| Neti Pot |
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Have you heard of a neti pot or saline lavage? I swear by it, especially during allergy and cold & flu season. And I'm not alone. Here's a major understatement: mucus isn't fun. It's really unpleasant when you can't breathe. You talk funny. All that mouth breathing gives you bad breath and makes your throat hurt. You're not in the mood to socialize. It's difficult to sleep, and if you prop up your head to relieve some congestion, you wake up with a really sore neck. Even if it's "just allergies," lots of undrained mucus sets you up for getting a cold or virus. Suddenly, it's beginning to affect your life in a major way. The premise is a simple one. By gently clearing the nasal mucosal passages with saline solution, you can clear away mucus, and the pathogens and allergens that love to take up residence. This isn't a miracle cure. It doesn't eliminate the cause of your mucus, of course. That will take some further work. But it's a really good start. And for those parents whose children are breathing clear and missing fewer days of school, it can sometimes seem like a miracle after all. There are two ways to do nasal irrigation or saline lavage. Don't be scared off by the word "irrigation." It's not a great word, I admit, but industrial plumbing it isn't, and once you get the hang of it, it's quick and painless. The easiest way is to buy the pink plastic saline ampules from the pharmacy. They come 100 to a box, individual, sterile and portable. I buy the 5 ml size because there's enough sodium chloride (saline) to cover even the most backed-up noses, big and small. If you ask your pharmacist for Sodium Chloride Inhalation Solution, 0.9% for Respiratory Therapy, she'll probably know what you're talking about. Before you try it on your kids, give it a whirl yourself, so you know what it feels like. Tilt your head to the side and slightly back, You just tear off the plastic cap, insert the little tip into one nostril and squeeze. You'll have to experiment with how hard to squeeze. Not so hard that the liquid goes shooting into your cranial cavity. Not so soft that it barely dribbles out. Try not to tense up. or breathe in. As you feel the liquid starting to come out, blow into a tissue or into the sink. You may be surprised how much more stuff comes out. I carry these ampules in my purse and do a quick flush during and after plane flights. And if you wear contact lenses or suffer from dry eyes, they can be a godsend. Packaging is not the most environmentally-friendly and so, if you can graduate to a neti pot, it's the best bet all around. A neti pot looks like a small teapot. If you go to your local health food store, Amazon or google it, you'll find lots of different shapes and sizes. Many of them come with packets or small jars of salt solution that you mix up. Once you get some practice, you'll learn how to insert the tip of the pot in one nostril and have the liquid exit out the other. If that sounds too complicated, don't worry about it. Just do one side at a time. A couple of things to keep in mind. First, don't overdo it. We use it once per day during the allergy and cold seasons. If you're in bad shape, try a second time a few hours later. But if the mucus isn't moving, we need to look to other things to help you along (and I'm not talking about Afrin). Second, don't grab the Morton's iodized salt from your spice cabinet. You want salt that's extremely pure, non-iodized and without non-caking agents. One teaspoon per pint of filtered water does the trick. And by the way, I just read this in the New York Times (yes, the NYT is writing about neti pots!): It's definitely worth a try. Note: the information and/or products contained herein are not warranted for any particular use, and all warranties, expressed or implied, including fitness for any particular use, are expressly disclaimed. |
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| Quote of the week |
"Life and health are about choices." - Suzanne Somers, Knockout, page 5 |
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