The Neti Pot is a Saline Savior

May 24, 2010, By 7 comments

The Neti Pot is a Saline Savior

I was in the urgent care center and thought I was going to die. My chest felt like it was filled with Jell-O that hadn’t quite set yet and I could barely breathe. The doctor said it was bronchitis and started asking me some probing questions. Do I smoke? No. Do I work in a mine of some kind? No. Do I suffer from allergies? Why, yes, yes I do, but why is that important?

Because, the doctor said, the debilitating infection that turned my lungs into Lake Erie circa 1970 had probably began as a simple case of nasal allergies. It works something like this: allergens caused my sinuses to fill with mucus, that mucus became fetid and infected, the icky-sticky found its way to my lungs and I ended up taking a breathing treatment just to get up the stairs to my bedroom.

Suffering from seasonal allergies as well as allergies to mold and spores and living in the Ohio River Valley – ground zero in the allergy wars – means that I am usually at least a little congested. But that congestion can get worse and fast. It only takes a day or two for the sniffles to turn into a bursting cacophony of hacking fits and mucus bombs. It seems like I am constantly shuffling about the cold and allergy aisle of the supermarket in search of some medicine that will actually work.

So, when the urgent care doctor recommended a neti pot as a means of heading sinuses off at the pass, I was intrigued and, well, a little grossed out.

Neti pots are nothing new, not in a global sense. While relatively new with regard to American popularity, WebMD.com reports that the small ceramic pots (which look a bit like something a genie might call home) “originally comes from the Ayurvedic/yoga medical tradition.” Used to deliver a cleansing saline solution directly to the sinuses and nasal passages, neti pots act like little gravity-fed pressure washers and keep mucus from building up and becoming infected.

WARNING: THIS IS WHERE IT GETS A LITTLE GROSS.

My first attempt at using a neti pot was awkward, but oddly effective. I bought a kit from the grocery store for about $15 (http://www.sinucleanse.com/shop/order.htm). It came with a neti pot and 30 packages of pre-formulated saline solution that I mixed with lukewarm water. The basic mechanics involve tilting your head back putting the spout of the pot in one nostril, and then pouring the contents into your nose. I did so with trepidation and immediately felt one of the oddest sensations in my life. My sinus cavities filled with warm water and the saline solution burned my nostrils a bit. Then, the solution started draining down the back of my throat and out the other nostril all over my shirt. Neat bar trick if you can do it with vodka, but not what I had expected. After blowing my nose in a paper towel (for extra absorbency) I did the other nostril and then the first, repeating the action until the entire pot had passed through my beak and my shirt was soaked. Another loud honk into the paper towel and I was surprised to be completely clear-headed for the first time in memory.

I’ve gotten better at the technique since that first experience and used my neti pot through the winter and spring several times a week to miraculous effect. I have not been sick with so much as a sinus headache since (though there was the hangover from the night I tried the vodka trick). For a lifelong allergy sufferer who has had at least one serious case of sinus infection or bronchitis every summer of my adult life, this was a miracle.

Note: When I ran out of saline packets, I attempted to make my own solution with table salt. It worked okay, but I went back to the store and bought replacement packets because I never got the same clean I had when I was using the pre-formulated solution.

I won’t go so far as to say the neti pot has changed my life, but it has made breathing a whole lot easier. And for a guy like me, that’s one heck of a good start.

Craig Heimbuch is the Editor-in-Chief of ManoftheHouse.com and the author of "Chasing Oliver Hazard Perry." He is a Barefoot Proximity employee.

Comments (7):

Falling L. Do not use iodized salt in the neti. Table salt is usually iodized. Kosher salt is not. Iodized salt can cause irritation to the nasal passages and for some may result in an allergic reaction having the iodized salt on the sensitive nasal passages. Neti salt usually also contains a slight buffering agent to reduce irritation and is guaranteed pure, unlike sea salt which may contain micro-bits of algae or other contaminants which our stomach can handle but would irritate the sensitive nasal passages. - 04/25/2011
Yogi B. You should not be feeling a burn. Burning indicates: (i) either not enough salt if you are making your own mix (too much is not usually a problem unless you are going REALLY overboard), (ii) water is too cold or too hot - this is most common cause. Water needs to be slightly hotter than 'lukewarm' - 04/20/2011
Robert R. I've tried the neti pot and several alternatives. The squeeze bottle method was better than the neti pot since I could squeeze the bottle and help gently push the solution on through. My preferred nasal hygiene method is a large syringe from Nasaline. The Nasaline syringe lets you apply precise pressure to push the solution through. With the neti pot gravity alone is not enough. The squeeze bottle was difficult to maintain any consistent flow. So, you might consider the Nasaline syringe. For me, it is much, much more effective. I think I bought it from Amazon. - 12/16/2010
Elizabeth V. I'm a big fan of the neti pot, but I was instructed to tip my head to the side, not back, as I cleansed. It goes in one nostril, through the sinus cavity and out the other nostril. No burning. You don't need the saline replacement packets. Just use 1/4 tsp. non-iodized table salt - that's exactly the same stuff that comes in the packets! - 11/05/2010
Olin B. I had blood clots in my mouth that came from my sinus cavities. Pharmacist at Walgreens suggested a neti pot. I used it three times that Sunday and my sinuses were clear by that night. No one wants to believe me that it works this well. - 10/26/2010
Renee Y. Aren't you supposed to lean forward over a sink when you do a neti pot? I've never heard of leaning backwards??? - 09/28/2010
Neti P. It also helps to have your mouth open and say kah-kah-kah while using the neti-pot. I find it reduces the amount that goes down your throat! - 09/26/2010

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