Neti Pots for Allergy Relief & Sinus Irrigation
Neti pots are used to flush out your sinus system with a warm saline solution. Have you ever felt that annoying tickle in your sinuses that heralds an impending allergy attack or maybe the start of a head cold?
Sometimes you can stop the problem in its tracks by rinsing out the offending pathogens or allergens with a stream of water!
If you’ve never used a neti pot before, it may seem counter-intuitive to pour water up your nose, like you’ll drown yourself.
However, because of the way our sinuses are shaped the water you pour into one nostril simply flows out the other, carrying irritants away with it.
These are a good preventative to have on hand this time of year as cold and flu season hits us.
A caveat, though! If your head is already stuffed up the water will not flow through your sinuses.
Also, always be sure to use filtered or boiled water in your neti pot, do not use plain tap water. Not only is the chlorine unpleasant, water can carry certain pathogens that you don’t want to pour into your head.
Neti pots come with detailed instructions and for their use, and usually also have saline packets included as well. Use either these or sea salt to mix up the saline solution, don’t use ordinary iodized table salt.
Try out a neti pot this cold season and see if you don’t breathe easier!
Stephanie Kelley
