Pollen and cat fur are not my friends, and when I become so stuffed up I can't smell a thing, I turn to my neti pot. It looks like a little teapot. You fill it with warm salt water, place the spout in one nostril and as the water passes through your nasal passages and comes out the other nostril; it helps get rid of irritants and mucus so you can breathe easier. I know it sounds medieval, but it really works whether I'm stuffed up from smelling flowers or if I have a cold. Last Spring I was happy to hear that science backed up the use of a neti pot to relieve congestion, but I've got some bad news for my fellow neti pot lovers. A new study shows that long-term use of the neti pot can actually cause sinus problems. The study followed 68 people who used their neti for a year, and then took a break for a year. The rate of sinusitis actually dropped by 62 percent in the year that the participants stopped using the neti pot.
Researchers believe that the mucus in your nasal passages acts as a defense against infection, and flushing it away disrupts your body's immune function. They recommend that neti pots be used every once in a while to relieve congestion, but should not be used daily for an extended period of time. If you have issues with constantly being stuffed up, see your doctor so they can help figure out the cause of your congestion and how to treat it.
If you've never heard of a neti pot and want to see how it's used, check out a how-to video when you read more.
Source: Flickr User Thirteen Of Clubs
Marciano
L'Autre Chose
Chantelle
Interesting. I've used a neti pot every day for about two years because of chronic sinus infections. I can happily say that I have now gone an entire year without a sinus infection and my allergy symptoms are also much improved. I was crediting that to the neti pot, but maybe it's just luck instead. This is good to know about the long term.
1Oh noooo! This is seriously bad news for me. I thought that thing was the greatest invention since the wheel!
My nose used to be stuffy all day every day for as long as I can remember. I almost cried tears of joy when I found the neti pot.
Before I discovered it though, I went to a doctor who prescribed some nose spray that contains cortisone. That doesn't seem like the right thing to use for a long time, either!
2I know lots of people on this site LOVE the Neti Pot but seriously I can't even watch the video, the still picture alone skeeves me out, the whole idea weirds me out beyond belief.
3I am so scared to use one of those!
4I'm with you, mamasita, that thing disturbs me!
5My yoga instructor swears by it but it scares me! I'm so afraid the water is going to run down the back of my nose and into my throat - like when you're swimming and you get water up your nose. Terrifies me.
6Well I used to use my neti pot frequently in the spring due to pollen... but I always ended up with a sinus infection (or some kind of sinus problem). I used to blame it on the pollen ... but since I quit using it I don't have those problems anymore.
7Who sponsored this new study?
I've used the neti pot for the last several months, and I like it. It's especially good to use after gardening.
8I could see maybe if you used it, like, constantly it may cause some issues with irritating your sinuses, but if you use it when you're congested, it's probably a better solution than OTC or prescription meds.
9Spectra - supposedly you can use the neti pot twice a day everyday with no problems. This is according to natural health practitioners (my sister is a doc) as well as just about any literature you can find on the neti pot.
10Not for me. The thought of flushing out my nose is a little scary.
11Shocker, snot is there for a reason!
12Well, a friend has been going on and on about neti pots and now this! My sinus troubles have been getting worse and I am trying to steer clear of medications and things like that.
13I have a ct scan next week and am also doing research into my options if things look bad. At the moment I am leaning toward the balloon sinuplasty option which is newer but surgery is always a possibility as well.
Not sure what to think about neti now. ALthough several docs have sworn by the benefits of nasal irrigation.
Thanks and have a super duper day!
wow, what a huge sample size
I'm a fan of yours Fitsugar
but i wish you'd add a little more grain of salt when you reference these small studies--someone could just be skimming the site and think that neti pots=bad even though this study is not
exactly a huge project.
14I love my neti pot, but I only use it when I'm congested, not every day. It was tough the first couple of times I used it, and yes everything ran down my throat and I felt like I'd been swimming, but once I got the hang of using one, it was easy.
15I love my neti pot. I usually use it twice a day, and since then my sinus infections and terrible (!) allergy symptoms have gotten waaay better. I don't buy this study.
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