‘Tis the season for pumpkin spice lattes, apple picking — and respiratory infections.

November marks the traditional ramp-up phase of the annual respiratory illness season in the US, increasing the chances of germs wreaking havoc on our bodies. The most frequent culprits are upper respiratory infections (URIs) like colds and sinus issues, which hit everything above the vocal cords with all-too-familiar symptoms, from congestion to a scratchy throat.

But a new study has found an easy way to lower your chances of developing URI symptoms altogether. Better yet, it involves stacking a simple, minutes-long habit onto one that you’re likely already doing every day.

URI symptoms are a nuisance both physically and cognitively.

The drop in cognitive performance during severe flu-like illnesses have been likened to the level of impairment caused by alcohol depravation, while nasal congestion and post-nasal drip often lead to fragmented sleep and subsequent daytime fatigue.

Given that hygiene measures like handwashing are proven shields against viral infections, a team of researchers in Brazil wanted to see if targeting the entire oral cavity with an antimicrobial agent could prevent the onset of upper respiratory symptoms.

Their study, published in Brazilian Oral Research, found that pairing toothbrushing with mouthwash or oral spray has the potential to significantly reduce the incidence of these symptoms.

The researchers tracked 205 participants, ages 18 to 69, split into three groups: a control group that brushed twice daily for two minutes with a standard fluoride toothpaste; a “gargling group” that added a twice daily mouthwash routine; and an oral spray group that used an oral spray twice daily alongside brushing.

Both the mouthwash and spray contained cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), a safe, inexpensive and widely accessible antiseptic well-studied and known for its antibacterial and potential antiviral properties.

Over the three-month study, participants kept a daily diary to report how sick they felt. If they developed symptoms, they filled out a Severity of Cold Symptoms questionnaire.

Upon analyzing the diaries, the researchers found boosting regular brushing with either gargling or an oral spray reduced both the incidence and severity of upper respiratory symptoms.

In fact, the gargling and oral spray groups reported approximately 20% fewer days with respiratory symptoms compared to the control group.

Symptoms like a runny nose, sneezing, coughing and fatigue were notably worse in the control group, as were a plugged nose, scratchy throat, hoarseness and head congestion. However, occurrences of sore throats and chest congestion did not differ among the groups.

When evaluating how these symptoms impacted daily life, researchers observed that the oral spray group was much more likely “to interact with others” and “live your personal life” than the other cohorts.

But, across most other quality-of-life domains — including thinking clearly, sleeping well, breathing easily, working, exercise and daily activity — no statistically significant differences were observed between groups.

The researchers noted several strengths and limitations of their work.

“Among the advantages, it should be emphasized that the study was conducted during the adequate season for studying respiratory diseases,” they wrote, adding that compliance was rigorously checked and the tracking tools accurately reflected reality.

On the flip side, they acknowledged that relying on self-reported diaries leaves room for memory bias. They also pointed out that while daily microbiological sampling of the participants would have been ideal, it was “impossible on a daily basis during an extended period of study.”

Furthermore, lifestyle factors like diet and physical activity were not recorded, which could also influence the results.

“Additional studies in different parts of the world are warranted to confirm this potential benefit of cleaning the posterior region of the mouth and its impact on the occurrence of upper respiratory symptoms,” the authors concluded.