Over-the-counter nasal sprays can reduce antibiotic use: University of Bristol Study

The large-scale study was led by the University of Southampton and the University of Bristol and was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Study in UK: A large-scale study was conducted by the University of Bristol in collaboration with the University of Southampton on the effectiveness of using over-the-counter nasal sprays during cold and cough. The study analysed data from around 14,000 adults and found that these nasal sprays are effective in controlling upper respiratory tract infections including sore throat, flu, chest infections, colds and sinus infections.

According to the study, the use of these sprays reduces the days of illness by around 20%, antibiotic use, time-off work or normal activities and it also reduces the number of days with severe symptoms.

Paul Little, Professor in Primary Care Research from the University of Southampton, who led the trial, said, “Our results show nasal sprays work well to reduce the duration and severity of respiratory infections, and the interference with normal activities, which is particularly important in light of the winter infection surge the UK regularly experiences. The important 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, particularly for those at higher risk from infections or those who get recurrent infections, is at the first sign of a cough, sore throat, cold or flu-like symptoms, use a nasal spray to prevent it from developing fully, and to use the sprays preventatively after close exposure to people with infections," added Paul Little.

Lucy Yardley, OBE, Professor of Health Psychology at the Universities of Bristol and Southampton, who led the nasal spray part of the study, said, “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.”

Study on effectiveness of nasal sprays: Details

The researchers recruited 13,799 adult patients from 332 GP practices. The patients were given one of the three interventions - a Vicks-First-Defence gel-based nasal spray, a saline liquid-based nasal spray or an online resource promoting stress management and physical activity.

The study found that all these interventions resulted in a reduction in antibiotic use (25%) and the number of days with more severe symptoms.

"Even though participants did not use the sprays as often as they were asked to, both sprays were shown to reduce the overall illness duration participants experienced by around 20% and resulted in a 20-30 per cent reduction in the days lost of work or normal activity. In comparison, the behavioural physical activity and stress management online advice reduced the incidence of infections by a modest five per cent relative reduction," reads the statement by the University of Bristol.

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