Jahnavi Sarma
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Written By: Jahnavi Sarma | Updated : May 8, 2020 4:17 PM IST
Experts say that doing salt-based water gargles and nasal wash (Jal Neti) on a regular basis can prove helpful to the patients in the early stages of the suspected contraction of this deadly virus. @Shutterstock
India has now entered the third phase of lockdown but the surge in confirmed COVID-19 cases show no signs of abating. This highly contagious disease has taken a heavy toll on countries across the world and the situation in India is no different. The entire medical community is today trying desperately to find a solution to this global pandemic. Scientists are working against time to find a cure even as new symptoms appear almost every day to confound experts. In the face of all this, a new study says that yoga may help people fight the infection in the early stages.
According to a new study at SMS Medical College, Jaipur, regular practice of Jal Neti may help you fight off the COVID-19 infection. Researchers say that this yoga therapy may help patients fight against the current pandemic. According to them, doing salt-based water gargles and nasal wash (Jal Neti) on a regular basis can prove helpful to the patients in the early stages of the suspected contraction of this deadly virus. The International journal, Lung India, published this study. But, at the same time, they caution that you must first learn the proper nasal wash technique under excerpt supervision.
Researchers of this study say that just like regular washing of hands, the practice of nose and throat wash may also help in removing or reducing viral load. The cells in throat and mucus in your nasal cavity can convert chloride ion of hypertonic saline to hypochlorous acid (HOCL). This has a potent anti-viral effect. Nasal wash and gargles can also reduce the time length of many illness and also reduce the severity of symptoms of viral diseases as well the amount of viral shedding. And, if the amount of viral shedding comes down, it will automatically reduce the risk of spread of infection.
According to researchers, the medical community is now coming around to using a modified version of Jal Neti to fight the COVID-19 infection. But they concede that further study needs to be done before anything can be said conclusively.
Researchers of the aforementioned study say that even Japan has included gargles alongside facemask and hand washing in the national guidelines for preventive therapy on influenza control. They say that the same can be tried in India to deal with the COVID pandemic.
Experts recommend that you can gargle three times a day, especially after meeting people. As for nasal wash, you must ideally do this on an empty stomach in the morning, according to yoga. But in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, you can also do this after returning home from outside. This is a good and effective preventive measure. But you must first learn the Jal Neti procedure from a certified yoga instructor. Wrong application of the technique may be dangerous and it ca also have adverse repercussions.
