Sinus Rinse

18 years ago

I will preface this by saying that I have had hayfever/allergies all of my life and was diagnosed with asthma about 5 years ago. I have a couple of inhalers, but I just hate the idea of being dependent on them, especially because one of them is a steroid based inhaler. On the other hand, I really enjoy breathing, LOL.

You can stop reading here if you don't want to talk about yucky stuff (my friends and family think it's yucky).

A couple of weeks ago I got an ad in the mail from a new store in our area called Elephant Pharm. Something called a Neti Pot caught my eye and caused me to do a little web search. Apparently it's not something new, but centuries old, but I had never heard about it. Kind of looks like a little teapot and holds about 8 ounces of water (you add salt to the water). I even found a demonstration on YouTube.

The idea is that your sinuses are a filter for the air you breathe and lots of yucky stuff ends up in them. You lean forward over the sink and warm salt water is poured into one nostril, circulates through your sinuses and exits the other nostril, clearing them of dust, pollen and bacteria. I convinced myself that I wanted to give this a try and found one at a local drugstore. But right next to the Neti Pots were another type of sinus rinse using a squeeze bottle. I ended up buying that one. I've made it a part of my morning routine I am amazed at the difference I feel.

I'm wondering how this has been around for so long and I never heard of it. Have any of you heard of sinus rinsing? Do any of you do it?

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Comments (5)

socks
18 years ago
Our school secretary just tried and said it was tremendously helpful when she had terrible head congestion and a cold that just hung on. I also saw the pots at Whole Foods. I have never tried it, but it might help.
carla35
18 years ago
I used a similar contraption that my allergist gave me to help clear me out. I've got to be the only person that has had a bad side effect from using it. About two weeks after daily use, I developed the worst sinus infection of my life. I think the contraption actually caused the bacteria/virus to spread to areas of my sinus cavity that normally would have been spared. For me, it didn't clean out the bacteria just spread it around at least that's what I think happened. I get sinus infections with face pain often, but I have never been in so much sinus/face pain in my life. I woke up in tears and wanted to rip my face off. Obviously, it could have been just one heck of a coincidence... but I have never gone back to using it.
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Hi Theve, You may have already tried the neti pot by the time you read this, but if you havent yet, heres the basics. Use just slightly warmer than lukewarm water. Be sure the salt is all the way dissolved. (Ive found that if theres any burning or discomfort at all, I didnt have quite enough salt in it. If youve got the right solution, you really shouldnt be able to feel it at all.) Lean over a sink looking straight down into it. Tilt your head slightly to one side. Put the neti pot into the "uphill" nostril firmly enough that the water doesnt run out "around the edges." With your mouth slightly open, slowly pour the solution into the one nostril, andafter a seconditll run right back out of the other nostril. The "second delay" is when its filling up the sinus cavitywhich is where it does the good work! Then, without pinching either nostril completely closed, gently blow your nose. Repeat! If Im at all stuffy feeling, I blow my nose before I start, then stop and blow it a few times after doing the solution. Havent yet not felt better when I was done. You can also "snort" some of the solution up into the sinuses, but before I do that, I leave most of the water run out by itself and then stand up straight. When I tried it with a lot of water in my nose, it was getting into the back of my throat too much and choking me! Also, if you tilt your head up a little bit more when youre doing it, some of the solution will actually run out of your mouth! Its really kind of interesting how everythings all hooked together! At least I think it is! Dont know if you will or not! Ill be interested to see if you like it as much as I do, Thkybird
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Allergies
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I have suffered with allergies all my life. Also have allergy enduced asthma. Finally went to an allergist and had the testing done. I have two prescription nasal sprays, Advair and I take one Allegra per day. (I use the Walmart brand Allegra, it's the exact same thing.) The allergist told me for the spring/summer months close the windows. All that pollen and everything else outside that I'm allergic to settles on the screens then gets in the house. She also said, get rid of your carpet and get rid of your dog. Obviously the dog stayed til we lost him at 16 1/2 years old. Ripped out all the carpet, best thing we ever did. I used a sinus rinse when I really need it, it works better than a neti pot. Only use distilled water and the salt packets provided. Here it is..... http://www.walmart.com/ip/10324362?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227001207984&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40753293992&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=54664080816&veh=sem I also use a microwaveable neck wrap. Once heated up you can wrap it around your neck, across your forehead, across your eyes and sinuses. It's like a miracle the relief it gives. This is the one I have.... http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/anti-stress-microwavable-comfort-wrap/1016883620?Keyword=microwaveable+neck+wrap Good luck, allergies are absolutely miserable.
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Have you tried a Neti Pot to clean your sinuses? i kind of scoffed when I first heard of them but one time I was so clogged up I figured it wouldn't hurt to try,and it really helped. I've got s bunch of pre-cancerous spots, too. Once my Medicare kicks in in May, I'll be having the same procedure. I keep picking at them because they are rough, but you can barely see them. I'm also watching The Tudors. I am only on disc two. Henry is trying to get rid of Catherine of Aragon so he can marry Anne Boleyn. The sex scenes are wowza! I forgot this was produced by Showtime, not BBC. I have to laugh because all the naked women have real boobs, no implants. Guess they are being true to the times, although everyone has perfect teeth, so maybe not. I hope you feel better soon.
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Dr. Oz forgot something important.
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Comments (21)
A few weeks prior to the airing of this show, I received an advertisement in the mail for a local store advertising the neti pot. I was intrigued and did some online searching. You can now buy them at Longs Drugs as well. I have asthma and allergies and thought this might benefit me. But during my search I also found a sinus rinse technique using a squeeze bottle and saline and thought it more appealing, because you can vary the pressure with which the water flushes your sinuses. I am so happy to have discovered this and I use it every day. Parhelia, you just lean over the sink and tilt your head in a certain manner and the neti pot just uses gravity to take the water through one nostril, through your sinuses, and out the other nostril. Simple as that. And I totally understand your fear of drowning. I was a bit hesitant at first (I had an older brother who loved dunking me as a kid, and I always felt as if he might succeed in drowning me one day), but I don't get that feeling while using my sinus rinse bottle. Do a search for neti pot and you'll find videos showing people using them. I posted about this a couple of weeks ago on the health forum, but got so few responses that I thought nobody used them. Now I see that I was just posting in the wrong place. Of course, my family thinks I'm crazy, but I told them I don't care. I like to breathe freely.
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Mo
18 years ago
I've been doing nasal irrigation for about eight years. For me, it works better than any pill or decongestant spray, and I no longer use them. When I do need to spray, I just use a saline spray. Washing all that garbage and bacteria from my sinuses relieves the pressure and lets me heal much faster.

I don't have a Neti Pot, I just snort up the solution from a spoon. I've got a couple of those sinus rinse kits, but haven't tried them yet.
bud_wi
18 years ago
Oprah just had a show where a doctor(?) explained them. They had a person from the audience demonstrate the use over a bucket while we all watched. (Eeeeew.)

Supposedly if one does the netti pot daily you can stop taking all the meds for allergies and sinus problems.

I would be afraid to try one, and worried about just what Carla35 said happened to her.

Supposedly using a netti pot is a daily routine in some counties just like brushing and flossing.
mboston_gw
18 years ago
I bought something similiar several years ago, called a nasal douche. I have stuffiness/allergies all the time and will get terrible sinus headaches. You have to get used to using it, not tip your head back as the directions say but to the side and slightly back as the person did on Oprah. I don't use mine all the time but when I feel the tenderness or have a headache that won't go away with one Tyneol, I use it for a few days and it does help.

You have to be careful - the concentration of salt in the water is important. If you don't use enough or any then you dry out your nasal passages and you can end up with another infection. Too much and it burns really bad when you use it.

I think it is a useful product when done right. I have seen the kits and that is now what my allergy doctor recommends since it has the correct % of salt, but they are expensive to my thinking.

Carla - maybe you did push your infection back up further. Did you hold you head back or to the side.

Sinus Rinse

Comments (5)

socks

carla35

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bud_wi

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