The unpredictable harm of improper salt water rinsing

Many people suffering from infections, coughs, and sore throats often have the habit of sucking on coarse salt or gargling with very salty water. However, doctors warn that this habit is extremely dangerous.

Treating salt as a "miracle cure"

Ms. Vu Thi Hoa, residing in Ha Dong, Hanoi, said that she rinses her mouth with salt water almost every day to clean her mouth and prevent nasal and throat diseases.

She mixed her own salt water with a high concentration, thinking that the saltier it was, the more bacteria would die. However, recently she noticed her throat was swollen and red. She gargled as usual, sucking on salt, but the condition didn't improve; in fact, the sores got bigger, causing a sore throat.

Mrs. Hoa underwent a nasopharyngeal endoscopy, where the doctor diagnosed her with pharyngitis and ulcers, and ordered a biopsy due to suspicion that the ulcers might be cancerous. Fortunately, after a week, the biopsy results showed only normal inflammation.

Jeopardize

Discussing this issue, Master of Infectious Diseases Doctor Nguyen Danh Duc said that he encounters many patients with nose and throat-related illnesses every day, especially during the changing seasons like now.

Many patients maintain the habit of gargling with salt water or rinsing their mouths with homemade, very salty solutions, believing that the saltier it is, the better the effect.

Master Duc argues that this practice is truly dangerous because the accumulated salt leads to excess salt in the body, causing cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and limiting calcium absorption.

In addition, the immediate harm is that when salt enters the mouth and throat, it damages and erodes the mucous membrane cells, causing pharyngitis, and when combined with bacteria, it easily leads to infection.

Knowing how to properly prepare salt water for effective mouth rinsing is something not everyone knows.

According to Master Duc, changing weather creates a favorable environment for bacteria to attack the respiratory tract. Many people experience a feeling of itchy throat or coughing and clearing their throats; examination reveals slightly red and irritated throat walls.

Rinsing the nose, mouth, and throat with saline solution helps prevent bacterial infections and has been recommended by many experts and widely used.

However, not everyone knows how to use salt water correctly.

According to Master Duc, when rinsing your mouth, you should pay attention to the rinsing time and rinse your mouth before rinsing your throat. That means rinsing for about 5 minutes, not just rinsing and spitting it out immediately. Ideally, you should rinse with diluted salt water, only slightly saltier than soup.

Specifically, Master Duc advises that when cleaning the throat, one should first rinse the mouth with salt water for about 30 seconds to remove bacteria. If the mouth still feels unclean, repeat the process before rinsing the throat.

When gargling, tilt your head back. When the salt water touches the back of your throat, use your breath to push the water out, creating a regular "gurgling" sound for 3-4 minutes. Spit out the old water. You can repeat this process 3-4 times with fresh salt water until your throat no longer feels irritated.

After rinsing your mouth and throat with diluted salt water, you should rinse again with plain water to wash away any remaining salt and plaque that may have been dislodged during the salt water rinse.

Furthermore, Master Duc also stated that it is advisable to use saline solution that has been prepared to a specific concentration. If you are making your own saline solution, you can use the following ratio: 1 liter of boiled and cooled water mixed with 9g of salt to achieve a concentration of 0.9%.

In cases of acute pharyngitis, prompt and thorough treatment is crucial to prevent complications such as chronic pharyngitis (granular pharyngitis), which can be more difficult to treat later and significantly impact your health.

According to Gia Dinh.net