Does nasal irrigation really work?!
Question: I have a severe cold and I cannot breathe! I am miserable. Someone told me about nasal irrigation, but I really don't know how it works or even how to do it.
A little help please!
Answers: I have a severe cold and I cannot breathe! I am miserable. Someone told me about nasal irrigation, but I really don't know how it works or even how to do it.
A little help please!
Yes, it works. This might be easier than a neti pot. You'll need a rubber/plastic baby ear syringe (NOT a nose one) -- it looks like a bulb with a pointy tip. You can get one in the baby section near the pharmacy at a discount store. You'll also need some warm water and non-iodized salt.
To make "normal saline" you mix 1/4 tsp of salt per 1 cup of water. Distilled water is better. But irrigating your sinuses may take a couple of cups of water, so go ahead and mix it accordingly. (I always make a quart.) Don't use too much or too little salt or it will burn. Don't make it too warm.
You probably know you have three main sets of sinuses -- over your eyes, below your eyes, and over your teeth.
Just squish the baby syringe in the salt water and fill it up. Lean over the sink and look down at the drain, so the water will come back out of your nose and not down the back of your throat. (This is why I like the syringe instead of a neti pot.)
Then you aim the tip up your nostril and start by aiming at the top sinus first. Give it a good squirt. Keep filling the syringe and squirting until the stuff running back out of the top sinus is fairly clear. (You may want to keep your sink faucet running a little bit to wash the gunk down the drain.)
Then do the same with the middle sinus and the lower sinus on both sides. Keep going until you're fairly clear. The first time around, you may not get everything, especially if you have a cold. You can do this two or three times a day. Pretty soon you'll come to find it very soothing.
The squirting water also stimulates the fine hairs in your sinuses (cilia), and causes them to start moving and carrying the crud out of your nose.
Hope you feel better soon.
don't bother with nasal irrigation...it's more trouble than it's worth.
Try drinking some tobasco sauce...it'll clear out your sinuses in a jiffy.
As an actor, I can't afford to get sick. Nasal Irrigation DOES work. Try Simply Saline, it's safe and effective. If you are really congested, try the one with menthol. Simply tip your head to the side, insert the application into the upper nostril and depress the button. Make sure you've got plenty of tissues handy as you'll need to blow your nose after.
Remember to breath through your mouth. Otherwise you might gag a little. It isn't the most pleasurable experience, but it does help a lot.
You also might want to try mentholated nose strips, sudacare shower tablets and sleeping on an incline.
If all else fails, try this. With your pointer finger bent press down HARD on the inner most part of your cheek bones, right under your eyes and drag down the side of your nose. The pressure compacts the congestion so that when the pressure is released, the congestion breaks.
Whatever you do, do not take an anti histamine as those products make the congestion more solid.
Yes but it's very uncomfortable. Try using a Netti Pot.
Yes, nasal irrigation really works! Before doing it, I would develop horrible sinus infections (some that led to polyp growth) when I had even the slightest colds, but after starting irrigation, I have not had any problems. It keeps your nostrils clear of mucus and bacteria that could turn into infections. So if you're nostrils are blocked, the best way to clear them is by irrigating.