Preventing respiratory infections by using the nose.

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I had an unfortunate anaphylactic reaction to the influenza vaccine in 1979, and it prompted me to search for a non-pharmacological way to prevent respiratory tract infections (RTIs), using the internal nasal valves and the innate immune system. The anatomy and physics of the internal nasal valves, using Bernoulli’s principle, can produce a Venturi effect and suction out the pathogen-laden secretions of the nasal cavities, sinuses, nasolacrimal ducts, and Eustachian tubes. And, on swallowing, the acid, enzymes, and the very effective innate immune system in the stomach can neutralize these pathogens. My self-experimentation describes The Internal Nasal Valves (INVals) Method developed by me for RTIs’ prevention in 1979, and its regular practice since with full compliance and discipline. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic provided me with an opportunity for self-experimentation to perform a trial of The INVals Method on myself despite my age of 73 years and the possibility of highly adverse outcomes. I observed, enjoyed, and was impressed with the benefits of The INVals Method during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of this writing, I have not suffered from any RTIs since using The INVals Method from 1979. My experiment is a real-world experiment and suggests that The INVals Method may help prevent RTIs and be an ally and complement to the vaccines. Further investigations to test, retest, and test more of my experiment with rigorous randomized controlled trials (RCTs)/cohort RCTs/cluster randomized trials are warranted to support my results. If future research proves my results are correct and meaningful, it may have a broader clinical impact across medicine as an ally of vaccines, especially in the developing countries where there can be lag period in acquisition and administration of vaccines.

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