Neti Pots!

[Lalanae]

I never thought I'd use a neti pot, but after having the most agonizing bout of sinusitis recently, I was willing to try anything for relief. (I have recurring sinus problems) The first time I ever heard of the neti pot was on Six Feet Under when George presented one as a gift to Nate (I believe).

The first time I tried it, I didn't lean forward enough and got some of the solution in my throat (blech). Instinctualy, the sensation of water in my nasal cavity made me freak out a little, like I thought I was drowning on some level, but forcing myself to relax worked well.

I've been using it for a few days now and I love it. It doesn't feel weird or unnatural anymore and it's nice to be able to breathe so well. I'm not ready to move on to washing the water from my nose into my mouth (that still grosses me out), but nostril to nostril has been great.

I bought a kit for about $12 at Walgreens that comes with 50 packets of solution (although you can cheaply make your own from non-iodized salt and baking soda). The design is a bit different than the traditional design, but it has a lid which keeps the water from spilling out the top if you tilt it too far. http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/catalog/shop_ ... navCount=3


Any neti pot users? If so, how long and have you noticed any long-term benefits?

If you have recurring sinus issues, especially if you are one who always has to blow a big glob of snot out every morning, I recommend trying it. Blowing my nose never really gets it all out and leaves my sinuses feeling a tad swollen. Not with neti!

[Canelek]

I used to have one. About 10 years ago I was dating this vegetarian yoga chick and she had bought it for me. I thought it was great! Certainly weird at first, but it worked wonders. I just used sea salt and warm water.

After being sick last month, I think it is time to track a new one down. Glad you are feeling better!

[Aardor]

Sueven's Mother tried to get me to use one for years, and I resisted due to the weirdness of it. Eventually, I moved back to our home town where my allergies became a very big issue and I tried it. I have been doing it every day since for over 2 years. It is bar far the best treatment for allergies/sinus problems I have ever had, and if I had to choose between my allergy medicine and a neti pot, I would take the neti pot every time.

It can be a bit weird the first few times, especially with how much it makes your ears pop. You get used to it in a few days, though, and it was never really a problem for me. There are a few types of neti pots in which you squeeze a bottle (I actually use one of those currently), but be carful if you get one of theses as a first time user because you can apply a whole lot of pressure inside your nose with it, whereas the "pot" type of neti pots only have gravity forcing the flow of water.

[laneela]

I've used one in the past when allergies and sinusitis where killing me. A friend of mine who suffers from constant sinus problems taught me about it (this chick is insane - she'll use a water bottle to cleanse her sinuses if she's on the road). I never got over the gross Water in My Nose feeling. I used to swim a lot when I was younger and it always reminded me of when I used to take on too much water. Blech. It did do wonders for my sinuses. Because I'm a trend snob, like with everything else, when it started to become trendy (at least in Miami with all the tree-hugging, wild oats-shopping vegans it did), I dropped it. =P Luckily, I haven't had any sinus problems since then so I'm not hurting.

[Jarori Bloodletter]

I use one and have for the last 5 yrs. Works great once you get the "head tilt" correct =)

[Sueven]

My mom knows her shit, consequently, as per Aardor's reference, Neti Pots are the shit despite the fact I've never used one.

[Kryshade]

The first time I ever saw one was when my wife was watching Oprah and Dr. Oz was on there saying how great they were.
I NEVER get sick... I mean NEVER but my sinuses are the one thing that can bring me down. I figured I'd give it a try and bought a kit from Walgreens called Sinu-Cleanse that is basically a cheap plastic Neti Pot and the saline packets.
The first few times I used it I thought it felt great. I picked up on it right away and it never felt odd or uncomfortable to me. I don't use it on a regular basis, but I use it everytime I feel my sinuses starting to get a bit sore, or irritated from small particles (i.e. smoke from going to a casino).
If you have sinus problems, this is hands down the best thing you can do for it. It's also a great thing for overall sinus health. Highly recommend it to anyone... especially for the super cheap price!

Good question is, what's the best home-made mixture to use once the packets run out?

[Fairweather Pure]

http://www.himalayaninstitute.org/NetiP ... tions.aspx

Maybe it's because I don't have any sinus issues, but this is hard for me to take seriously. I put this right up there with homemade enemas. I'm glad they make you feel better, I just don't really need it!

[cadalano]

i haven't used a pot but i do suck up warm tap water w/ my hand when my allergies are bad. same principle but a lot messier. yeah- its weird as shit, i'm sure. but the results cant be argued with.. if it didnt work i wouldnt do it! i don't think i've ever met anyone with sinuses/allergies as bad as mine. it beats sniffing or blowing snot into a rag all day. i'd say its more than a little paranoid to equate this to a homemade enema, though.

[Fairweather Pure]

i'd say its more than a little paranoid to equate this to a homemade enema, though.

Ear wick then?

It seems almost everyone has sinus issues. Chronic sinusitis is a very common code for me to use when coding everything from outpatient charts to ER visits. Still, I'd rather have sinus problems than anything stomach, back, or migraine related!

[Sirensa]

Love using one And have off and on for 10 years. After going through 3 rounds of years of allergy shots and still having problems, it's the best thing I can do for my constant congestion. That and invest in truckloads of puffs.

It's addictive! And fun. Feels good Love it!

[Dregor Thule]

I have a sinus cleansing kit similar to this, but it's not a little kettle, more of a plastic squeeze bottle. I have a really narrow nasal passage on the right side and was hoping this would help me breathe better, but it was only effective for about 10 minutes and then I'd be back where I started. I thought it'd be unbearable squeezing water up one nostril and out the other, but it really wasn't that bad. Could be a great party trick!

[Lalanae]

It's addictive!

haha yeah, maybe its the newness of it, but I am so addicted to using mine now. Eric thinks I'm a freak. I wish he would try it!

[*~*stragi*~*]

i have the plastic squeeze bottle version but i have the problem where if any water gets left in my sinuses i get a massive headache.

[Aardor]

i have the plastic squeeze bottle version but i have the problem where if any water gets left in my sinuses i get a massive headache.

I would get the pot version. You are most likely squeezing the bottle to hard and it's shooting to a place it won't naturally come out of, so the pot version should alleviate this.

[Lalanae]

You should also be sure to try and blow as much of the water out of your sinuses as possible. Bend over a sink and lightly and quickly blow out your nostrils to get it all out.

Also I've read of people not keeping their pots pristine and getting infections simply from washing little dust particles up there, but not sure if that would be an issue with a squeeze bottle.