With noses running all over the place lately, the Neti Pot has been a hot topic of conversation. It proved very helpful (as it always does) in dealing with my sinus congestion while I had the flu earlier this month. Somehow congestion came up in a conversation my Mom was having with her brother (who, incidentally, has had sinus problems practically his whole life...and even had the roto-rooter surgery done to make the sinus outlet a bit bigger) and he mentioned that he uses a Neti Pot. My Mom had heard of Neti Pot from me, but was surprised to hear the words come from her brother's mouth. He doesn't practice yoga, or live somewhere that offers a lot of yoga or eastern thought; we were all surprised that he had even heard about it.
So, word got around, and the other night I was talking with my Dad on the phone. He has a lot of sinus congestion, mainly due to allergies. We were talking about my Grandpa's health, and Christmas packages mailed, and he says, "So tell me about this tea pot."
I love you, Dad!
The fabulous thing was that I knew exactly what he was talking about. He said it sounds like you pour water into your lungs. I said, "Not if you do it right, you don't!"
In honor of sinuses everywhere, I offer you a primer on Neti Pot. Since you can learn why it is recommended through a simple internet search or book, I'm going to focus on how it is done and my personal experience with it.
Most Neti Pots come with an instructional booklet and you can buy larger, more detailed books in the health sections of large book stores. A quick google video search also pointed to this instructional video. There are many videos, but this one is professionally produced and a better quality than some of the others. Incidentally, it uses the same type of Neti Pot that I use (there are many styles available).
When making the saline solution to put into the pot, water temperature is absolutely critical. As you can imagine, if the water is too hot or too cold it does not feel nice going into your head. Personally, I find that if I stick my finger into the solution and can just barely feel that the water is warm then it is the right temperature for me. You may have to do some trial and error to find the right temperature for you. Make sure to use good quality salt, NOT table salt. Table salt has anti-caking chemicals in it that should not be ingested in any way (which also means stop eating that stuff!). A nice sea salt, or even better, a Himalayan rock salt is preferable.
Now, stand over your sink and put the spout of the Neti Pot into your nostril. For the sake of clarity, let's say it's your right nostril first. Bend over the sink and rotate your head upward as if to look toward the ceiling. Breathing through your mouth, tip the Neti Pot so that the saline solution goes into your nose. You may feel a spreading warmth through the right nostril, eyeball, and sinus area before it works its way through to the left sinus and out the left nostril. If your nose if very tender (from repeated nose blowing/tissue wiping) the saline may be a teeny bit uncomfortable (stinging) on the skin inside the nostril. That is due to irritation of the mucous membrane and/or skin and is not a sign that you should stop using the Neti Pot. In fact, the saline solution will help moisturize the tissue and clean it, so it should heal more quickly.
If you feel the water starting to go down your throat it means that you need to change the tilt of your head (move your left eye down toward the sink, for example). Once the pot has emptied, bring your head back to the starting position and remove the Neti Pot. Some water will likely come out of both nostrils at this point. Once that happens, blow out both nostrils into the sink to get out more drops of water. Then take a tissue and gently blow both nostrils. Try to avoid the tendency to block one nostril while blowing the other side as it puts a lot of pressure on the sinuses. It is helpful to do a little forward bend and then stand up and blow your nose again. Repeat this whole process with the spout in the left nostril.
What if you're so stuffed up that the water doesn't seem to go anywhere? This has happened to me before, and the Neti Pot is still a helpful tool. The movement of the water against the blockage may help loosen that mucous and get it moving out of your head. At the very least it should dissolve and/or soften it up enough that there's hope of moving it later. It'll just take some patience. Water's ability to dissolve whatever stands in its way is legendary - think Grand Canyon! If water could carve through all that rock, it can make its way through some mucous. At first it might just be a few little drops, but if you persist you will eventually get a little bit of a stream. The relief that it creates is well worth the patience.
For those with allergies, chronic sinusitis or other long-term issues, a twice-daily Neti Pot routine is very helpful. If you are sick you may wish to increase that to three times a day. For everyone else, the Neti Pot should be used once a day for basic self-care of the sinuses. Professional singers or others for whom the voice is a vital tool will find regular use of Neti Pot instrumental to their art/work.
When you're all done, remember to clean your sink - especially if you're ill!
Disclaimer: This article is intended to educate and is not a prescription nor should it be interpreted as medical advice. If you have concerns or questions please consult your health-care provider.
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