BACKGROUND We undertook a 2X2 factorial, randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess whether vitamin D3 supplementation (10,000 international units per week) versus placebo and gargling versus no gargling could prevent viral, clinical upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in university students. METHODS We randomized 600 students into 4 treatment arms: 1) vitamin D3 and gargling, 2) placeb...

BACKGROUND In Japan, gargling is a generally accepted way of preventing upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). The effectiveness of gargling for preventing URTI has been shown in a randomized controlled trial that compared incidences of URTI between gargling and control groups. From the perspective of the third-party payer, gargling is dominant due to the fact that the costs of gargling are ...

BACKGROUND The anti-influenza virus activity of green tea catechins has been demonstrated in experimental studies, but clinical evidence has been inconclusive. School-aged children play an important role in the infection and spread of influenza in the form of school-based outbreaks. Preventing influenza infection among students is essential for reducing the frequency of epidemics and pandemics....

BACKGROUND One small study suggests that gargling with licorice before induction of anesthesia reduces the risk of postoperative sore throat. Double-lumen tubes are large and thus especially likely to provoke sore throats. We therefore tested the hypothesis that preoperative gargling with licorice solution prevents postoperative sore throat and postextubation coughing in patients intubated with...

BACKGROUND Fever is one of the most common symptoms among children and is usually caused by respiratory infections. Although Japanese health authorities have long recommended gargling to prevent respiratory infections, its effectiveness among children is not clear. METHODS The children in this observational study were enrolled from 145 nursery schools in Fukuoka City, Japan. Children in the e...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effects of gargling tea catechin extracts on the prevention of influenza infection in elderly nursing home residents. DESIGN A prospective study conducted for 3 months from January to March 2005. SETTINGS/LOCATION A nursing home in Japan. SUBJECTS A total of 124 elderly residents of at least 65 years of age were enrolled in the study. Seventy-six residents (83 +...

This study examined the effect of drinking and gargling on thirst perception (TP) in 33 young dehydrated female subjects (18-25 yrs), using the visual analogue scale (VAS). Group A subjects drank, while group B gargled the fluid provided - 0.0%, 0.9% and 1.8% NaCl (7.0 ml/kg body weight of fluid). The procedure was alternated two weeks later. All subjects dehydrated for 18 hours prior to the st...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Volatile sulfur compounds may be the main source of oral malodor. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between periodontal parameters and volatile sulfur compounds and to evaluate the improvement of several halitosis-related outcomes by tongue scraping, nonsurgical periodontal treatment (including oral hygiene instruction) and oral hygiene instruction/c...

Background: This study was performed to evaluate the effects of probiotics on salivary flow rate and pH in children with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) during chemotherapy.   Methods: A randomized clinical trial was conducted on 11 children with ALL on induction and consolidation phases of chemotherapy. At the beginning, clinical examination of the oral mucosa and dental hygiene and intervie...

Studies on how the body senses the need to correct extracellular and intracellular volumes and ionic concentration changes is relatively scanty. The present studies were designed to determine the effect of oral distilled water (DW) and saline loads, gargling with DW and DW preload on thirst perception (TP) and drinking in euhydrate and dehydrated subjects. The subjects were healthy male volunte...