The practice of rinsing out your nose, or nasal irrigation, is an old tradition from India, where the spiritual groups were finding ways to purify the body better. Today, more and more people are practicing nasal irrigation as a way to clear their sinus passages, to sleep better, to sing better, and to feel generally better, with clearer breathing passageways.
Nasal irrigation is not one of those off the shelf sprays you can find at your local pharmacy. These sprays do have a saline solution, but they gently mist your nasal passage, unlike nasal irrigation, which is more like a saline solution waterfall running from one nostril to the other. The off the shelf sprays are not irrigation systems which clear out mucus and any infection that is lingering in the nasal, so you’ll need to look below to see some practical irrigation systems to use, like the classical neti pot, or the Waterpik irrigation system, or the Nasaline Nasal Irrigation System, or the Sinupulse Elite Advanced Nasal Sinus Irrigation System (see details below).
The reason nasal irrigation works so well is because it clears debris from the nose. Ever feel like you are a little bit clogged up? If so, try one of the nasal irrigation methods described here, and see if you can feel how it opens up your breathing passage, lets you smell better, and even gives you more energy throughout the day. Also, be sure to read about the neti pot danger before initiating any neti practice.
Any proper nasal irrigation system must use a saline solution (simple salt water solution) of approximately 5 grams of salt for every 500ml of water (teaspoon of salt for every pint (2 cups) of water). Failure to create the proper saline solution will create pain and discomfort, so try to get the mix right.
If your reason for searching for nasal irrigation information is because you spoke with your ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat specialist), please note that while conditions like water discharge (anterior rhinorrhea), sinusitus, upper respitory disorders, halitosis, or headaches, or other related symptoms may be relieved by advanced nasal sinus irrigation systems, these systems are not intended to diagnose nor treat any disease. Symptoms may be relieved, but a medical doctor should be consulted if you suffer from one of these ailments.
Before I mention the proper, fun way to do nasal irrigation, I should mention there are some yahoos on the web who suggest you suggest you should snort water from the palms of your hands to irrigate your passages, but I recommend against this, unless maybe you are dead broke. If you are, then get the water warm, make it the proper salt concentration, and then tilt your head so only one nostril enters the water, and may the Lord be with you. Jeepers.
For the rest of you – the normal folks – let me provide the proper education method for the care of your nasal passage.
A nasal irrigation system that leaves you feeling great and makes you feel like an avid irrigation student has these essential characteristics:
1. 5g salt (one level teaspoon) per 500ml of water. It can be sodium chloride, or sodium bicarbonate…both seem to work equally well. (If your doctor recommends hypertonic saline nasal irrigation, then double the amount of salt to 10g per 500ml of water.)
2. Warm water, body temperature, about 98F or 37C, so it flows through the body without any discomfort.
If you got sucked into one of those Mayo Clinic devices, the kind of pump systems that stuff or push the saline liquid through the nasal passages, be sure you get positioned so you don’t get too much liquid flowing down the back of your throat…almost all the saline solution should flow out the other nostril, not down the back of your throat.
For the salt water solution, just try to get non iodized salt, and don’t worry about getting special neti pot salt with xylitol or sodium lauryl sulphate…these will harm you in the long run, and are best avoided.
If you do happen to suffer from some nose problems, these nasal irrigation tips should be considered adjunctive, or additive, to the advice you get from your clinical or medical doctor.
Running salt water through your nasal passages can help clear the mucus in the cavities, and even remove hardened material with regular use.
If you do happen to use iodized salt (the normal kind), you might find potential allergens are attracted to the nasal passage, causing sniffing and sneazing after your irrigate. To avoid this, you can use sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), or kosher salt, or sea salt, to ensure you don’t fall prey to the pitfalls of using commercial salt with your nasal irrigation system.
If you live in the United States or Canada, you may find that this type of nasal irrigation of the nasal cavity is advocated for cases of rhinosinusitis (nose infections) and postoperative nasal surgeries. Maybe the new age meditators were right after all!
Nasal irrigation was also known as nasal cleansing in ancient India, and that’s where this word neti comes from – it means ‘nasal cleansing’ in Sanskrit. In those old times, they found it painful to pour water through their nose, so they eventually found a way to mix salt in one hand, water in the other, and get the water flowing through the nose without discomfort. Luckily, now we have a way of making the neti pot and saline solution very convenient and comfortable, and it feels really good.
There are two types of nasal irrigation:
1. Neti pots. These involve a small pot with a long snout filled with saline solution that is poured into one nostril and drains out the other nostril. Some older methods involve plugging the other nostril and letting the saline solution drain out the mouth (be sure to avoid going down the throat and choking!)…this older variation is known in India as Vyutkrama Kapalbhati, and is considered a secondary or advanced step in the normal nasal irrigation process.
2. Nasal Irrigation Systems. These are modern products, which are electronic devices which pump the saline solution into one nostril. Some of the most loved products in this category include:
Sinupulse Elite Advanced Nasal Sinus Irrigation System
The Sinupulse system was designed in Switzerland by ENT specialists to provide the very best solution for nasal irrigation. It includes two modes of operation, stream and spray, and has a comfortable handle that makes using it a real joy. The micro touch power button and electronic LED display let you control the device with just a touch of a finger.
The pulsating irrigation used by this advanced nasal sinus irrigation system was developed after published medical reports indicated the technique was useful for persons suffering from allergies, post nasal drip, congestions, sinus headaches, sinusitis, respiratory conditions and other chronic sinus symptoms.
Almost everyone who likes the Sinupulse elite has used a neti pot first. Some people say the Sinupulse is too noisy, so if you get migraines easily, you might want to go with a neti pot instead.
This handy gizmo is basically a large syringe with a convenient tip that makes a perfect seal around your nostril, so you simply fill it with saline solution, put it up to your nostril, and squeeze the syringe gently. If you travel, you can also get the powdered nasaline salt packs to take with you – just pop one into water, stir, and use it.
Demonstration of Nasaline’s Ease of Use
Many owners of this travel nasal irrigator find it better than the electronic irrigators like Waterpik and Sinupulse, since it is lightweight, silent, and easy to use. Personally, it seems to be the modern day version of a neti pot, with the difference that you can really squirt the solution way up your nose if you want to.
Grossan Hydro Pulse Nasal and Sinus Irrigator
People who own the Grossan have almost 100% positive comments about it, with the only complaint being that some units did not last more than 12 months before breaking down. Many people reported the Grossan changed their life – and gave them the freedom to do the things they wanted to do, which in many cases was not possible through the use of drugs or surgery, but only with the Grossan irrigator.
Summary
With virtually no downside to a neti pot, and handy ways to make nasal irrigation very convenient and cost effective, there is really no reason why anyone cannot experience and practice nasal irrigation on a daily basis. Not only does it feel good, it makes you feel better,improves your sense of smell, lets you sleep better, and if you are someone who has an allergy and sinus infection, you will experience nothing but relief and greater comfort by using your neti pot or nasal irrigator each day.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
my experience with nasal irrigation has not always been great I found the neti pots to be messy and difficult to use. the more you used them the more you needed them. I then popped 100 for a Grossan and it was fantastic for about a year until it leaked and broke down. the second one lasted maybe a month longer. I then purchased a SinuPulse for 79.00 and it has been working flawlessly for almost 3 years. The manufacturer is supportive and easy to work with. Summary, if you cant afford the 80.0 0 better to use a neti pot than nothing but don’t use it daily. If you can scrape the $$ together get a SinuPulse you wont regret it and if you have any trouble you have a company that backs it up 100%.
Shelly, glad your Sinupulse is holding up for you…quite a few people have mentioned how great the Grossan is for the first year, and then some come back to say it broke down and they can’t get it fixed. Not sure why some are breaking down like that…