Fight Sinus Infections With Pot

A neti pot, that is! If you have never seen one, they look like a magic genie might jump out at any minute. In fact, they are little pots that you fill with a saline solution (salt and a bit of lukewarm warm), also known as nasal sinus irrigation. More and more Americans use neti pots as a natural remedy to prevent or treat sinus infections. This gentle treatment has been around for centuries and originated in Ayurvedic medicine as a method for disinfecting and providing relief for sinus infections and other sinus discomfort. It has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey show and in the news in general. Its relatively easy once you learn the method, low-cost, and has little to no side effects.

The symptoms of a sinus infection include nasal congestion, nasal discharge and facial pressure as a result of the congestion. People have reported that a daily usage has provided them relief from that “clogged up” feeling and accelerated the healing process for their sinus infections.

Blocked Sinuses

How to use a Neti Pot?

In your neti pot, you would mix in about a teaspoon of salt with a pint of lukewarm warm. Then, you tilt your head over the sink at a slight angel. You then gently pour the saline solution into one nostril. The saline solution will flow through your nasal cavity, cleansing it in its path, and flow out of your other nostril. And then the process is repeated on the other nostril. The mucus in the nasal cavity is thinned out and then flushed out to provide comfort from that “clogged up” that is common with sinus infections. Sometimes, the congestion can precede a full-blow infection. In those cases, patients have reported that it can help them avert a infection before it develops.

The little neti pot may be made of clay (most common) or plastic. You can purchase them at a drug store, usually for $10 to $20. You can use table salt to make the solution at home.

How does a Neti Pot effect a Sinus Infection?

The Neti Pot, or more specifically, the saline solution helps the cilia, the hair-like structures, push out the bacteria and other irritants that cause the sinus discomfort associated with sinus infections. The salt in the solution helps it to be closer to the composition of sodium and chloride in the body, hence making it more gentle on the nasal cavity.

So if you are going through a summer cold, a sinus infection in full attack or about to come on or just “clogged up” in your nasal cavity, check out a neti pot and breathe easy. People that use them on a regular basis swear by them. Some of my friends even travel with their neti pot:)

References

http://www.foundhealth.com/sinusitis/natural-remedies-for-sinus-infection

http://www.foundhealth.com/sinusitis/sinusitis-and-neti-pot/experiences