7 ms·

Thank you for the info. On a related subject, do you know anything about the benefits and/or dangers of nose/sinus irrigation? A few years ago I solved my lif

Thank you for the info. On a related subject, do you know anything about the benefits and/or dangers of nose/sinus irrigation? A few years ago I solved my life-long struggle with chronic sinusitis, rhinitis, and other assorted nasal issues, by washing my sinuses during my daily shower, with warm saline solution. To anybody who might have bad memories of going to the swimming pool, no, it doesn't hurt at all, if the solution is warm and slightly hypertonic. I use a plastic Neti pot that I fill with hot water from the shower, to which I add common sea salt with the provided measuring spoon. I rinse from one nostril to the other and vice versa. Then, with my nose full of water and my nostrils closed, I bend 180º upside down and apply very gentle negative/positive pressure to the water with my breath, to wash the upper sinuses. Then blow it all out and repeat a couple times. The upside-down procedure was key to curing my long-term sinusitis years ago. I had been doing the procedure for a few days, when I saw a tiny glob of stuff wash away from my nose's upper sinuses and felt the unholy stench of anaerobic bacteria. From that day on, I stopped having weekly common colds and other issues (that the doctors couldn't cure even with antibiotics.) So it was definitely a good procedure and I kept doing it every day. But recently I've read about possible dangers with nose irrigation, how one is supposed to boil the water before using it and change the Neti pot regularly. Is there any truth to these fears? Should I go to the—admittedly—troublesome step of boiling and cooling the water I intend to use, instead of taking it from the shower? And if so, are there any tests I would be advised to perform, to make sure I didn't contract anything by my simple washing method?

goldenkey 8y ago
There is a decent guide by the FDA here: https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm316375.htm https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm316375.h... You might have heard about certain amoebas being a risk of dipping ones head underwater in warmer bodies of fresh water: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naegleria_fowleri https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naegleria_fowleri You probably won't find Naegleria fowleri in your common tap but there are a host of other protozoans and bacteria that can be dangerous to your health. Contrary to common belief, they probably won't kill you right away - and may not even cause an infection. But you are taking a risk and taxing your body's immune system and that particular area's sensitivity and inflammatory response. It's really not worth the risk considering the price of generic, sanitized, saline bottles that are less than a few dollars a gallon. The risk is small but it could end you due to the area we are discussing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danger_triangle_of_the_face https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danger_triangle_of_the_face I used aerosol saline sprays after I had deviated septum correction surgery. They are pressurized so there's no risk of internal contents becoming contaminated. This alone is worth the peace of mind. Plus the pressure helps in a way a normal neti pot or drip system cannot. I used large Neilmed bottles from Walmart but I did a quick search for you and found a 3-pack of Arm n Hammer saline aerosol for $12 which seems to be a solid price: https://amzn.to/2RMiseS https://amzn.to/2RMiseS Hope this helps. Good luck with your health, take care of yourself!
- etatoby 8y ago
  I replaced my irrigation device with a new one and now I'm only using water that has been boiled for 5 minutes in a brand new kettle and cooled down. I'm also considering using specific salt packets instead of common salt. Thanks again for the info.
adrianN 8y ago
I use boiled water for nasal irrigation.

goldenkey 8y ago

There is a decent guide by the FDA here: https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm316375.htm https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm316375.h... You might have heard about certain amoebas being a risk of dipping ones head underwater in warmer bodies of fresh water: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naegleria_fowleri https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naegleria_fowleri You probably won't find Naegleria fowleri in your common tap but there are a host of other protozoans and bacteria that can be dangerous to your health. Contrary to common belief, they probably won't kill you right away - and may not even cause an infection. But you are taking a risk and taxing your body's immune system and that particular area's sensitivity and inflammatory response. It's really not worth the risk considering the price of generic, sanitized, saline bottles that are less than a few dollars a gallon. The risk is small but it could end you due to the area we are discussing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danger_triangle_of_the_face https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danger_triangle_of_the_face I used aerosol saline sprays after I had deviated septum correction surgery. They are pressurized so there's no risk of internal contents becoming contaminated. This alone is worth the peace of mind. Plus the pressure helps in a way a normal neti pot or drip system cannot. I used large Neilmed bottles from Walmart but I did a quick search for you and found a 3-pack of Arm n Hammer saline aerosol for $12 which seems to be a solid price: https://amzn.to/2RMiseS https://amzn.to/2RMiseS Hope this helps. Good luck with your health, take care of yourself!

etatoby 8y ago
I replaced my irrigation device with a new one and now I'm only using water that has been boiled for 5 minutes in a brand new kettle and cooled down. I'm also considering using specific salt packets instead of common salt. Thanks again for the info.

adrianN 8y ago

I use boiled water for nasal irrigation.