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Saline Rinses & Neti-Pots Work for Flu & Cold
March 2, 2009 at 3:30 PM by Cafe Kristen - Comments (12)
It's generally not advisable to put things in your nose, from marbles to remote controls to illegal substances.
But there is one thing doctors--and Oprah--have been telling us to shove up nostrils: A saline rinse when you're sick.
Right now, it's flu season, and activity is high. Or maybe you're like the rest of us, and someone in your house has a runny nose.
A saline rinse or a neti pot is a totally economical and holistic way to deal with snot. Saline rinses can make you feel better whenever your nose is runny due to flu, cold, allergies or sinus infections, explains Dr. Jordan S. Josephson, director of the New York Nasal and Sinus Center.
They can relieve sore throats, moisturize irritated nasal cavities and loosen dry mucus.
Here are Dr. Josephson's tips for actually doing a saline rinse:
- Carry saline spray like Goldberger's saline or AYR spray in your purse or pocket. Or make your own solution with these instructions.
- Spray a few drops in each nostril multiple times per day.
- As you spray saline into your nose, sniff in.
- Breathe in and out through your nose slowly after each spray saline.
So what's this thing called a neti pot? It's a Ayurvedic nasal irrigation system that looks like a little teapot. I've seen them at all the major drug stores. Here's how Dr. Josephson says to use it:
- Fill the neti pot with salt and water according to the directions it came with. Different companies sell packets with the right amount of salt. Shake the salt and water to mix the solution properly.
- Lean your head over the sink with your head bent down so you are looking directly into the basin. Proper head position allows solution to flow through the nose by gravity.
- Holding the neti pot in your right hand (or your left hand), gently insert the spout into your right nostril so that it forms a comfortable seal. Breathe through an open mouth.
- Rotate your head so that the right nostril is directly above the left nostril. The forehead should remain higher than the chin. Raise the handle of the pot so the solution enters the nostril. In a few moments, the solution will begin to drain out of the left nostril into the sink. Do not inhale or snort the solution into the nose. Breath through your mouth.
- When the pot is empty, exhale through both nostrils one at a time while sealing the other to clear them of excess mucus and solution.
- Then do toe touches with your head down and then turn your head from side to side. Stand up and again blow your nose out over the sink one at a time while compressing the other nostril. When you stand up you may feel a rush of saline as it frees itself from the deep recesses of your sinuses. Gently blow your nose into a tissue.
- Repeat the procedure on the other side.
Also, check out these 6 Holistic Remedies I Use on My Kids. Have you ever tried a saline rinse or a neti pot? What do you think?
FILED UNDER: allergies, alternative medicine, cold & flu, drugs, illness, products, recession guide
Comments:
I love my neti pot!! It works so well and I recently got my husband into using it too when he was sick. Now, he's told all his friends at work about it and they all went out and bought them too! Lol.
BTW... it did take me a couple tries to get used to it so don't be discouraged. I kept trying to swallow out of habit I guess. eeewwww
I swear by my neti pot.
I use a Neti pot religiously. After moving to Washington, I had to get on Claritin AND Flonase because my sinus pain and congestion was so bad. After getting a Neti pot, I no longer take EITHER medication.
Honestly, everyone should have one of these, and should use it LONG before they try medications. Now if only my 5 year old and hubby would try it... they're both adamantly against it, just for the weirdness factor. :)
By the way, your instructions are different than the other instructions I've seen. After you're out of water, or after you feel done, you're supposed to sniff very gently, and then gently blow your nose WITHOUT plugging the side. You don't want to tilt your head upside down because that'll just put any mucous and leaking saline back up into your sinuses. That kinda defeats the purpose. ;) Another very important thing is the water temperature. You want it as close to the temperature inside your mouth as you can get it. You want it warm. Cold will burn and make you feel like you're drowning, and you obviously do not want hot water.
I love my Sinus Cleanse bottle! I use that thing daily!
Saline rinses have been in steady use here for a few months now. Nothing else works as well without knocking me out cold.
I just bought a Neti pot at Walgreens for $6.99. They have a coupon for this week $5 off. So far so good. I've been wanting to get one since I saw it on Oprah a couple yrs ago and with the coupon I was finally able to get one.
3 cheers for nasal irrigation! For what it is worth, you don't have to use a neti pot. You can use a plastic ketchup/mustard dispenser, a syringe, or anything else with a spout that will completely close off your nostril.
I'm a neti pot lover too! I have really bad allergies and my stepson had a lot of sinus problems. We both use the neti pot and are drug free.
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wow i have never seen this before!! looks kinda gross lol but proabably works well.
Wow2boyz Mar. 2, 2009 at 3:57 PM