COLD: DO NOSEPLUGS PREVENT CONTAMINATION?

The most important things in brief

• Since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, we have known how well filters help to keep viruses out.
• We are of course talking about FFP2 masks.
• Nose plugs are also a type of filter. They are designed to help protect us from unpleasant odors.
• But do they also prevent infection from a cold?

When the Covid-19 pandemic spread across Europe in the first months of 2020 and claimed many lives, some countries began to impose a mask requirement. Elsewhere, it was more voluntary. But the measure of wearing masks was by no means met with approval everywhere. However, after a certain time it became apparent that FFP2 masks significantly reduced the risk of infection. And nose plugs? Do they perhaps prevent infection with cold viruses?

First of all, it's about a different type of protection

More on that later, first of all let's look at those characteristics of nasal plugs that are obvious and for which they are bought in most cases. To do this, we imagine that there are people who are exposed to unpleasant odors day in and day out at work. This can be in waste disposal, such as garbage collection, or in construction, in hospitals or in dealing with the deceased. People who work in the rescue service, in the fire brigade, in the care of old and sick people or, of course, in the police force, are often exposed to extremely unpleasant aromas. Nose plugs are first advertised as protecting those who use them from bad odors - in a discreet way. This means that the plugs are not visible to others. And also not audible, by the way, because the breathing should not be affected by the plugs.

Noseplugs with additives

In the best case, the plugs unobtrusively widen the nostrils, allowing more air to flow through. Some manufacturers offer nasal plugs with additives, such as those with a menthol scent. This should ensure that breathing works even better - the essential oils contained in menthol ensure this. But do nose plugs also prevent infection with cold viruses? The answer is yes. Because there are plugs with lamellae that contain silver ions - and these lamellae filter the viruses from the air we breathe. This should reduce the risk of infection by 93 percent. There are also plugs that are suitable for allergy sufferers. These close very tightly and filter substances from the air that trigger allergies, such as mould, pollen, dust and animal hair.

Nose plugs don't help if your nose is already running

A common misconception is that nasal plugs are a kind of barrier that prevent nasal mucus from escaping when the nose is runny. And even if it were, the slime would back up. It doesn't take much imagination to imagine that this can't be a solution... That's why nose plugs should only be used when it's a matter of keeping bad smells out or even turning them into pleasant aromas with the addition of menthol. And plugs with the appropriate fins can even protect against viruses, but also allergy-causing particles such as animal hair and pollen, as well as mold and dust, reaching the mucous membranes.