Neti Pot

I know alot of people who use a Neti Pot to cleanse their nasal passages; but I had not tried it. I’ve heard it is good to use after flying or on a regular basis to maintain healthy sinuses. Still, I had not run out to buy one.

Last Sunday night I decided my nose was stuffy. I know, a stuffy nose usually isn’t something we “overlook”. But I was four weeks out of that flu-viral-bronchitis-pneumonia-we really don’t know what this is, but its definitely that respiratory thing that has been all around the country.

I’m better now, except that I felt like I couldn’t completely inhale and catch my breath. So for the last two weeks a few poor souls in my life have had to listen to me declare somewhat frequently: I can’t breathe! Then it occurred to me; I had been so focused on clearing out my lungs, I forgot about my nose. I made a late night dash to the health food store and I bought my first Ancient Secrets Ceramic Nasal Cleansing Pot, 1 Neti Pot

Well color me happy! I can breathe again. That “catch” that I felt on my inhale was residue left in my sinuses-not my lungs. I was a bit scared of the Neti Pot in the past. I thought I had to snort the salt water into my nose. For obvious reasons that did not appeal to me. But when I finally decided to try it, I learned snorting was not part of the protocol. If you haven’t used a Neti Pot, this is how it works.

1. Mix 1/4 teaspoon of non-iodized salt in warm water.
2. Put the salt water mixture into the Neti Pot.
3. Insert the spout into your nostril.
4. Tilt you head over the sink. The salt water will run up your nostril and drain out the other nostril.
5. When all the water has flushed through, blow out remaining water and mucus.
6. Repeat process in the other nostril.

It was very easy! My fear of salt water in my nostrils was totally unnecessary, it didn’t bother me at all. After I flushed my first nostril I could breathe remarkably better; I couldn’t wait to flush the second nostril.

So, is it a Healthy Discovery? Definitely! But the credit really goes to the yogi’s and Ayurvedic (Indian) Medicine, they have been using Neti Pots for a long time. I’m just glad it was so user-friendly. I noticed an immediate improvement in my “I can’t breathe status.” I will absolutely use it again.

This is what the package insert says:

“Many people practice Neti on a daily basis to keep their sinuses clean and improve their ability to breathe freely. Most find it a soothing and pleasant practice once they try it. Useful for removing dirt, pollen, excess mucus, and other irritants. Soothing and moistening to dried out nasal passages.”

So there you have it, something to try next time you or a family member “decides” their nose/sinuses are stuffy – its pretty cool.

P.S. You should be able to find a Neti Pot at any health food store. Amazon.com also has many Neti Pot varieties to chose from.