I Love My Neti-Pot

I first heard of Neti Pots in one of Rachel Wilkerson's posts.  I thought it sounded interesting, but didn't think about them again for a few years until the Nose Buddy came to my attention, a few weeks ago.  I can't remember quite how, now.

For those of you who are as unfamiliar with the process as I am, neti pots are used to aid in nasal irrigation.  Basically, you pour a saline solution through one nostril and out the other side, in order to clear out your sinuses.  Apparently, it can be helpful for those with pollen allergies, as it helps to wash out any remaining bits of pollen.  I don't suffer with hayfever, but I do know that I snore, and that I often wake up with a slightly blocked nose.  I hoped it would help with that.

So, on a whim, I got myself a neti pot.  A bright green one.  And for the past two weeks, I've been pouring water through my nose.  I really like it, and that surprised me.

I thought it would feel like when you get water in your nose in a swimming pool.  It doesn't.  You feel a little pressure, and then it starts pouring out of your other nostril, and you don't really feel anything.  I also thought it would be hard to remember to breathe through my mouth and that I'd end up choking, but I didn't.

I normally read my kindle while cleaning my teeth - I just prop it up against the window.  That's not really plausible with the neti pot, so I typically just listen to an audio book for a few minutes, while using my phone's camera as a mirror.  I find the process is easier if I can see myself.  Plus, that way, I can gauge when I've used half and switch sides.

I normally use coarse sea salt, measured out with the spoon that comes with it.  I'll use either a full pot per side, or half, depending on how my nose feels that day.  I think I had a cold last week, but since I combined my neti pot use with being really hydrated - like, 6l of water per day hydrated - I couldn't really feel it.  I didn't sniffle, my throat didn't hurt, it was great.

I also recommended a neti pot to my friend who constantly complains of his allergies and sniffles.  In his own words;

"I think I'm a fan of neti pots now.  Doesn't hurt at all anymore.  I can breathe freely.  The worst things about colds was always my nose running like mad and getting backed up at the same time.
Which then leads to headaches, raw skin, and this constant discomfort inside my head.  Right now I have a very light throat ache, some slight discomfort in my ears... well plus a fever and exhaustion... but that's nothing in comparison."

"I can't believe how freely I can breathe through my nose.  It's unprecedented :D"

I just wish I could find some proper studies on nasal irrigation.  Not even on the neti pot specifically, just on any measurable benefits for cleaning out your nasal passages in this way.  There's a nice article here and another here. For now, it feels good, so I'm going to carry on.