Help & Advice
Breathe Easy
When feeling congested it’s easy to resort to breathing through your mouth, but did you know that could be making your congestion worse and even increase the likelihood of catching colds and chest infections?
That’s because, according to GP, Dr Roger Henderson1, the nose produces a gas called nitric oxide which is both anti-viral and anti-bacterial – so can help fend off nasty bugs2. So, even when bunged up, it’s best to try and breathe in and out through your nose.
According to our recent survey3, 13%3 of British adults typically breathe through their mouths, and this increases to 18%3 when asleep. And of these self-confessed mouth-breathers, nearly one in three (31%)3 admit they experience nasal congestion often, with 38%3 saying it keeps them up at night.
To help the nation breathe easy, we asked leading GP, Dr Roger Henderson1 what effect nasal breathing can have in our fight against congestion. Read the Olbas Breathe Easy Guide here which offers tips to help big and little noses when congestion hits.
The Nose Knows
The winter months are when cases of the cold and flu soar, so why not check our previous report which reveals the nation’s cold culture.
Keep all medicines out of the sight and reach of children. Always read the label.
1Please note healthcare professionals named in this article do not endorse Olbas or its products. Olbas Oil, Olbas for Children and Olbas Inhaler are licensed medicines for the relief of congestion. Always read the label.
2The potential of nitric oxide releasing therapies as antimicrobial agents - PMC (nih.gov).
3‘Mouth Breathing’ survey, conducted in September 2023 with OnePoll with 2,000 UK respondents.
We all have different ways of dealing with a cold – but what does our Cold Culture look like in 2022 and beyond?
Did you know 68% of people take more measures now to prevent catching a cold than they did before the pandemic? Our latest report polling 100 people from the 20 biggest UK cities in September/October 2022, provides a complete guide to the UK’s Cold Culture, our behaviour and attitude towards winter ailments in a post-pandemic world, and what tricks and treatments have stood the test of time.
According to our survey Londoners are more likely to catch a cold than any other city in the UK. Our interactive map reveals the cities that catch the most and least colds per year as well as the symptoms each area of the UK finds most difficult to live with.
In addition to our latest report, please feel free to browse our past seasonal research findings.
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Read the Olbas Breathe Easy Everyday Report for insight into how our memory, learning and experiences can all be influenced by our sense of smell. Our poll of 2,000 UK adults in 2021, revealed particular smells can have a nostalgic effect with a whiff of freshly cut grass, a roast dinner and crayons as the top scents which cast our minds back to childhood.
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The Olbas Here To Help Care Report provides an overview of who we go to for help and the psychological benefits of such a network. Friends, colleagues, partners, and dads all have their role, but it is mum who is at the very core of most support networks, particularly when we enter parenthood. Based on insight from 2,000 UK adults in 2020.
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And finally, the Olbas Family Nose Best Care Report for intergenerational advice on how to take care of your family’s sniffles and snuffles this cold season. Over a quarter of people will actively seek out their family’s advice to treat the common cold, with 64% of those surveyed saying they used a home treatment because they heard about it from a member of their family. Based on insight from 2,000 UK adults in 2019.
*Both Dr Rudkin and Dr Henderson are independent experts and do not endorse specific medicinal products.
For congestion. Olbas for children from 3 months.
Always read the label.