An £8 nasal spray helps you recover faster from a cold, a major new study claims... but virus experts say there's a simple method you can follow to get the same result at a fraction of the cost

An £8 nasal spray helps you recover faster from a cold, a major new study claims...

but virus experts say there's a simple method you can follow to get the same result at a fraction of the cost By Chris Pollard Published: 15:09, 12 July 2024 | Updated: 15:10, 12 July 2024 e-mail View comments Expensive branded nasal sprays cut the length of a cold by at least three days, a major trial found — but a cheap homemade alternative can be just as effective. Scientists compared Vicks First Defence, which claims to 'stop a cold in its tracks' and costs £8 a bottle, with a simple saline nasal spray. They found that both sprays slashed the length of time that patients felt unwell when used in the early stages of an infection.

But the pricey Vicks version did not fare any better than the saline one, which can be made at home from boiled tap water, salt and a pinch of baking soda. The trial, conducted by Southampton University and published in the Lancet journal, studied 19,475 people over three winters. Half of them came down with a cold at some point during the trial.

Nasal sprays can reduce the length of a cold by at three days, if used three times a day. Researchers believe they could be twice as effective if used six times a day The researchers found Vicks First Defence was very effective at fighting colds, but the simple saline solution spray worked just as well Those who used the sprays did so three times a day when they had a tickle in their nose, and got better in 12 days. Pe.