HQ Team
July 18, 2024: A United Kingdom study found that Over-the-counter (OTC) nasal sprays can reduce the symptoms and duration of respiratory infections such as flu and colds in patients with pre-existing conditions or risk factors. They also help in reducing antibiotic intake.
The study involved 13,799 participants recruited from GP practices across the UK between December 2020 and April 2023. All participants had at least one comorbidity such as asthma, compromised immunity or heart disease that increased their risk factor of severe respiratory illness.
Study
Patients in the study were given a gel-based nasal spray (Vicks First Defence; Procter and Gamble; n=3,448), a saline spray (Sterinase; HL Healthcare; n=3,450), or an online behavioural intervention programme promoting physical activity and stress management (n=3,450). A total of 3,451 patients received standard care.
The nasal spray groups were asked to use the nasal spray six times a day following early symptoms of a cold.
Results
All the participants showed a reduction in the duration of respiratory illness. Severe symptoms days and antibiotics reduced by 25% each.
It was observed that nasal sprays were more effective in hastening recovery by 20%, which in turn resulted in a 20-30% reduction in days off from work. The least difference was noticed in the exercise groups with 5%.
In comparison, people in the standard care group reported a mean symptom duration of 8.2 days.
Antibiotic courses were reduced across all groups. The gel spray group had an incidence rate ratio (IRR) — a measure where a figure less than 1.0 shows a reduced incidence compared to controls — of 0.65 [0.50–0.84]; the saline group had an IRR of 0.69 [0.54–0.88] and the behavioural intervention group had an IRR of 0.74 [0.57–0.94].
Paul Little, professor in primary care research from the University of Southampton, and the lead researcher, said: “Our results show nasal sprays work extremely well to reduce the duration and severity of respiratory infections, and interference with normal activities, which is particularly important in light of the winter infection surge the UK regularly experiences. The finding of a reduction in the use of antibiotics is also potentially very important in the fight against antibiotic resistance, one of the major public health threats of our time. Given these results, our advice to people is if possible, at the first sign of cough, sore throat, cold or flu like symptoms, use a nasal spray, to prevent it from developing.”
Lucy Yardley, OBE, Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Bristol and University of Southampton, a research lead, added: “Our analysis suggests that the benefits were even greater when people used the sprays more often – we advised six times a day at the first sign of a cold – but many people in the study did not use the spray that often.”
The research was published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal,
