rockin the neti

[arguchik]

i bought a neti pot last night, and tried it a couple of hours ago. at first it felt like getting water up my nose in a swimming pool, but that feeling went away after a few seconds of pouring. i had some of the salty water come down the back of my throat and into my mouth, which i stopped just by lifting my chin up a little higher. oddly, when i was pouring into my right nostril (so the water was coming out my left nostril), i also had a little bit coming out of the tear duct in my right eye, but that didn't happen with my left eye when i was pouring into my left nostril. however, after i was done with the whole process, i had a little bit of water come out in my left ear canal.

the plumbing of the human head is weird.

so...my verdict, after one treatment: at first it didn't seem to have made much of a difference. i had to blow my nose a few times in the first hour, and a good amount of snot came out, but my sinuses still felt basically the same as before. a few minutes ago, though...suddenly i had this feeling of clarity and wellness in my sinuses. now i want to use the neti again.

can anyone tell me whether too much neti action can cause harm? i'm not thinking about using it 20X per day or anything, but i was wondering if there are concerns with using it more than once per day. like...could i double the benefit by using it again tonight before bed, then again tomorrow morning, etc.? and once the lingering effects of this cold/flu i'm getting over are gone, should i use it once or twice per week, or what?

(yes, i know that google searching will probably yield answers to my questions, but i haven't done any of that yet, and i'm curious to know what other peoples' experiences have been.)

edited to add: ok, i have now read the wiki entry about neti pots. i'm curious about varying the salt solution concentration. the wiki entry says that traditional neti uses an isotonic saline solution (i.e. the ionic strength is about the same as that inside human cells), but that recent research suggests using a hypertonic solution (i.e. ionic strength higher than that inside human cells) might be more therapeutic. has anyone out there tried that? i'm going to try it the next time i use the pot...i'll report back.

Comments

[gushgush.livejournal.com]

One of the times I was at Optimum Health Institute(googleable) I was told that it was good to use it with wheatgras juice. But, then again, they say that wheatgrass juice is good for almost anything except not good for douche or eye contact.

[arguchik.livejournal.com]

ewww, i don't think i'd want to put anything juice up my nasal passages. i might consider some kind of tea, but only if i have many assurances beforehand that it wouldn't do harm, cause infection, etc. with pure saline, at least i know the solution itself is a mild antiseptic.

[malafrena.livejournal.com]

Yay, glad the neti pot is helping! It's my understanding that you can use it three (or is it four?) times a day when congested, and otherwise once a day should do the trick.

I am surprised about water coming out your tear duct and ear. For the tear duct, maybe your forehead should be higher? If water isn't coming out the right nostril, you can turn your head to the side facing the neti pot. There was a video I watched, probably attached to that wikipedia post. Good luck!

[arguchik.livejournal.com]

it's not too surprising, actually--all those tubes in the head are connected. it wasn't a lot of water coming out of either place...just a teeny bit. i think i was probably pouring too fast.

[drjohn.livejournal.com]

I think isotonic is probably the best, especially if you are getting nasolacrimal duct reflux. Mildly hypertonic (like...a tad more) would probably help shrink swollen mucosal membranes some, but could also cause irritation. Fine line.

[glaucon.livejournal.com]

nasolacrimal duct reflux

that's my next band name.

[arguchik.livejournal.com]

what are you up to now, 294 next bands?

[drjohn.livejournal.com]

NETI POTHEADS

NETI POTENTATE

MICROSOFT .NETI

[arguchik.livejournal.com]

ha! i saw your comment after trying a hypertonic neti irrigation, and i have to say...isotonic is a lot more comfortable, both while irrigating and for a day afterward.

this morning i had a pretty good bloody nose. i'm wondering if it's related to the hypertonicity of the neti wash...

(i used to be prone to bloody noses as a kid, and i get then occasionally as an adult--usually when i've got a bug in my sinuses/nasal passages. i haven't had one for a couple of years, though, so it was startling. with this bug, i had a really mild bloody nose a few days ago, and have been seeing blood in my snot, but today's bloody nose was worse than that.)

[drjohn.livejournal.com]

Yeah, messing with things just because can upset the delicate balances...the mucus does help things stay moist and free of microtraumas, so rinsing it out can have percussions. See also: triclosan, handwashing, douches, tap water enemas.


Tonight, I have the fever and some hacking; I think I have whatever was going around Las Vegas. Pho helped, but I think bed will help more.

[arguchik.livejournal.com]

uh oh. sorry you're sick. hope you feel better soon!

[costco77.livejournal.com]

i recommend one to many of my patients. I'd probably stick to isotonic solution...hypertonic may cause irritation :(