Mucous, revisited.
Written: Feb 03 '08 (Updated Feb 04 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Inexpensive, durable, highly effective.
Cons: Takes a little time to learn to use it correctly.
The Bottom Line: An even gentler enema for your nose.
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| prfstars's Full Review: Ancient Secrets Neti Nasal Cleansing Pot 1 Pot |
Two years ago, in a review of the Ayr Sinus Rinse Kit, I shared more than you ever wanted to know about my mucous. To make a long story short, nasal irrigation is a good thing. It's alternately called nasal lavage, neti-potting, and sinus irrigation. Whatever you want to call it, it's an ancient yoga practice designed to keep the sinuses clear to facilitate deep breathing for meditation. I don't meditate, but I do suffer from frequent colds. I used to get a sinus infection with every cold, but then I heard a story about nasal irrigation on NPR that changed my life.
This is not alternative, hoodoo medicine. Several scientific studies have supported the efficacy of nasal irrigation over the years, and the ENT I consulted for my sinus infections endorsed it wholeheartedly.
What is nasal irrigation?
First, here's what it's not: that saline spray you squirted into your nose this morning? That's not nasal irrigation. That may help keep things moisturized in your nose, but that's all. Nasal irrigation requires a larger quantity of water-- usually six to eight ounces-- that's poured or squirted up one nostril and allowed to fall from the other.
What solution should I use for nasal irrigation?
I use eight ounces of purified or distilled water, which I warm to body temperature in the microwave. I add 1/2 tsp of pickling/canning salt to avoid the additives in table salt, and then buffer it with 1/4 tsp of baking soda. There is conflicting information out there about the proper salt concentration; some studies indicate that an overly salty solution can damage cilia, but I haven't seen anything definitive at this point. The solution I use is hypertonic, but very gentle. You can experiment with the concentration a little until you find one that's comfortable. It shouldn't burn!
Temperature is very important. I heat water in the microwave, but I test a few drops on my wrist to make sure it's neither too hot nor too cold. It should feel warm and comfortable. If it's too hot or cold, it will feel terrible in your nose.
How do I get all that water up my nose?
There are three basic techniques, and I've used two of them for over two years now.
1. A squirt bottle, like the Ayr product I reviewed a couple of years ago. This is very easy to use. I've used one all week for my ten year old, who's suffering from a bad cold. Squirt bottles are made from soft plastic, and they're very cheap. You can't use just any old squirt bottle, though: you need one with a built-in straw so that it squirts straight up your nose when you hold it upright. They're under $10, and readily available at drugstores, but the plastic eventually degrades in the dishwasher. Unless you buy a bottle brush and wash the squirt bottle thoroughly by hand each time you use it, plan to replace it every two or three months.
We gave an Ayr squirt bottle to my seventy eight year old mother-in-law, and she raves about it.
2. A Nasal Irrigator is a machine that squirts pulsing water into your nose. These are available online through stores like Amazon.com for about $90. Ouch. You can also convert a Water Pik product for this purpose, but look for directions through Google. If you use an unmodified Water Pik tip, you'll get too much pressure. Additionally, it will be too thin to seal your nostril. In addition to the irrigator's high price tag, you need to by replacement heads at regular intervals.
3. A Neti Pot, which has been used by Yoga enthusiasts for centuries, is sort of like a little tea kettle with a very long spout. The spout is shaped to fit inside your nostril and form a seal so that water enters one nostril and only pours out the other. You tilt your head at an angle, pour water up your higher nostril, and let it fall out the lower nostril. This is hard to get used to, but it offers a number of advantages over the other options. If you plan to irrigate your sinuses regularly, then this is by far the cheapest and simplest product in the long run.
Ancient Secrets Neti Pot
From amazon.com:
- The patented Ancient Secrets design is an updated one that provides a better fit, better control and easier use
- It is made from heavy-duty ceramic to be dishwasher safe.
- The step by step illustrated instructions make it easy to use
- Clear the nostrils to free breathing
- Relieve nasal dryness and remove excess mucous
My experience
I used Ayr squirt bottles for months before I bought a neti pot, but when I have the choice, I prefer glass or ceramic to plastic. Plastic degrades over time, especially when it goes through the dishwasher. I was concerned that the neti pot wouldn't be as effective as a squirt bottle, but I was wrong. It's gentler, to be sure, but no less effective.
How to use a neti pot
Once you have your warm, buffered saline solution in the pot, tilt your head to the side over your sink. Lean it forward a bit, too. You want gravity to pull the water toward the sink, not back toward your throat. Put the neti pot's spout gently inside your nostril, and pour. The water (along with dust, allergens, mucous, etc.) will pour out the other nostril and down the drain. It's very hard to describe, but very easy to demonstrate. There are almost a hundred neti pot videos on You Tube, including one made by a guy who washes his nose out with coffee, but this one is perfect:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=j8sDIbRAXlg
If for any reason that url doesn't work for you, do a search for "neti pot" (no quotes) and select the video by "mariahgarnett." I highly recommend you follow the directions for the post-neti stretches. If you don't, and you have some salt water stuck in your sinuses, it will come out at some random moment when you tilt your head just the right way. This has happened to me in my sleep! It's worth the minute or so of effort it takes to make sure all the water is gone.
Here's one more plus:no air bubbles! A squirt bottle will invariably send a few shocking air bubbles up your nose, but a neti pot produces a gentle, constant stream of water.
Durability
Unlike plastic squeeze bottles, which need to be replaced periodically, both of our neti pots (my husband has one, too) are as good as new after two years and dozens of trips through the dishwasher. Unless we drop one, I can't imagine that we'd ever need to buy a replacement.
Price and availability
These range from about $14-$17, and are available at new-agey stores like Whole Foods. This particular neti pot is also available on amazon.com for $13.99.
Final Thoughts
If you're new to nasal irrigation, a squirt bottle is a great place to start. Once you get the hang of it, a neti pot is a better long-term solution. It's cheap, gentle, and it will last forever. And although I've said these same words before, I'll say them here again:
Mucous is a touchy subject. If you have sinus problems but you're horrified by this solution, consider this: you can't escape your snot. You can either leave it to fester in your sinuses as a breeding ground for microscopic monsters, or let it flow out your nose and down the drain.
I highly recommend the drain...
Recommended:
Yes
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