I like to get the saline into the sinus cavities to soak for a few minutes, not just irrigate the main nasal passages. To do so, I use controlled pressure, not a forceful blast.
To reduce mess, I do this in the shower. I don't know how you guys do this at a sink....
I do my irrigation by tipping my head back, filling the nasal passages with saline using a 60cc syringe sealed up against a nostril, then plugging the other nostril while intermittently and gently pressurizing the nasal passages. A bulb syringe will also work.
This method will inject saline into the sinuses during pressurizations and eject air during non-pressurizations. About 6 intermittent pressurizations lasting a half-second each followed by half-second pauses will about half fill some of my sinuses, as judged by the audible sloshing I hear when I shake my head. Go ahead and laugh....
The saline will mostly stay in the sinuses until forced out or posturally draining out later. I prefer to force it all out while still in the shower rather than getting a surprise later....
So, near the end of my shower, I tip my still sloshing head forward, blow my nose, then plug both nostrils and do gentle intermittent pressurizations, between which the saline runs out. It might take 6 to 10 such pressurizations before no more saline will run out. Only on rare occasions has some residual saline dribbled out later.
I find that a few minutes of saline soaking my sinuses really helps to liquify the secretions and facilitate their removal. Afterwards, the nasal passages seem to shrink, too, making it easier to breathe. I usually use a hypertonic solution (three quarters to one teaspoon of canning salt and about an eighth of a teaspoon of baking soda in 8 ounces of water).
In addition, I find the intermittent pressurizing gives my eustacian tubes a good workout, which appears to improve my scuba-related ear-clearing. It's gotten to the point where my ears clear passively during my dives. That is definitely a nice benefit!
Dave C
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