Neti pots!

[rydra_wong]

Since it's the time of year (for those of us in the northern hemisphere) when everyone has colds and flu and clogged sinuses, let's talk about neti pots.

Who's got one, who's using one, who recently improvised one out of a squeezy travel-size shampoo bottle and feels much better for it? *g*

Advice, tips, experiences?

Comments

[alexseanchai]

I have one. I hardly ever use it because you're supposed to boil the water first, and also I keep worrying I'll drown myself. I'm probably doing it wrong.

[scheherezhad]

I just used mine this morning. It's a cheap plastic one from Walgreens, but it does the job.

I was incredibly stopped up last night before bed, and none of my cold/sinus pills were working, so I finally gave up and managed to go to sleep. This morning, I woke up and went, "Duh! Neti pot!" I can breathe out of one side after flushing things out, which is a lot better than I was doing.

[muck_a_luck]

Be sure to boil the water first and maintain your equipment in a sanitary way. There's stuff in tap water that can enter your brain through your sinuses.

Otherwise, Husband used to use a squeeze bottle, with some success. Plan to allow about an hour or so before you lie down afterwards, to give the water time to drain from your sinues before you sleep, and be aware that you may have random splurts of water from your nose for a while if you tip your head, or bend forward.

Husband says it is unpleasant, like you are drowning yourself, but it can help his sinuses, so. A balance, I suppose.

Oh, and you will want to buffer the water to make the experinece less stingy. We just mix his up with NeilMed packets, as we have been too lame to just find out the right proportions of baking soda and whatever that you are supposed to put in the water. Probably three clicks away on the internet... :)

[rydra_wong]

Good note to add. I am very careful to boil the water (I do not want my brainz eaten by anything).

Probably three clicks away on the internet... :)

Like everything else on the internet. *g*

The Mayo Clini has a page on making your own neti pot solution. So far, plain salt seems to work for me with no stinginess.

[0jack]

I have a neti pot and the squeeze bottle from Neil Med. Love them both. I use the neti pot when I'm clogged up to save myself the ear pain of the squeeze bottle. Everyone in the family has their own bottle, I'm the only one to use the neti pot. I like the little solution packets because it's one less step and less steps means more uses.

I do get the "drowning" feeling from the neti pot, which is why I go with the bottle more, as I don't have to bend. However, I get the drowning feeling from a glass of water as well (no joke) so it's not a surprise.

[spaceoperadiva]

I've done the travel size squeeze bottle, but usually I put my water in a custard cup and snuffle it instead of pouring it. A zillion years ago, when dinos roamed the earth, Shirley Mclaine talked about snuffling salt water from a tea cup in the shower every morning, so I decided to give it a go. Neti pot is probably easier, but they kinda creep me out and I'm used to the snuffling.

And yeah, yikes, amoeba. I always use filtered water, but now I'm switching to boiled, filtered water. 0_0

[kimboo_york]

I just buy distilled water because I'm so very lazy. ("boil the water? But that would mean turning the stove on!!!") And basically I put about a teaspoon of sea salt into 8oz of water, and then use a big blue ear syringe bulb. Yeah, DIY all the way baby! hahaha.

But, I use it religiously when I get sick, and I'm quite convinced it helps me get well more quickly. I also use it when allergy season strikes, because it makes breathing so much easier. I think nasal irrigation is simply one of the best answers for nasal congestion EVER.

Definitely do it standing over a sink or in the shower, of course, and personally my suggestion is to run a full 8oz of water through there. You may think a single irrigation or two helps, but if you do the full 8oz you'll be amazed at the difference.

[seleneheart]

I'm glad you mentioned this!!

[green_grrl]

Totally DIY. I heat distilled water in a little bowl with salt until the salt dissolves, then go stand over the kitchen sink. Pinch one nostril shut and suck the water up the other nostril until I'm spluttering and spitting it out. Change nostrils and repeat. Utterly disgusting and kind of hilarious, but it works. :D

[rydra_wong]

"boil the water? But that would mean turning the stove on!!!"

*g* I am in the UK, the land of electric kettles, so I don't have that extra barrier.

Definitely do it standing over a sink or in the shower, of course, and personally my suggestion is to run a full 8oz of water through there. You may think a single irrigation or two helps, but if you do the full 8oz you'll be amazed at the difference.

*nods a lot to this*

[lizzieladie]

I use one of the squeeze bottle ones, and I can usually actually breathe out of my nose for a few hours afterwards. I've never actually been able to get the solution to come out the other nostril no matter what angle I use, it just runs back out the nostril I'm squirting in or down the back of my throat. Is that normal?

[rydra_wong]

I'm not an expert, but I think you're supposed to aim for it to come out of the other nostril. This article suggests that very thick mucus can cause the "water down the back of the throat" problem:

http://www.ehow.co.uk/facts_7992241_neti-come-out-other-side.html

Though I wouldn't recommend ibuprofen usage just to fix it ...

[rydra_wong]

FWIW, I found out (having let the water cool too much) that for me, warm water makes all the difference. Cold water produces the water-up-the-nose swimming-pool ack splutter feeling; blood-temperature water doesn't.

So I boil the water, dissolve the salt, leave it to cool for about 20 minutes while I do something else, and then that's about right.