All posts tagged: nasal

Nasal decongestant sprays should not be used for more than five days, medicines watchdog says | UK News

Nasal decongestant sprays should not be used for more than five days, medicines watchdog says | UK News

Published by skeptic

There’s a warning that using a nasal decongestant spray for more than five days could make a blocked nose worse. Using the sprays, which give short-term relief from stuffiness caused by colds, allergies and sinusitis, for longer than that could cause “rebound congestion,” the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on Friday. “Rebound congestion”, also known as rhinitis medicamentosa, is a preventable condition “where symptoms worsen and a cycle of dependency develops on the spray,” the Royal College of Pharmacy (RCP) said. The regulator said that sprays containing xylometazoline and oxymetazoline should be limited “due to adverse effects following prolonged use”. All new packaging and leaflets for such sprays and drops will include a warning not to use for longer than five days, the agency said. But it admitted that, given it will take months to implement the change, patients should follow the new guidance in the meantime. Thao Huynh, head of respiratory imaging and critical care at the MHRA, said: “If your nose is still blocked after five days of using a …

Scientists Intrigued by Nasal Spray That Reverse Brain Aging in Mice, Say It May Work on Humans as Well

Scientists Intrigued by Nasal Spray That Reverse Brain Aging in Mice, Say It May Work on Humans as Well

Published by José Betancourt

Sign up to see the future, today Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech A team of scientists at Texas A&M University say they’ve developed a nasal spray that improves the working memory of older lab mice. They believe the feat works by reducing markers of inflammation, a common feature of aging brains. And, with many caveats, say they suspect that it could one day be used on older humans, as a non-invasive method to tackle adult-onset brain fog and neurological diseases such as dementia. The spray is made up of special biological particles derived from stem cells, the scientists wrote in a new paper published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles. An estimated 69.2 million people worldwide have dementia, and that figure is slated to increase to 82 million in 2030, making the development of this type of medicine urgent. “Our approach redefines what it means to grow old,” Ashok Shetty, neuroscience professor and the paper’s principal investigator, said in a university statement about the research. “We’re aiming for successful brain …

Scientists can now detect early signs of Alzheimer’s through the nose

Scientists can now detect early signs of Alzheimer’s through the nose

Published by Jenni Sidey

A thin brush reaches deep into the upper nose, where smell begins. The motion takes only minutes. What it collects may carry early signs of a disease that usually hides for years. At Duke Health, researchers have tested a nasal swab that captures living nerve and immune cells, then reads their genetic activity for clues tied to Alzheimer’s disease. The approach points to a different kind of diagnostic window, one that opens before memory loss becomes obvious. “We want to be able to confirm Alzheimer’s very early, before damage has a chance to build up in the brain,” said Bradley J. Goldstein, the study’s corresponding author. That timing matters. Brush biopsies as a practical strategy for sampling olfactory epithelium in Alzheimer’s Disease. (CREDIT: Nature) Where Early Clues Have Been Hard to Find Alzheimer’s affects millions worldwide, yet its earliest phase often slips by unnoticed. By the time symptoms appear, changes in the brain have already taken hold. Current blood tests detect markers that emerge later in the disease process, which limits their usefulness for catching …

New nasal vaccine protects lungs for months against viruses, bacteria, and allergens

New nasal vaccine protects lungs for months against viruses, bacteria, and allergens

Published by Jenni Sidey

A vaccine usually trains your immune system to recognize one target. Here, the target is basically “anything that doesn’t belong in the lungs.” That is the surprising promise behind a new mouse study from Stanford Medicine researchers and collaborators. The team reports an intranasal vaccine formula that protected mice for months against several respiratory viruses, two bacteria that often cause hospital infections, and even an allergen linked to asthma. The findings are published in Science. “I think what we have is a universal vaccine against diverse respiratory threats,” said Bali Pulendran, PhD, the Violetta L. Horton Professor II and a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford. Haibo Zhang, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in Pulendran’s lab, is the study’s lead author. Bali Pulendran, Violetta L. Horton Professor, Director, Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection and Professor of Microbiology and Immunology. (CREDIT: Jim Gensheimer) A different bet than “match the antigen” For more than two centuries, vaccine design has leaned on one big idea: antigen specificity. You show the body a harmless version of a pathogen’s …

Stanford’s New “Universal Vaccine Formula” Nasal Spray Protects Mice Against Stunning Range of Diseases

Stanford’s New “Universal Vaccine Formula” Nasal Spray Protects Mice Against Stunning Range of Diseases

Published by José Betancourt

Stanford Medicine researchers claim they’ve invented a “universal vaccine formula” that protects mice against a wide range of allergens, bacteria, and respiratory viruses. And instead of being administered by injection, the potential cure-all can be taken as a simple nasal spray.   If the formula, detailed in a recent study published in Science, could be applied to humans, it would be game-changer for people vulnerable to seasonal respiratory infections, the authors say. No more repeated trips to the doctor to get the jab; just a few whiffs of the stuff, and you’d be immune to all kinds of lung ailments for months at a time. “Imagine getting a nasal spray in the fall months that protects you from all respiratory viruses including COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and the common cold, as well as bacterial pneumonia and early spring allergens,” study senior author Bali Pulendran, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford Medicine, said in a statement about the work. “That would transform medical practice.” Traditionally, vaccines work by mimicking a specific pathogen so that …

Nasal spray could prevent infections from any flu strain

Nasal spray could prevent infections from any flu strain

Published by skeptic

Nasal sprays target flu viruses at their main point of entry into the body Tatiana Maksimova/Getty Images An antibody nasal spray has shown promise for protecting against flu in preliminary human trials, after first being validated in mice and monkeys. It may be useful for combatting future flu pandemics because it seems to neutralise any kind of influenza virus, including ones that spill over from non-human animals. The main tool we have for stopping the spread of flu is the annual vaccine, which stimulates our immune system to make antibodies against recently circulating strains of influenza virus. However, because influenza strains are constantly morphing, vaccines are only moderately effective. To address this, pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson developed a special antibody called CR9114 that can neutralise any of these strains. It does this by recognising and binding to a part of the virus that always stays the same, regardless of how other parts of it are changing. When CR9114 was initially injected into animals’ bloodstreams, it failed to provide robust protection against flu. This was …

Why do some colds hit harder than others?

Why do some colds hit harder than others?

Published by Jenni Sidey

A common cold can feel like a small thing until it is not. One day you feel fine, and the next you wake up congested, drained, and foggy. You may blame the virus. New research suggests you should also look at your own early defenses. In a paper, researchers report that the body’s first response to rhinovirus often predicts whether you get sick, and how severe symptoms become. Rhinovirus is the most frequent cause of the common cold. It also plays a major role in breathing problems for people with asthma and other long-term lung conditions. “As the number one cause of common colds and a major cause of breathing problems in people with asthma and other chronic lung conditions, rhinoviruses are very important in human health,” said senior author Ellen Foxman of Yale School of Medicine. “This research allowed us to peer into the human nasal lining and see what is happening during rhinovirus infections at both the cellular and molecular levels.” The team’s work focuses on a simple idea with big consequences. The …

Nasal irrigation: The ancient practice proven to shorten your cold by days

Nasal irrigation: The ancient practice proven to shorten your cold by days

Published by Daniella Wilson

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter It starts with a slight scratchiness at the back of your throat. Then, a sneeze. Then coughing, sniffling and full-on congestion, with or without fever, for a few insufferable days. Viral upper respiratory tract infections – also known as the common cold – afflict everyone, typically three times per year, lasting, on average, nine days. Colds don’t respond to antibiotics, and most over-the-counter medications deliver modest results at best. In recent years, research has emerged demonstrating the effectiveness of the ancient practice of nasal saline irrigation in fighting the common cold in both adults and children. Not only does nasal saline irrigation decrease the duration of illness, it also reduces viral transmission to other people, minimizes the need for antibiotics and could even lower a patient’s risk of hospitalization. Better yet, …

The Ancient Art of Nasal Rinsing Might Protect You From a Cold

The Ancient Art of Nasal Rinsing Might Protect You From a Cold

Published by skeptic

On average, the typical American contracts two to three colds per year between September and May, at an estimated cost of around $40 billion to the economy. Effective forms of treating or preventing colds have proven hard to come by, with the majority of over-the-counter medicines yielding modest results; it’s hard to devise a drug that tackles the vast array of viral pathogens that cause them. The need for better respiratory protection during the winter months is clear. It might be found in a practice that dates back thousands of years. The concept of saline nasal irrigation, or bathing the nasal passages with a saltwater solution, is thought to have been introduced as part of Ayurveda, an alternative medicine system that originated in the Indian subcontinent more than 5,000 years ago. Now, modern science is beginning to demonstrate that this ancient practice really does serve as a surprisingly effective shield against many of the seasonal bugs behind the common cold. In 2024, a major new study of nearly 14,000 people funded by the National Institute …