It's a Neti Pot Kind of Day
Actually, it's a neti pot time of year.
Seattle's cold, damp weather is bad for anyone with any kind of sinus problem, from hay fever to other allergies to chronic sinusitis.
I've had all these problems for years, except for the four years I lived in Hawaii, when I could breathe freely, and typically I needed antibiotics once or twice a year to get rid of sinus infections.
My friend Pat, who is an alternative-medicine kind of person, told me about neti pots. Actually, she kept telling me about them for years, until I finally bought one at the East-West Bookstore in Seattle's Roosevelt neighborhood. They are also available online.
Since I've been using the neti pot, two or three years now, I haven't needed antibiotics for a sinus infection (did take them once for bronchitis). With the neti pot, my sinus problems never get bad enough to qualify as an "infection," which is great.
A neti pot is simple to use: Just heat a cup of filtered water to a comfortable temperature (warm, but not hot) and mix in a packet of saline solution (table salt is OK too, if you want to save money). Then fill the neti pot, which looks like Aladdin's lamp, and pour the warm saline solution into your nostrils one at a time, while bending over the sink.
At first, it will feel like you are drowning, but hang in there. It really does feel wonderful to have clean sinuses.
Using the neti pot has become as much a part of my morning routine as brushing my teeth, as least during the cold months.
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@ Jeanne Sather 2007.
I've seen short movie clips of those being used. They always looked so strange to me. I'm glad they work for you.
Posted by: Amorette | November 07, 2007 at 01:42 PM
It looks strange, and it feels strange at first, but it works really well for me.
And when I was in the ear, nose, and throat clinic at the UWMC, to consult about my tonsils, the nurse-practitioner (I think she was) told me that many of the doctors there use neti pots themselves. There's also a less-cool-looking thing that is just a squirt bottle.
Posted by: jeanne | November 07, 2007 at 03:33 PM
and it doubles as a gravy boat for thanksgiving! let's hear it for versatility!
(sorry, i couldn't resist. glad you shared this.)
Posted by: jessica | November 08, 2007 at 02:52 PM
Kind of tiny for gravy, at least the way my family eats. But maybe for the cranberries!
Posted by: jeanne | November 08, 2007 at 05:01 PM
These totally work. I was diagnosed with Leukemia b/c I went in to the ER with a horrible headache. The headache actually was a bad sinus infection - it saved my life.
Now I have extra saline flushes from my central line(I no longer have). Since they are syringes, they work pretty well. I even stopped taking daily allergy meds!
Posted by: debutaunt | November 14, 2007 at 12:18 PM
Debs--I don't take antihistamines any more either. It really works for that, as well as sinus and colds. Which reminds me, I haven't rinsed my nose yet today!
Jeanne
Posted by: jeanne | November 15, 2007 at 09:47 AM
I am a huge sufferer of Sinusitis and having had TWO deviated septum surgeries….I highly recommend Nasal Flushing…and Neti Pot. I guess I do have something in common with Oprah…for once! Ck it out on dailycents.com.
http://blogs.dailycents.com/?p=825
Posted by: mel | January 19, 2008 at 04:20 PM
My brother just got Neti Pot for Christmas and it has been very helpful!
I just read an article about Neti Pots as well that was intriguing at http://blogs.dailycents.com/?p=825 talking about how to use a Neti Pot that was really intriguing.
Posted by: Renee | January 20, 2008 at 04:38 PM
My brother just got Neti Pot for Christmas and it has been very helpful!
I just read an article about Neti Pots as well that was intriguing at http://blogs.dailycents.com/?p=825 talking about how to use a Neti Pot that was really intriguing.
Posted by: Renee | January 20, 2008 at 04:38 PM