Can Nasal Sprays Prevent You From Getting Sick?

January 07, 2026

A young woman holding a bottle of nasal spray

Nasal sprays have shown some promise at preventing viruses from infecting the nasal passages and making you sick. Several sprays have received a lot of attention, but are they effective? University Hospitals University Hospitals ear, nose and throat specialist Sanjeet Rangarajan, MD, shares more.

What the Research Says

Respiratory infections happen when a person breathes in tiny droplets that carry bacteria or viruses. The germs infect the nasal cavity and spread into the respiratory tract, which leads to colds. A variety of nasal sprays, rinses and irrigations, some containing natural products like manuka honey, have been touted to block bacteria and viruses from entering the nasal passages.

One spray is Pathogen Capture and Neutralizing Spray (PCANS), which forms a gel-like coating in the nasal passages designed to block viruses such as COVID-19 and influenza from causing infection. The formulation was tested in mice and 3D models of human nasal passages. The spray effectively blocked germs and prevented infections in mice.

Another study examined azelastine, a commonly used antihistamine nasal spray, for the prevention of COVID-19. People who used the spray had a significantly lower rate of coronavirus infections and fewer cold viruses that participants who received a placebo.

Dr. Rangarajan says both studies were small and limited, and more data is needed before he would recommend the sprays to prevent illness. “We should have cautious optimism. The problem with drawing too much from these studies is they were performed by single institutions, sometimes with many confounding variables,” says Dr. Rangarajan. “Data to support a universal recommendation requires large-scale, real-world studies.”

Natural Approaches

Dr. Rangarajan says there has also been more interest in manuka honey and xylitol, a plant-based natural sugar alcohol, as alternatives to traditional nasal medications.

“There has been some thought that manuka honey, when mixed with nasal irrigation and introduced into the nose, could disrupt clusters of bacteria called biofilms, and maybe interrupt some of processes that lead to nasal infections. Some small studies have shown there could be some benefit,” he says.

“Manuka honey is not regulated by the FDA, however; so there is little quality control over how it is made and processed, making it difficult to measure its impact. With manuka honey, as with azelastine for COVID-19 prevention, there is no evidence from large, randomized studies that this something we should be recommending.”

Similarly, there’s not enough evidence that xylitol can prevent viral infections to recommend it, he says.

Prevention Tips

The most proven methods to reduce the risk of getting sick are precautions like hand washing and vaccination, he says.

“There’s no substitute for good hand hygiene, staying vaccinated, and all the commonsense things that have been proven to prevent contraction and severity of flu, COVID-19 and other viral illnesses.”

While there is no sure-fire way to prevent colds and other viruses, promoting good nasal health and hygiene can help with symptoms. “For someone who has chronic allergies, sinusitis or an anatomical problem that makes it more difficult for them to breathe through their nose, their cold symptoms are going to be worse and more difficult to manage,” says Dr. Rangarajan. “It’s important to maintain a personalized regimen recommended by a physician, such as saline, to promote good nasal hygiene.”

“There’s a lot of evidence that saline sprays and rinses promote nasal health and reduce symptoms when people contract a cold, but they are not intended for prevention in the average person.”