, about one liter every day, but we typically do not notice it. If excess mucus collects in the nose, it often causes swelling and blockage of the ear and sinus drainage areas or leads to other ENT problems.
Many medications treat swelling of the nasal tissues and help dry up the extra nasal mucus. A variety of surgical procedures are available to provide better drainage pathways to prevent mucus build up. Ear tube surgery is one of the most common procedures performed by Pediatric ENT physicians. These tubes are an excellent way to temporarily allow drainage while children either outgrow their anatomy issues or treat the underlying reason for the blockage.
The value of using saline nose spray cannot be emphasized enough as both prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases. There are many reasons that children are prone to get middle ear infections, but most of the reasons start with swelling in the nose. Prior to ear tube placement, I routinely recommend a nasal saline spray to try to reduce the occurrence of ear infections. Understanding the usage of saline nose spray may drastically improve the health of your family and perhaps prevent severe viral infection complications.
Six Salty Secrets of Saline Nose Spray: Why, How, and What it does!
1. Washes away bacteria, viruses, pollen, and pollutants.
For many of my chronic ENT patients, I recommend using saline nose spray each night. Just as we brush our teeth daily to prevent cavities, washing our noses can be a great prevention tool.
The saline removes airborne particles and can markedly improve allergy symptoms and recurrent ear and nose diseases. Most people only need to use the nasal saline when they have an illness; however chronic suffers may wash their noses each night.
2. Lubricates the dry nasal tissues
When mucus becomes dry and hard, the underlying tissues can become irritated and crack. Nasty nosebleeds are a common result of dry irritated tissues. Saline nose spray removes the hardened mucous and adds moisture back into the dry tissues. A moist environment in the nose is very important for the body to fight infection and clear out contaminated mucus.
Dry nasal tissues are frequently treated by placing Vaseline inside the nose; however, you should NOT place vaseline inside the nose or anywhere else inside the body. Vaseline is intended to be used ONLY on the outside of the body, otherwise, life-threatening complications could happen.
3. Burning sensations can be reduced
Some people complain of nasal burning when using the saline nose spray on inflamed tissues. Many times, the burning is due to preservatives added to the commercial brands. Each manufacturer has their own specific recipe, so you might try a few other brands to find one the suits your needs.
There are a large variety of saline dispensers that range from a simple squeeze bottle, a refillable bottle, a pressurized aerosol spray and a netipot. As long as you are getting saline into the nose, then your technique is awesome!
If all brands you try still lead to burning, you may need to add a gel lubricant at night, such as AYR. Or you if you are sensitive to all preservatives, you may need to go old school and make your own!
4. Improves the body’s natural ability to keep the nose clean
Mucus is carried from the front to the back of the nose by tiny hairs called cilia (SILLY-uh). Cilia are one of our first lines of defense to keep the nasal tissues clean and healthy. The cilia beat in a coordinated pattern, sweeping the mucus back to the throat where it is swallowed and neutralized by stomach acid or spit out.
With a virus infection, the cilia are slowed down, and most sinus disease is caused when the cilia stop beating. Salt water has been shown in the lab to increase the speed that the cilia are beating.
5. Warming the nasal saline makes it more effective
Warming the saline nose spray before use adds an additional benefit because the function of the cilia is improved in a warm environment.
This may account for us learning from our grandmothers that we need to have hot tea and chicken noodle soup when we are sick! Warm facial humidifiers are an additional benefit.
6. YES…infants and toddlers can have this done daily.
No one said parenting was easy! Brushing a child’s teeth, putting on clothes and even placing a child in a car seat can be a real work out. Washing the nose is no different.
Very few parents ever tell me that their kids love their nasal washes. So, roll up your sleeves and make it happen. The rewards are worth it.
The Perfect Technique for Using Saline Nose Spray in Kids
I personally started doing nasal saline sprays on a daily basis for my 6-month old after she developed pneumonia. A proper technique is everything because most kids resist.
I found the most reliable and consistent method includes the following steps:
- Place your infant or child on your lap with her back to your chest
- Cross your legs over her flailing legs. This is critical since the legs are powerful and allow the kids to squirm free
- Place one arm across your child’s chest to hold her arms at her sides
- All that is left free is a wiggling neck!
- PRO TIP: Watch your chin because your child will attempt a head-butt.
- Now start those saline washes. Remember, these are washes, so 3-4 squirts is recommended even in infants. 1-2 squirts just make the tissues moist and do not effectively wash out mucus build up.
Not only do I recommend these nasal saline sprays every day in my private practice, but I did them personally for many years in my children. Nasal saline washes do not change the underlying disease but they reduce complications from allergies and viral illnesses.
My final recommendation is to update your home therapy kits to include nasal saline sprays. I coined the phrase Momma Medicine to mean all the home care techniques that we perform before going to the doctor. Our kits usually include Tylenol, Motrin, cough medicine, cold medications, and of course, those glorious bandaids! Bandaids make everything better.
Because runny noses are such a common childhood problem, parents need to be ready to prevent some of the complications by adding saline nose spray, facial humidifiers, and AYR saline gel to their home care kits. Now is the time to up your nasal care game!
As always, much love for supporting my work. I will be adding many more posts to highlight parenting and healthcare tips, so be sure to consider subscribing to my podcast or to my blog to avoid missing a post!
44 comments
Very educational., I was told to not use it, because it can cause nose bleeds.
No saline is just salt water so its like swimming in the ocean. But many people only use saline after they are sick with a swollen nose, so when the force saline in the nose, bleeding occurs. The saline is not the issue, the illness that made the mucus is the issue. Many people need to get allergies and sinus symptoms under control and then do saline as maintenance.
I have terrible allergies and sinus problems and I have found that the saline nasal spray works better than anything else. I use it at least once a night as a preventative. However, sometimes it burns the back of my throat for hours after using it. It’s like, when everything loosens up and starts draining, the intense burning begins. After a few hours go by, I’m back to normal. Why does it burn so intensely sometimes? Is that the allergens that have been trapped and causing my throat irritation?
Salt water burns usually when the lining of the nose is inflammed and irritated. Like gargling with salt water when you have a sore throat, it tends to burn, too. I would recommend that you see your physician to begin discussions about other allergy treatments or allergy testing to develop a treatment plan for the allergies.
and great for grownups too – I know that I’ve used in the past, and it has worked!
Most definitely. Saline is great for all ages!
I’ve neve used a spray like this but now I feel better informed and will pick some up for the season…
Many people do not know that saline washes help with regular colds as well as allergies and sinus infections. Always good to have on hand!
I didn’t realize it would help moisturize. I assume since it was salt-based that it would do the opposite!
The typical salt water washes have the same amount of salt that is in our body fluids. Some people use solutions with excess salt and that is very drying.
Saline sprays are so much better for you. I stopped using regular nose sprays years ago
Perfect! Most over-the-counter medicated nose sprays are only meant for short-term use but people use them and become addicted to them. Salt water washes are a great way to care for the nose regularly.
My husband and son have such bad allergies and I have never heard of using saline spray to clean the pollen and dust and everything else out of their noses. This might really make a big change in their lives!!
Salt water washes can absolutely be life altering. If they have chronic symptoms, they may want to wash each night as maintenance to reduce flareups. Many of my patients avoid repeated surgery by doing these washes.
I wish I had known this when I lived in the dessert. I use to get four or five nosebleeds a month because of how dry I was. Since moving I am so much better. But I am definitely keeping this in mind.
Yes the desert is very drying plus sand and dirt get trapped in the dried tissues. Saline washes are incredibly helpful. But if you ever get nosebleeds again, you can use the saline and some of the AYR gel at night to get more intensive moisturizing.
most of the bacteria enters in our body through nose so its important to prevent and i think this nose spray will protect us from them..there are so many benifts of nose spray which i was not aware
Indeed, the nose is the gateway for many of the illnesses we catch. Saline washes in little kids help them reduce the number of viruses they have in their nose that they pick up in school. Yes, nasal saline is great and everyone should have some at home.
Just used 100% natural micro-diffused sea water nasal spray and it went directly down my throat. Didn’t have time to spit it out. I’m 78 and healthy. Is it alright to swallow it as we are not supposed to take in too much salt are we?
Salt water is natural and well tolerated by most of us. However if large amounts are swallowed, it can upset the stomach. I recommend leaning forward when spraying the nose so that less of it drains down the back of the throat.
Wow, this is actually really helpful! My husband uses this more often and I will tell him – warming the bottle will help a lot!
I am so glad you found this useful. Now imagine doing this for your toddler or young child! I need to constantly find ways to make it easier for them but the effects are amazing.
I’ve used this when the kids were smaller and now that they’re older, we don’t use saline solutions anymore. I think it’s really good that your shared these benefits. It’s really awesome and helpful especially for parents.
Yes, most people use it when they have babies but its good to remember that it helps everyone, regardless of age!
I know that I have used nose sprays that were supposed to help with allergies although I didn’t do too well with them. Maybe a straight saline solution would have been better. I will have to try this out.
Medications can be tricky. There are different meds that do different things and need to be used different amounts of time! But saline can be used as maintenance. Many people use it one to two times every day. Cleaning out mucus and allergens can prevent many complications. Be sure to try a few types to find one that you like!
I know that I have used nose sprays that were supposed to help with allergies although I didn’t do too well with them. Maybe a straight saline solution would have been better. I will have to try this out. I’m willing to try anything for allergies if it helps.
Oh i have never tried this before. I am glad i have found this now, it is really a great help.
Yes, saline is really good for many different nose problems. Great for kids and adults!
Thank you Dr. Momma. I’m currently suffering from a stuffy nose. I’ll be sure to get some saline!
Saline is so useful for colds and allergies. Not only rinsing out the mucus, virus and pollen particles but also helps the lining of the nose recover and get back to keeping you healthy. Great idea to keep saline in the home first aid/medical kit. For the whole family!
I am an addict to the nose sprays, bit allergic person !! Thanks for sharing this information
Hopefully you are not an addict to nose sprays like AFRIN. Those are indeed addictive, in a bad way because they stop the body from functioning normally. Daily nose sprays for allergies and sinus like flonase can be used daily depending upon your underlying problem. But Salt water, this is something that everyone can do daily. If you have chronic nasal problems, daily saline may improve your symptoms. Good luck
The pro tips were hilarious. This article answered every question I had been looking for.
Dr. B
I know my comment is late to the party as this post was done 2yrs ago. I did want to point out that you have a product pictured that is not your common saline spray…it is something much better because it has xylitol. Adding the xylitol to the saline solution makes the moisturizing effect last for hours as opposed to 30 minutes for a regular saline. the xylitol also reduces bacterial adhesion of the common pathogens such as Strep and staph bacteria. The Xlear product was invented by a physician to prevent ear infections in the small children in his practice. if you would like more info, studies or anything please let me know.
NJ
Thanks so much for your comment. I am on a quest to get more people to at least use the basic saline! If your reports and research are true, that is an additional benefit that someone might gain. Again, thanks for sharing information that might prove beneficial to my readers.
Dr. B.
My son suffers from nose bleeds when the air is dry at night. We would like to try this as a precaution but I’ve heard you shouldn’t use a nose spray within a few hours of sleep. Also, can you describe exactly how to do it? Should we spray straight up or slightly out? Does the spray run down the back of the throat? If so do you spit it out or swallow it? Thank you.
Many people find saline runs back out of their nose for a few hours after use, so they choose to use it shortly after dinner. Most of the time, saline is used by squeezing a bottle at an angle so it goes into the middle of the nose and yes it can run down the throat which is why I recommend people lean forward when using it. Kids usually dislike the taste to they spit it out but leaning forward reduces that. There is usually no problem swallowing it since we use salt water gargles for sore throats. And don’t forget you can also use over the counter saline gels at night for extra moisture. Be sure to discuss the reasons for nosebleeds with your physicians.
Very informative!
Thanks for taking the time to read this post. I hope it is helpful to you or to someone you know.
How do I make salt water nose wash? Can I use clean old nasal spray bottle? Bought Walgreens nasal spray, can’t use, burns throat and throat dry and felt little swollen. Maybe this is email
There are recipes to make salt water online. The key is to understand that without preservatives, the home made recipe needs to be refrigerated and then warmed before use. You need to avoid allowing bacteria to grow in the home made solution. I would also recommend that you try several brands of premade saline. There are different recipes and differnt additives to make it less irritating.
My friend told me to swallow the saline nasal spray and it would help my sore throat is that okay
Some people do swallow saline, but if your throat is sore, you could also just gargle with it and spit it out. Some people do not tolerate swallowing saltwater without getting stomach problems.