Saline Solution

What is saline solution?

Saline solution is a mixture of water and salt (sodium chloride) that has many different uses for your health. For example, you can use saline solution to rinse out your sinuses. Or you might use it to rinse your contact lenses after disinfecting them.

You can buy saline solution at the store or make it at home. Homemade saline solution can be safe to use in certain situations, like sinus rinsing. You should never use homemade saline solution in your eyes or to rinse your contact lenses. Doing so can lead to serious eye infections.

As with any treatment or home remedy, it’s a good idea to talk to a healthcare provider before using saline solution to make sure it’s appropriate for you.

What is normal saline solution?

Normal saline solution is a mixture of water and salt with a salt concentration of .9%. For every 1 liter (1,000 milliliters) of water, there are 9 grams of salt. Normal saline is one type of IV fluid that healthcare providers give people in a hospital. This is because normal saline and human blood have the same balance of water and salt.

What is saline solution used for?

You can use saline solution to manage a wide range of health concerns from day to day. Below are some common uses.

Saline solution for nose

When you have a stuffy nose, nasal irrigation with saline solution may help you breathe more easily. You might’ve heard of neti pots, bulb syringes and battery-operated pulsed water devices — all of these devices use saline solution to rinse your sinuses.

Saline helps thin the mucus that’s making you stuffy and flushes it out of your nose. You can make your own saline rinse using the powder that comes with your nasal irrigation system. Or, you can make it from scratch using water, salt and baking soda.

Saline solution for eyes

Saline solution is a good option for flushing out your eye to remove debris, insects or other particles that get in there. But this comes with a word of caution: You should always use sterile saline eyewashes you buy from a store or get from a healthcare provider. It’s never safe to use homemade saline solution in your eyes — no matter how clean you think it is. Doing so can lead to an eye infection.

Can I use saline solution for my contacts?

Saline solution isn’t a disinfectant, which means it won’t get rid of germs on your contact lenses. So, you shouldn’t use it in place of a commercial cleaning solution. But you can use saline solution to rinse your contacts after you’ve disinfected them with a proper cleaning solution. 

Just like you shouldn’t use homemade saline solution to flush your eyes, you also shouldn’t use it to rinse your contacts.

Talk to an eye care specialist if you’re unsure about the best ways to clean and maintain your contacts.

Saline solution for wounds

You can use saline solution to cleanse (or irrigate) wounds like cuts or scrapes. Cleansing a wound as soon as possible after it occurs can help remove any debris, like dirt, and lower your risk of infection. For this reason, healthcare providers often recommend including saline wound cleanser in your first-aid kit.

But if you don’t have saline solution available and you get a minor cut or scrape, wash the wound with mild soap and clean, running water without delay. See a healthcare provider if the injury won’t stop bleeding or there are other signs you might need stitches.

Saline solution for piercings

You can use normal saline solution (.9% sodium chloride) to clean the site of a new piercing. Clean the area twice a day to help prevent an infection. Your tattooist or a healthcare provider can give you detailed instructions on how to do this according to the location of your piercing.

Experts recommend using sterile saline that you buy from the store, rather than homemade saline, for cleaning your piercings. Homemade saline may be too salty for delicate piercing sites, leading to dryness and delayed healing. When buying saline solution for piercings, make sure that sodium chloride and purified water are the only ingredients listed. Using mild, fragrance-free soap and water to clean your piercing site is also an option.

Saline solution for nebulizer

People with certain lung conditions, like cystic fibrosis (CF), may benefit from using hypertonic saline solution in a nebulizer to help clear their airways. Hypertonic saline solution has a higher concentration of salt than normal saline. While normal saline contains .9% salt, hypertonic saline contains either 3%, 3.5% or 7% salt.

When you have CF, you need to cough up mucus to get it out of your chest. Otherwise, it can be hard for you to breathe. Your nebulizer turns the liquid saline solution into fine droplets that you inhale. When these droplets (with a high salt concentration) enter your airways, they attract water, which thins your mucus. Thinner mucus is easier for you to cough up and rid from your body.

You should only use nebulized saline under the careful guidance of your healthcare provider.

How do I make saline solution for nasal irrigation?

You can make saline solution to use in your nasal irrigation system by following a few simple steps. Before you start, though, it’s important to know which types of water you can safely use. To make your saline solution, you should use one of the following:

• Distilled or sterile water (the label on the bottle should say one of these words).

OR

• Boiled and cooled tap water. The water must boil for three to five minutes before you cool it for use. You can store any boiled water that’s left over in a clean, sealed container — it’ll be safe to use for the next 24 hours. Spill it out after that point.

Never use water straight from the tap. It contains bacteria and other germs (in low levels) that won’t hurt you when swallowed but can cause serious infections when used for nasal irrigation.

Once you have your water ready, here’s what to do:

1. Mix salt and baking soda (dry ingredients). Combine 3 teaspoons of salt (non-iodized) with 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Use a clean container to mix these dry ingredients together and store the mixture in a small, clean container that fully seals shut (airtight).
2. Combine the dry ingredients with water. Add 1 teaspoon of the dry ingredient mixture to 8 ounces of lukewarm water and stir. You may choose to use less of the salt mixture if you want a weaker solution that’s less likely to burn or sting.
3. Begin irrigating. Follow the instructions that come with your neti pot or other device.

Some nasal irrigation systems come with powder that you simply mix with water to make a saline solution. In this case, you should still only use distilled, sterile or boiled water.

What are the potential benefits of saline solution?

The benefits of saline solution include:

• It’s easy to use.
• It’s generally safe if you follow the instructions on the bottle.
• Making your own is simple and inexpensive.

What are the risks of using saline solution?

Using saline that’s not sterile can lead to infections. When in doubt about how to use saline safely, call a healthcare provider and ask. 

When should I call my healthcare provider?

Call a healthcare provider if:

• You notice any signs of a skin infection, including skin discoloration, swelling or warmth.
• You have signs of an eye infection, including watery eyes, redness, itching, pain or swelling.
• Nasal irrigation isn’t helping your symptoms, or your symptoms are getting worse.
• You have a wound that isn’t healing.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Saline solution is most famous for its role in nasal irrigation, but it has many other uses, too. While you might be tempted to whip up a batch of saline solution and save some money, keep in mind that homemade saline isn’t safe to use in your eyes — and it might irritate new piercing sites if you’re too heavy-handed with salt.

To be on the safe side, talk to a healthcare provider before making or using saline solution. They’ll make sure saline will help in your specific situation and advise you on making versus buying.