HOW THE NOSE FILTERS IMPURITIES
A well-run system
The nose is a system for washing out impurities and a filter of particles in the air.¹
Our nostrils have many hairs which help prevent harmful substances from entering the nasal passages and delicate lung tissue.²
The impurities get trapped in the sticky nasal mucus inside our noses. The cilia (tiny hair-like structure on the inside of your nose) clears the particles away towards the back of the throat. The particles end up swallowed or coughed out.²
The nose also defends the lower airways from the harmful effects of the breathed-in air by acting as an air conditioner. The nose warms, filters, and humidifies the air so that clean, moist air at a comfortable temperature of 37°C gets right to the lungs.³
What happens when the system fails
Colds and high levels of air impurities can overload the nose,1 , 4 which may result in impaired clearance of inhaled particles.⁵
Here’s the good news
Otrivin Breathe Clean Daily Nasal Cleanser can help you to breathe cleaner everyday. Otrivin Breathe Clean is a natural saline solution, which cleanses, moisturises and soothes the nose, allowing it to function as a natural filter.⁷ Otrivin Breathe Clean can wash away airborne impurities and helps remove mucus, crust and debris.* 1 , 4
* Based on generic nasal saline sprays.
1 Shusterman D. The effects of air pollutants and irritants on the upper airway. Proc Am Thorac Soc 2011; 8(1):101–5.
2 Jones N. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2001;51:5–19
3 Eccles, R. 2009. The nose and control of nasal airflow. In: Adkinson N, Bochner B, Burks A, Busse W, Holgate S, Lemanske R, O'Hehir R, eds. Middleton’s Allergy, Principles and Practice, 8thedn - Vol. 1. Philadelphia: Mosby, 640 – 51
4 Papaioannou AI, et al. In: Bachert C, et al. Eds. The nose and sinuses in respiratory disorders (ERS monograph). Sheffield, UK; European Respiratory Society: 2017: 1–11.
5 CITEPA (Interprofessional Technical Centre for Studies on Air Pollution). Available at: https://www.citepa.org/en/air-and-climate/pollutants-and-ghg/particulate-matter. Last accessed July 2019.
6 WHO. Air pollution news release. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/02-05-2018-9-out-of-10-people-worldwide-breathe-polluted-air-but-more-countries-are-taking-action. Last accessed July 2019
7 Papsin B, McTavish A. Saline nasal irrigation. Its role as an adjunct treatment. Can Fam Physician. 2003; 49:168–73
