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Salt Water Gargling, Nasal Cleansing Lower COVID Hospitalizations
The traditional home remedy of gargling and rinsing your nasal passages with salt water may ease the symptoms of COVID-19 and help keep people out of the hospital, according to a new study.
The results were presented recently at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in Anaheim, California. The study hasn’t been published yet in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
Researchers said 55 adults with COVID-19 gargled and rinsed their nasal passages with low or high doses of a saline solution four times a day for 14 days, according to a news release about the study. A low dose used one-third teaspoon of salt, and a high dose was a full teaspoon, both dissolved in eight ounces of warm water.
The results with the participants were compared to a reference group of about 9,300 people who had COVID but hadn’t been told to use the saline solution.
About 19% of people who used the low-dose of saline solution and 21% who used the high-dose solution were hospitalized. The reference group had a 59% hospitalization rate.
“Our goal was to examine saline nasal irrigation and gargling for possible association to improved respiratory symptoms associated with coronavirus infection,” said Jimmy Espinoza, MD, co-author of the study. “We found that both saline regimens appear to be associated with lower hospitalization rates compared to controls in SARS-CoV-2 infections. We hope more studies can be done to further investigate the association.”
Experts not involved with the study warned that the saline treatment should not replace COVID vaccines, according to The Washington Post. The experts also noted that the lack of a placebo control group limits the conclusions that can be drawn.
“I don’t think the current evidence is strong enough to recommend it for infection,” Matthew Rank, chair of allergy, asthma and clinical immunology at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, told The Post. “Although patients could choose to do this, as the harm is likely low in trying it.”
注释：
Gargle: v
表示" 嗽口"，means "rinse one's mouth and throat with mouthwash"，如：You should gargle the throat regularly. 你应该经常用含漱液漱口。
Asthma: n
表示" 哮喘"，means " medical condition of the chest that makes breathing difficult"，如：Her son developed asthma when he was two. 她的儿子两岁时患了哮喘。
saline: adj
表示"含盐的；咸的"，means "containing salt"，如：The nurse diluted the drug with saline water. 护士用生理盐水把药加以稀释。
中文简要说明：
新冠肺炎（COVID-19）前几年肆虐全球，不少民众流传的保健方式之一是以盐水漱喉、洗鼻。美国一项最新研究报告证实，这个居家常用的老法子的确可让新冠肺炎住院率降低4成之多。未参与研究的专家认为研究结果很有趣，但强调此法不能取代疫苗接种或药物治疗新冠肺炎。
综合英国《每日邮报》、美国医疗新闻网站WebMD报导，研究作者、美国德州大学妇科、产科与生殖学教授艾斯毕诺萨（Jimmy Espinoza）表示，研究目标在于观察漱喉、冲洗鼻腔能否改善新冠病毒相关呼吸道症状，结果发现，以盐水漱喉咙、洗鼻的确与感染新冠病毒患者的住院率相对较低存有关联。
研究团队再2020年至2022年评估9398名18岁至65岁、以PCR确诊新冠病毒阳性的成年人，选择58人以低剂量、高剂量温盐水治疗。两种剂量各以2.13克（约3分之1茶匙）、6克（1又4分之1茶匙）的盐与8盎司（约236毫升）温水混合，每天漱喉、洗鼻4次，持续14天。这58人BMI数值29.6至31.7，趋近于肥胖，有可能导致并发症风险增加而住院。实验组与对照组疫苗接种率接近。实验组排除高血压患者，以免意外摄取过多盐分。
盐水洗鼻是让盐水通过鼻腔以清除黏液与过敏原的作法。美国国家卫生研究院（NIH）说明，执行此法时要让头部侧向其中一边，将盐水轻轻注入或挤压进入鼻腔，再让盐水流出。结果显示，低剂量组住院率降为18.5%，高剂量组住院率21.4%，未用盐水的对照组住院率为58.8%。
艾斯毕诺萨接受《华盛顿邮报》访问时建议，漱喉、洗鼻轮流执行，事先把用于口腔与鼻腔的盐水分装，先漱喉1分钟，然后清洗鼻腔，接着依序再次漱口、洗鼻，全程不应超过5分钟，他建议大众使用低剂量盐水即可，高剂量盐水相对较不舒服。他自己也用过此法，呼吸情况改善，2次感染均未住院。研究成果上周发表于美国过敏气喘免疫学会（American College ofAllergy, Asthma & Immunology，ACAAI）年会。
过敏症专科医师、美国过敏气喘免疫学会发言人鲁宾（Zach Rubin）说：「这是一种低风险但小有益处的干预手段，有助于减轻鼻塞、流鼻水、鼻涕倒流、鼻窦疼痛、鼻窦压力。」亚利桑那州梅约医院过敏、气喘和临床免疫学主任兰克 （Matthew Rank）则说，目前证据仍不足以推荐这种方法治疗感染，但患者使用此法蒙受的危害很低。
今年6月《公卫尖端》（Frontiers in Public Health）曾指，盐水漱喉洗鼻可清除普通感冒、上呼吸道感染、新冠病毒，以缓解症状。
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