Neti Pot

[lexin]

Does anyone have any helpful advice about using a neti pot?

I have a post-nasal drip that just will not quit. A neti pot is my last attempt to cure it myself before throwing myself on the mercy of my doctor. I've already tried allergy medication.

Comments

[meri_oddities]

I've had a lot of good luck with a Neti Pot and my sinus'. It takes a bit to get used to it and to get it to drain right, but I found it to be really helpful at clearing things out.

[lexin]

Thanks, that sounds hopeful.

[lilysea]

Boil the water first!

Once I used a neti pot with unboiled water out of the tap (in Australia, chlorinated fully treated water that's safe to drink out of the tap)
and had a sinus infection that lasted April-July. WITH two lots of antibiotics.

The unboiled water may not have been the cause, but I have dark suspicions that it contributed, since the sinus infection got a lot more stubborn after neti-ing with unboiled water.

[lexin]

Ah, right. I'll do that. Thanks for the warning.

[batdina]

if the neti pot itself is a problem, Neilmed makes a squeeze bottle that's easy to use and doesn't require turning upside down or whatever the neti thing requires. I set mine up and take it into the shower with me.

I second the recommendation of boiling water.

[lexin]

OK, thanks.

[nineveh_uk]

I second the Neilmed squeezy bottle. It's easy to use, and you can get little packs of the right quantity of salts, so no guessing.

[redstarrobot]

Places around the net, like the Mayo Clinic, have recipes for saline solution that won't feel like burning when squirted up the nose. The salinity and the pH both have the potential to be pretty uncomfortable.

[lexin]

Ah, right. I'll bear that in mind.

[resonant]

I don't use mine as often as I should, but I do like it very much. Two times when it's particularly useful are at the end of a cold/sinus infection, when they can clear things out and make you feel better sooner, and after you've had contact with something you're allergic to.

It took me a bit of trial and error to figure out the right angle and the right water temperature; in between, I soaked a couple of shirts when I couldn't manage not to dribble on myself.