Nasal Irrigation
Nasal irrigation involves flooding the nasal cavity with warm saline solution. The goal of nasal irrigation is to clear out any excess mucus and particulates and moisturize the nasal cavity. Either a fluid-filled syringe like Nasaline or a neti pot can be used. The practice has undergone clinical testing and has been found to be safe and beneficial, with no apparent side effects. Sinus Cure Report
Nasal Irrigation With The Neti Pot (Jala Net)
The neti pot is usually made of ceramic but can also be made from glass, metal, or plastic. Nasal irrigation is an ancient Ayurvedic technique known as Jala neti, which literally means nasal cleansing in Sanskrit and where the practitioner uses a neti pot to perform the irrigation. The irrigation-specific elements of jala neti are finally starting to be recognized by Western medicine to treat a variety of conditions.
Jala neti - nasal irrigation, though relatively less known in Western culture, is a common practice in parts of India and other areas in South East Asia, performed as routinely as brushing one's teeth using a toothbrush. It is performed daily, usually as the first thing in the morning with other cleansing practices. It may also be performed at the end of the day if one works or lives in a dusty or polluted environment. When dealing with problems of congestion it can be performed up to four times a day.
A typical method utilizes an isotonic saline solution. Recent research has indicated that a hypertonic saline solution may be more effective at treating specific symptoms of nasal inflammation.
Nasal Irrigation - Potential Benefits and Uses of Nasaline or The Neti Pot
Saline solution irrigation and nasal flush promotes good nasal health. It can also be used by patients with chronic sinusitis including symptoms of facial pain, sinus headache, halitosis-bad breath, cough, anterior rhinorrhea (watery discharge from the nose), and one study has even reported that nasal irrigation was “just as effective at treating these symptoms as the drug therapies.” This is laughable because we know it works better than any sinus drugs, sinus medicines, sinus medications and without any of the risks too. In other studies, “daily hypertonic saline nasal irrigation improves sinus-related quality of life, decreases symptoms, and decreases medication use in patients with frequent sinusitis,” -- as taken from the study report - and irrigation is recommended as an “effective adjunctive treatment of chronic sinonasal symptoms.”
Nasal irrigation is reported to help prevent colds and otherwise promote good nasal health by cleaning out the nasal passages and helps to alleviate stuffiness, dryness, nosebleeds and the symptoms of allergies. Nosebleeds are a rarity when using Nasaline or other nasal irrigators.
For people who suffer from chronic sinusitis, nasal irrigation is a quick and cheap way to promote ciliary function and mucus turnover, decrease edema, and improve drainage through the sinus ostia.
About a quart of fluid needs to move through the sinuses each and every day. If the passages are blocked then sinusitis will result. Moistening these passages with nasal irrigation will help unblock the passages thus letting the fluid through.
Nasal Irrigation Benefits
Nasal irrigation will clear out sticky, persistent mucus and help reduce nasal congestion
Nasal irrigation will cleanse and rid the sinus cavities of allergens, irritants, and contaminants
Nasal irrigation will treat chronic sinusitis
Nasal irrigation will treat acute bacterial rhinosinusitis
Nasal irrigation will treat allergic rhinitis
Nasal irrigation will prevent common colds and flu
Nasal irrigation will relieve nasal dryness
Nasal irrigation will treat empty nose syndrome (which is a crippled nose caused by over-aggressive turbinate resection)
Nasal irrigation will improve breathing
Nasal irrigation will reduce cough and other symptoms of post-nasal drip
Nasal irrigation will temporarily reduce symptoms of phantosmia
Nasal irrigation will generally improve sinus health.
Nasal irrigation - Yoga breathing practices known as pranayama are enhanced by the practice of nasal irrigation - jala neti - since many of them involve deep breathing through the nostrils.
Nasal Irrigation - Other benefits health practitioners may notice:
Vision will be clearer. Nasal irrigation or jala neti or Nasaline will clean the tear ducts, enabling better cleaning and moistening of the eyes.
Improved sense of smell, improved sense of taste and deeper, more relaxed breathing .
Nasal Irrigation - Rare But Potential Problems
Some people may have very hardened blockages. These may be eliminated gradually with several attempts of nasal irrigation but may be due to a deviated septum in which case minor surgery may be needed. Check with your sinus doctor.
Minor burning feeling or irritating the nasal lining can occur but rarely. This can feel similar to kind of irritation one may experience from the chlorine in a swimming pool. This is usually due to water being at the wrong temperature - hot - or too cold and/or salinity, but can also be due to the salt containing additive - iodized salt should never be used.
If the salinity is correct and the water is at body temperature, try using a plain not iodized salt. Also I only use spring water or distilled water and never water from the tap with chlorine and/or fluoride. I heat the water carefully on the stove to about tepid. I use just under a teaspoon of salt to 2 cups of water.
A person may feel sharp pains due to pressure on the sinuses, especially if the water is too cold. If a person experiences ear discomfort when performing nasal irrigation or Jala Neti or Nasaline, they should be sure to blow their nose more gently after the wash. Some research has shown that it is not a good idea to blow the nose because the mucous goes right back up into the sinuses. If the problem persists, the openings of their Eustachian tubes may be particularly wide and they may need to discontinue use, however I have never heard of this happening. Sinus Cure Report
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