Doubts about the Effectiveness of Baking Soda Inhalation on Improving Respiratory Symptoms in COVID-19 Patients: A Review Article

Inhalation of nebulized baking soda (NaHco3) has been effective for reducing from inflammation intensity in some respiratory disorders. COVID-19 infection may result in ARDS through activation of inflammatory factors and has no certain treatment. Some time in cyberspace, inhalation of baking soda vapor has been recommended in order to prevent the development of COVID-19. The present study intends to answer this question that may inhalation of baking soda vapor be effective to control respiratory symptoms in COVID-19 patients?

This is a review study. Searching key words in valid scientific databases and collecting contents related to the topic and finally qualitative analysis was the method of this study.

Through using nebulized drugs, aerosols enter to respiratory tract. According to particle size, some other physical characters and also respiratory tract factors, particles deposition in respiratory tract is different. In traditional (homemade) steam inhalation, aerosols are not produced and water vapor and vapor of other soluble substances, if they have the ability to evaporate in thus situation, enter to the respiratory tract. According to some studies, nebulized baking soda inhalation, not vapor of its solution in water, has reduced respiratory tract inflammation through elevating airway pH, increasing airway blood flow and reducing sputum viscosity, successfully. Evaporating of baking soda solution during traditional steam inhalation, result in producing carbon dioxide and water and there is no NaHco3 molecule in vapor.

No Sodium Bicarbonate molecule is produced from evaporating of NaHco3 solution through traditional (homemade) steam inhalation of baking soda; so, despite of nebulized baking soda which has NaHco3 molecule, evaporated baking soda solution could not show anti-inflammatory effects; so, theoretically, steam inhalation of baking soda could not be effective in COVID-19 infection. On the other hand, using inhaled drugs in COVID-19 infection may lead to further spread of the disease. So, using inhaled nebulized baking soda in COVID-19 patients should be studied for both its efficacy and its safety.