I’ve suffered from allergies pretty much all my life. I’m so used to having a stuffy nose, that normally I don’t even notice it.
However, at least twice a year allergies or a cold will cause a sinus infection that I can’t ignore. When that happens, my nose runs constantly, and I cough quite a bit. It’s uncomfortable, and embarrassing.
To help my symptoms, I take an allergy pill every day, and I use a neti pot to clean out my sinuses when I feel it’s needed. Sometimes that’s every day. Sometimes I’ll go a couple of weeks between uses. The water from the neti pot flushes the sinuses out, and makes it possible for me to breathe again.
Here are my tips for using a neti pot.
Don’t use tap water. For safety, never use water straight out of the tap. Although it’s very rare, people have died from brain-eating amoebas after using tap water in a neti pot. That’s not a chance you want to take. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises to use boiled, sterile, or filtered water. If you boil it, the CDC recommends boiling for at least one minute (I usually let it boil on the stove for at least three minutes. I set a timer so I don’t forget that it’s boiling. ).
Experiment to find the best water temperature. I’ve found it’s best to boil the water, then wait about 30 minutes for it to cool to luke warm. At that point the water is the perfect temperature – not too hot, and not too cold.
Tilt your head. While using the neti pot, you’ll need to tilt your head to the side to allow gravity to assist as the water goes in one nostril, and out the other. Obviously you’ll want to do this over a sink so you don’t have water going all over the place. The angle at which you tilt your head will greatly affect your experience. Experiment to see what works best for you.
Keep a towel handy. To catch what comes out of your nostrils, you’ll need to have tissues or a towel ready before you begin.
Use saline packets. Using water alone can be uncomfortable. Most neti pots come with packets of saline that are added to the water. Once you use all of those, you can buy packet refills at a discount or drug store.
Practice. Yes, especially at first, using a neti pot feels rather strange. But like so many things, the more you do it, the more you’ll get used to it. If you suffer from a congested nose, you may just wonder why it took you so long to make it part of your routine.
Do note, if you have any questions about using the neti pot, or about your health, be sure to ask your health care provider.
Gina Parsons - Writer 