4 ms·

I use a similar nasal spray for allergies (Becodefence). Basically a physical barrier coating the nasal passages. For me and my allergies, it's super effective.

I use a similar nasal spray for allergies (Becodefence). Basically a physical barrier coating the nasal passages. For me and my allergies, it's super effective. Never thought about using it to block viral infections, but it makes sense: coating the nasal passages with artificial "mucus-like substance" so particles don't reach the membranes. Makes total sense that approach also work for viruses.

Nux 2y ago
Does it affect the sense of smell?
- b112 2y ago
  And, an artificial mucus makes me wonder if one feels as if they constantly need to blow their nose? Still, neat.
  - xelamonster 2y ago
    That was my first thought, sounds uncomfortable. Hopefully you'd just get used it though and to be fair, it's definitely less uncomfortable than dying from preventable diseases.
btbuildem 2y ago
Interesting! What are the sensations / side effects?
pkaye 2y ago
I wonder if there is something like this in the US? As an kidney transplant patient with immunosuppression, I've been super cautious to being in crowds without a mask. I feel like something like this might give me more reassurance if I'm meeting friends and family at parties and events without a mask.
- PaulDavisThe1st 2y ago
  Beclometasone nasal spray is what you're looking for. It's sort of expensive ... looks like $250-$350 per package.
  - mikelward 2y ago
    You can get fluticasone much cheaper, it's also a nasal steroid. It also gets higher ratings on https://www.drugs.com/compare/beclomethasone-vs-fluticasone https://www.drugs.com/compare/beclomethasone-vs-fluticasone for whatever that's worth.
  - HPsquared 2y ago
    Beclometasone is very cheap in the UK at least. Very surprised to hear that price?!
- mikelward 2y ago
  From the studies I read, xylitol and saline was effective. One such product is called Xlear in the US. It sounds like Becodefence also has a nasal steroid? If so, possibly combine with something like Flonase/fluticasone?
Emoticon4032 2y ago
A couple of decades ago, I was on a commercial aircraft and sat next to a man who occasionally puffed something into his nostrils. It turned out that he was a researcher at Ft. Detrick, and he explained that keeping your nasal passages moist with saline spray helped to keep out germs. I’ve been using saline sprays ever since!
- tshaddox 2y ago
  That’s one of the leading explanations for why flu outbreaks are seasonal. Years ago I was rather surprised to realize that we kinda just don’t know.
- AStonesThrow 2y ago
  That, I am afraid, sounds like utter BS. Consider the mechanical action at play here. (If you will delve into gross sticky nose stuff.) First, nasal mucus is thicker, more viscous than saline spray. It's produced in normal quantities by healthy people, but that production increases when infections or allergies happen, naturally. By diluting mucus, and making it runny and watery, you're going to defeat its purpose, which is to trap various debris as you inhale, and stop it penetrating further into the nose and body. So now your mucus defenses are down, yet you've got a little puffer in hand, constantly forcing saline upwards into the nose, more powerfully than simple inhalations. That very upwards and inwards motion is going to force stuff into your body that didn't want to go there, including germs! It's absolutely counterproductive and sounds like quackery. Now, if you already detected irritation or allergies based on foreign objects or germs, for example by discolored or thickened mucus, or more than usual, and then you proceed to carefully flush your passages with saline, Neti pot style, allowing it to drain away and out of the nose and sinuses, that would be somewhat effect, but you'd need to be careflu that you're not forcing it inwards. I mean, that is exactly what a runny nose is for during a cold. Don't thwart a runny nose, just clean it away regularly and work with those natural defenses! UGH! (For that matter, don't aggressively attack mild fevers, because fevers are part of an immune response, not the lethal brain-cooking threat we all fear.) I wonder if this military researcher was consciously aware that he was spreading misinformation to ordinary civilians... hmm
  - 2y ago
mikelward 2y ago
Any reason this spray in particular? Thoughts on Vicks First Defence, Lemsip First Action, etc.?

Nux 2y ago

Does it affect the sense of smell?

b112 2y ago
And, an artificial mucus makes me wonder if one feels as if they constantly need to blow their nose? Still, neat.
- xelamonster 2y ago
  That was my first thought, sounds uncomfortable. Hopefully you'd just get used it though and to be fair, it's definitely less uncomfortable than dying from preventable diseases.

btbuildem 2y ago

Interesting! What are the sensations / side effects?

pkaye 2y ago

I wonder if there is something like this in the US? As an kidney transplant patient with immunosuppression, I've been super cautious to being in crowds without a mask. I feel like something like this might give me more reassurance if I'm meeting friends and family at parties and events without a mask.

PaulDavisThe1st 2y ago
Beclometasone nasal spray is what you're looking for. It's sort of expensive ... looks like $250-$350 per package.
- mikelward 2y ago
  You can get fluticasone much cheaper, it's also a nasal steroid. It also gets higher ratings on https://www.drugs.com/compare/beclomethasone-vs-fluticasone https://www.drugs.com/compare/beclomethasone-vs-fluticasone for whatever that's worth.
- HPsquared 2y ago
  Beclometasone is very cheap in the UK at least. Very surprised to hear that price?!
mikelward 2y ago
From the studies I read, xylitol and saline was effective. One such product is called Xlear in the US. It sounds like Becodefence also has a nasal steroid? If so, possibly combine with something like Flonase/fluticasone?

Emoticon4032 2y ago

A couple of decades ago, I was on a commercial aircraft and sat next to a man who occasionally puffed something into his nostrils. It turned out that he was a researcher at Ft. Detrick, and he explained that keeping your nasal passages moist with saline spray helped to keep out germs. I’ve been using saline sprays ever since!

tshaddox 2y ago
That’s one of the leading explanations for why flu outbreaks are seasonal. Years ago I was rather surprised to realize that we kinda just don’t know.
AStonesThrow 2y ago
That, I am afraid, sounds like utter BS. Consider the mechanical action at play here. (If you will delve into gross sticky nose stuff.) First, nasal mucus is thicker, more viscous than saline spray. It's produced in normal quantities by healthy people, but that production increases when infections or allergies happen, naturally. By diluting mucus, and making it runny and watery, you're going to defeat its purpose, which is to trap various debris as you inhale, and stop it penetrating further into the nose and body. So now your mucus defenses are down, yet you've got a little puffer in hand, constantly forcing saline upwards into the nose, more powerfully than simple inhalations. That very upwards and inwards motion is going to force stuff into your body that didn't want to go there, including germs! It's absolutely counterproductive and sounds like quackery. Now, if you already detected irritation or allergies based on foreign objects or germs, for example by discolored or thickened mucus, or more than usual, and then you proceed to carefully flush your passages with saline, Neti pot style, allowing it to drain away and out of the nose and sinuses, that would be somewhat effect, but you'd need to be careflu that you're not forcing it inwards. I mean, that is exactly what a runny nose is for during a cold. Don't thwart a runny nose, just clean it away regularly and work with those natural defenses! UGH! (For that matter, don't aggressively attack mild fevers, because fevers are part of an immune response, not the lethal brain-cooking threat we all fear.) I wonder if this military researcher was consciously aware that he was spreading misinformation to ordinary civilians... hmm
- 2y ago

mikelward 2y ago

Any reason this spray in particular? Thoughts on Vicks First Defence, Lemsip First Action, etc.?