I read, recently, that sinusitus is currently one of the top reasons people visit their doctors in the United States. Considering the increasing levels of pollution and chemicals in our environment, it’s not surprising that the number of people suffering from allergies, asthma and other forms of nasal congestion and respiratory illnesses continues to rise.

Although I’m fortunate that I don’t suffer from allergies, I have noticed that the cold winter weather really dries out my nasal passages. I kept hearing about neti (nasal irrigation) pots and the relief they provide, so I thought I’d try one out.

I googled neti pot to learn a bit about it first, found a video demonstration (shown below), and although the  “ick” factor was fairly high, the procedure looked easy enough.  So I purchased one, bought some uniodized salt and gave it a try.  It really is simple, especially once you have the proper head tilt, and yes, my nasal passages felt so much better afterwards!

Neti has been performed by Yoga and Ayurveda practitioners in India for thousands of years. Neti is one of the six purification techniques undertaken prior to practicing yoga to help prepare the body for the yoga practice. Some practitioners believe that jala neti (water cleansing) practice affects the sixth chakra (or third eye), which helps to awaken higher states of consciousness. Alternative health physicians recommend neti to cleanse nasal passages and prevent illness. With scientific studies supporting the effectiveness of neti usage, even MDs are going the natural route and recommending nasal irrigation to sinusitus patients before prescribing medication.

In 2007 Oprah featured the subject on one of her ”Ask Dr. Oz” shows. Amy, an audience member who suffered from sinusitis, bravely demonstrated the neti on national TV.  In a follow-up segment, Amy said both she and her husband now use the neti pot every day and that she no longer suffers from sinus headaches; and a member of Oprah’s Harpo staff, who started using a Neti after the show aired, reported finding relief from her lifelong battle with allergies!

The biological explanation for how the Neti pot works has to do with the tiny, hair-like structures called cilia that line the inside of the nasal and sinus cavities.  (Remember 7^th grade biology?)  The cilia wave back and forth to push mucus either to the back of the throat where it can be swallowed, or the nose to be blown out.  Chronic sinus problems cause the cilia to beat more slowly and inefficiently. The saline rinse helps increase the speed and improve coordination of the cilia so that they may more effectively remove the bacteria, allergens and other irritants that cause sinus problems.

While there are advanced techniques using various herbs and herbal oils, the simplest technique, known as “jala neti” uses water (jala) for the cleansing process. You fill the small teapot-shaped receptacle with a saline solution made up of warm water and non-iodized salt, tilt your head over the sink and pour it into one nostril (see the demo video below). As the water runs out the other nostril, it clears the nasal passages of mucus … and anything else that might be hanging around in there. (Yes, I know … ewww … but you really don’t see anything but clear water.)

About 10% of regular users experience mild side effects, such as nasal irritation and stinging. Nosebleeds can occur but are very rare. Reducing the amount of salt, using non-iodized salt, adjusting the temperature of the water and adjusting the frequency of Neti pot use usually decreases the side effects. The neti should be washed thoroughly and dried completely after each use. Neti pots are inexpensive and widely available in drugstores, health-food stores and on-line.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 at 2:22 pm and is filed under Natural Health Remedies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.