Texas: Salt water gargling in Covid may reduce patient’s chances of hospitalization.

In a study presented last week, researchers examined the effects of saline gargling and nasal irrigation on covid symptoms and hospitalization rates in patients.

The study found that those who gargled or cleaned their nose with salt water had a 40 percent lower rate of hospitalization than those who did not gargle with salt water.
Dr. Jimmy Spinoza, a professor from the University of Texas and the author of the study,

said that the aim of the study was to see the improvement of respiratory symptoms related to Covid with the practice of gargling and nasal cleaning.

He said that both methods were seen to be associated with a reduction in hospitalization rates.

In the study, the team of researchers examined 9,398 people between 18 and 65 years of age who tested positive for Covid-19 PCR between 2020 and 2022. Of these, 58 individuals were selected to undergo a low- or high-salt solution in 236 ml of lukewarm water.

2.13 grams of salt (about one-third of a teaspoon) were added to the low-dose solution, and six grams of salt (about one-half teaspoon) to the high-dose solution.

The participants cleaned their throats and noses with this solution four times a day for 14 days.

Nasal cleansing involves passing a solution through the nasal passages to clear the stuff from inside the nose.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this is done by tilting the head to the right or left over the sink and blowing the solution rapidly through the nostrils.