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Heated, humidified air for the common coldSingh M
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SummaryThere is not enough evidence to show if steam inhalation improves or exacerbates nasal congestion when a person has a coldThe congestion from the common cold, arising from swelling of the membranes and thickened mucus inside the nose, has been treated for decades with inhaled steam in the hope this makes the mucus drain away easier. Also there is laboratory evidence that cold virus may be sensitive to heat. However this review found that in some studies, inhaling steam helped symptoms, others did not, so there was not enough evidence to be sure. There were some adverse effects (discomfort or irritation on the nose or lips). No studies included children.
This is a Cochrane review abstract and plain language summary, prepared and maintained by The Cochrane Collaboration, currently published in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008 Issue 3, Copyright © 2008 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.. The full text of the review is available in The Cochrane Library (ISSN 1464-780X).
This version first published online:
July 26. 1999 AbstractBackgroundHeated, humidified air has long been used by common cold sufferers. The theoretical basis is that steam may help congested mucus drain better and heat may destroy cold virus as it does in vitro. ObjectivesTo assess the effects of inhaling heated water vapour (steam), in the treatment of the common cold by comparing symptoms, viral shedding and nasal resistance. Search strategyIn this updated review we searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2005, issue 4); MEDLINE (2003 to December Week 2 2005); EMBASE (July 2003 to September 2005); and Current Contents (current five years). Selection criteriaRandomized controlled trials (RCTs) using heated water vapor in patients with the common cold or volunteers with experimentally induced common cold. Data collection and analysisAll the articles retrieved were initially subjected to a review for inclusion or exclusion criteria. Review articles, editorials and abstracts with inadequate outcome descriptions were excluded. Studies selected for inclusion were subjected to a methodological assessment. Main resultsSix trials were included. Three found benefits of steam for symptom relief with the common cold (odds ratio (OR) 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.31; 0.16 to 0.60; relative risk (RR) 0.56; 95% CI 0.4 to 0.79). Results on symptom indices were equivocal. No studies demonstrated an exacerbation of clinical symptom scores. One USA study demonstrated worsened nasal resistance, while an earlier Israeli one showed improvement. One study examined viral shedding and antibody titres in nasal washings: there was no change of either between treatment and placebo groups. Minor side effects (including discomfort or irritation of the nose) were reported in some studies. Authors' conclusionsSteam inhalation are not recommended in the routine treatment of common cold symptoms until more double-blind RCT trials are conducted. |