Saline solution: what is it and how to use?

If you’ve ever felt like your sinuses are blocked, you may have found that taking a deep breath in seawater can provide relief. Although the feeling is a bit unpleasant at first, you would definitely find that your breathing was much more pleasant and easy afterwards.

For this reason, saline products as well as neti pots were created, with the aim of having a cleaner nose and comfortable breathing, quickly and easily at home.

Saline solution: What is it?

It is a completely natural and safe product, which can be used for our daily hygiene and care. It is 100% sterile, contains no preservatives and can be used for many actions. It is a sodium chloride solution.

Saline is recommended by both pediatricians and doctors and is mainly used to clean and moisturize the nasal mucosa. In addition, the ampoules are easy to carry and use, so you can take them with you everywhere. So, physiological serum is the ultimate choice for the hygienic care and cleanliness of the whole family!

In what forms does it exist?

Although the most familiar form of saline is ampoules, there are others that can contribute to our overall health. A very good choice are Clinofar ampoules, which are safe, hygienic and suitable for babies, as well.

• Spray

You can use seawater nasal sprays to clear the nasal cavities and improve breathing. There are options suitable for everyone, even babies and children.

• Bottle

The ideal form for nasal washes, to clean and moisturize your contact lenses and for washing/cleaning wounds.

• Seawater

Sea water, in addition to a 0.9% aqueous solution of sodium chloride, also contains additional minerals and elements, such as magnesium, calcium and zinc, and therefore has an additional anti-inflammatory effect.

• Hospital serum

Hospital serum is an aqueous solution of 0.9% sodium chloride, so it is normal saline. There are other solutions that have other ingredients, which specialists adjust according to the needs of the patients.

Depending on the needs of the patients, there is the possibility of intravenous use of serum at home. One of the most common types of intravenous fluids to rehydrate the patient at home is saline (N/S 0.9%).

Saline: How is it used?

• Nose hygiene

If your stuffy nose is making it difficult to breathe, saline will help you clear the mucus easily. Ampoules can help to liquefy mucus so it is easier to drain if you have congestion, sinusitis or allergic rhinitis.

• Eye hygiene (for contact lenses)

Clean your contact lenses easily and quickly, with saline ampoules! It is the ideal choice in case you have run out of contact lens liquid and are looking for a good alternative option for cleaning and moisturizing your lenses.

For infants, you can use saline in an ampoule to remove nits from their eyes. Caution: You should not touch the eye with the saline. If there is excess fluid, use a sterile gauze pad to collect it.

• Clear ears

The cleaning of our ears is equally important for our daily hygiene. Use a cotton swab, cotton or gauze soaked in saline to clean the outside of the ears, as well as the folds. This will help to remove dust, lint and germs that can lead to infections, irritations and/or allergies. Don’t forget that you shouldn’t put saline into the ear canal, just clean the outside of the ears.

• Cleansing wounds and injuries

The ideal solution to clean wounds and wounds, regardless of the cause! Normal saline is the safe choice because the content of the ampoule are 100% sterile.

• Nasal cleaning and use of an obturator for infants

If you have trouble clearing the baby’s nose, use saline in combination with an infant nasal plug. This device fits perfectly in the baby’s nostrils, while at the same time it immediately and painlessly cleans the nose of nasal secretions.

Why is it important to use saline?

The frequent use of saline can help to liquefy nasal secretions, as well as our general cleanliness and daily care.

By keeping our nose clean, we can prevent colds as well as relieve rhinitis.

Isotonic Vs hypertonic saline solution

For the daily cleaning of our nose and the prevention of colds, isotonic solutions are used.

If we already have a cold and need nasal decongestion, then hypertonic solutions are the best solution.

Saline for babies and children

Cleaning the nose can help babies and children get fewer ear infections. It is a fact that the nose has the ability to clean itself, when it is working properly, but this happens after the age of 3 months. As infants and children do not know how to clear their nose (to get rid of excess mucus), this may lead to various diseases and conditions, such as otitis.

It is the perfect choice and a useful ally for every parent to deal with nasal congestion in newborns, infants and children with saline. If you notice that your baby is very congested, you should clean his nose once a day.

How do we use saline solution in baby’s nose?

Use an ampoule for the infant’s nasal hygiene.

Step 1: Tilt the infant’s head back.

Step 2: Place the ampoule gently on the tip of one nostril and squeeze gently.

Step 3: Continue this process in the other nostril.

Step 4: Lift the baby’s head so that the mucous secretions run out and wipe away the excess.

Attention: Gently press the ampoule, to make the process easier and safer for the baby.

If the baby’s nose is particularly stuffy, you can use a nasal obstruction device, specially designed for babies.

Saline for adults

Although saline is a useful option for any parent, it can also be used by adults for daily hygiene and care of the nose, ears and eyes. Use isotonic solution for daily cleaning of your nose and hypertonic, in case you have a stuffy nose.

Neti pot: The alternative from India, for a clean nose

It is an ancient practice that has its roots in Ayurveda, an Indian traditional system of medicine. A neti pot is a specially designed container, which channels salt water into the nasal cavities from one nostril to the other, to relieve nasal congestion.

Proponents of the technique report that it is particularly effective in cases of allergic rhinitis and increased nasal congestion. In addition, some of them report that the neti pot technique has helped them better control their allergies, as well as significantly improving their quality of life.

Discover at Vita4you.gr a ​​wide variety of saline solutions!

Sources 

1. Γιατί είναι σημαντικό να χρησιμοποιούμε ορό ή θαλασσινό νερό;
2. Πως καθαρίζουμε τη μυτούλα και τα αυτάκια του μωρού μας;
3. Nasal Irrigation and Neti Pots