I read about nasal irrigation while researching menstrual cups. It seems like people who take the initial step of making one change in their personal care will likely find other ones that they want to try. I didn't actually start irrigating until the spring of 2008 because I was convinced that I needed to buy special equipment for it. Silly me-of-the-past. If only I knew then what I know now.
Unless you have chronic nasal congestion and are constantly popping Sudafed and blowing your nose, nasal irrigation won't replace a regular routine or product. But if, like me, you occasionally get stuffed up in the nose, it's a good, cheap, all-natural option. Your nostril cavities meet under your nasal bone at a mucus membrane. Proper nasal irrigation drains mucus and debris from your nasal cavity and moistens that membrane. A cleansed nasal cavity makes for better nasal breathing, so if you know a serious yogi, then you've probably heard about this.
The technique is simple. Fill a "neti pot"—which looks like the lamp from Aladdin—with a warm saline solution, lean over a sink, stick the spout into one nostril, tilt your head so the spout-plugged nostril is higher than the other, and pour. Repeat on the opposite side. Blow your nose.
It's easy to do and if you aren't all clogged up, you can breath through your nose, which, as the best yogis know, is far better for you than mouth breathing. (I'll be addressing this issue on its own in another post.)
I struggled at first to get the right salinity and temperature. If the water's too cold or too warm, it's really, really unpleasant and probably not very good that delicate membrane. Same goes for having too much or too little salt. According to the Wikipedia article on this, a solution of 9% salt is standard. (Note: Don't try pouring water through your nose if you don't have salt. Using water alone stings and will dry out the membrane in your nose. My neti pot arrived in the mail before I got a chance to buy salt and I couldn't wait try it out. Dumb, I know. Getting to the grocery store requires considerable effort when you live on an isolated campus and eat in a dining hall.)
The main reason it took me a while to start nasal irrigation is because I wasn't excited about buying a neti pot. I eventually bought the Himalayan Institute's overpriced plastic one on eBay for much less than the $30 they sell it for, but in retrospect, a teapot that no one uses would probably work just as well. I assumed that the official product was somehow special. It's not.
I don't irrigate regularly, but the process lessens the buzz-kill of nasal congestion, whether that's a problem you have often or occasionally.
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Hi Saya! Nasal irrigation is actually great for you. By flushing out any pathogens, it can prevent so many infections, sinus or otherwise. People with chronic sinusitis especially are encouraged to fit this into their daily routine. If you don't want to buy a netti pot, you can also buy a product at the store called... something. I forget the name. It's a saline solution in a pressurized can, so some people find it a little neater than the netti pot. Unlike decongestant products, though, it doesn't have any active ingredients, just plain old salt water. For long-term use, though, the netti pot is definitely cheaper.
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Your friend Tessa