Shooting salt water up my nose everyday & feeling good! Anybody else doing this?

[iztok]

Since there have been so many questions about my qualifications and experience and bias in recommending nasal and sinus irrigation for divers, please go to the following video link for an excellent presentation by Melissa Pynnonen, MD, an ENT on the faculty of the University of Michigan.

I am interested in any scientific medical study of effects of nasal and sinus irrigation for divers that you or Ms. Pynnonen can share or point us to.

 

[dave4868]

I am interested in any scientific medical study of effects of nasal and sinus irrigation for divers that you or Ms. Pynnonen can share or point us to.

I don't think anyone in this thread bears a burden of proof since the claims of benefit have been so restrained and modest.

IMHO, the claims made by various posters of personally experiencing beneficial effects from performing nasal saline irrigations stay well within what could be considered fair conclusions derived anecdotally and empirically.

Nevertheless, I agree that skepticism is healthy, but common sense and personal experience are more than adequate tools with which to make a personal decision on such a simple issue, especially since there is almost no downside.

For many years, numerous people, including ENT medical specialists, have found saline nasal irrigations beneficial.

In other words, try it and see for yourself!

Dave C

 

[Herk_Man]

Neti pot for sinus health

Never tried it myself but I've heard good things from those who have.

Neti pots are great if you can take the strange sensation. Both my boys love to use them just because it's so cool to see water coming out of the opposite nostril. :shocked2:

 

[TMHeimer]

I have sucked salt water into my nose (not FAR in) for like 45 years. Cleans everything out nicely, with never any infection (ears a different story, thus docs pro plugs). Worrying about infection is like worrying about what could happen if you use spit as de-fog. Probably never be a problem. Of course everyone's different--If you find you have an alergy to something in the water I guess you could get an infection and just wouldn't do it again. If you're just in for a swim some water probably gets up there anyway. Thus nose plugs.

 

[Herk_Man]

Funny side story to this. When deployed to Iraq for 6 months and living in tents we were subjected to weekly dust storms with winds of 80+mph and dust so thick you couldn't see 10 feet. (A bit like lake diving I guess.)

All of us were complaining about the horrible pain in our nose after the first week and we were just sitting there on our cots holding our heads from the horrible noise of flapping tents.

I had a water bottle in my hand and had a revelation. I used the point of my knife to poke a tiny hole in the lid. Then I took a salt packet from my MRE and put it in the water. With nothing else to do all of my tent mates were watching me intently.

Then I took the bottle and squirted it up my nose on both sides several times. The black sludge that blasted out when I blew my nose was horrifying but brought such relief that I was conflicted on how to feel about it. Apparently my crew was unphased because they all lined up for a shot.

I was the hero of the day and never left the tent!

 

[Herk_Man]

I have sucked salt water into my nose (not FAR in) for like 45 years. Cleans everything out nicely, with never any infection (ears a different story, thus docs pro plugs). Worrying about infection is like worrying about what could happen if you use spit as de-fog. Probably never be a problem.

Hey TM. Have read some other threads on the pro plugs (forgive the off topic). How has your experience been with those? My only fear is that the tiny hole in them could get plugged causing a bad pressure differential. My wife has small inner ear tubes and is looking for anything to make descending a little easier for her.

Thanks.

 

[TMHeimer]

Herk, They work great. I've never had any of the holes get plugged. I don't wear them with my hood as they get messed up in there and the hood does the job. They don't prevent all water from getting it, but nothing gets in far enough to cause any ear problems. When I'm in more freindly southern waters I make sure to wrap the connecting cord around my mask to avoid losing them, as one can pop out of an ear at times. Beware that the area that connects the cord to the plug is quite fragile and can be broken easily. You can repair them with something like Krazy Glue, but I keep a spare anyway. Folks say they make descents easier, but I've never had equalizing problems anyway, so can't comment on that.

 

[Yellowmask]

This may sound weird, but apparently humming helps, too:

Humming and clearing sinuses

 

[deco_martini]

My wife has heard the fuss about nasal rinses. She bought one of the various kits from Costco. It went under the sink and was forgotten about.

I actually developed a real infection of the lungs, throat, sinus, etc. I figured I would try the kit.

My baseline:
After a bad sinus infection starts to clear, you get the terrible drainage.

My results: It flushed out the snot in my nose, but didn't actually flush out my sinuses. It seemed to be a placebo for people with an urgent need to "treat" themselves. I kept using it every day as it instructed, it neither shortened the duration of infection (which makes sense, your body has to fight off the infection), nor did it flush the crud out that drains afterward.

Call me unimpressed. Plus, some scientific thinking says that using such a device as preventative care, is actually worse for you since you strip away protective mucus (DUH).

But, but... I used it and didn't get sick! Then you know what, you probably wouldn't have gotten sick anyway.


Don't buy these things. You could blow out an eardrum using them (read the warning labels carefully). That could put a sudden crimp on your diving.

 

[merxlin]

My wife has heard the fuss about nasal rinses. She bought one of the various kits from Costco. It went under the sink and was forgotten about.

I actually developed a real infection of the lungs, throat, sinus, etc. I figured I would try the kit.

My baseline:
After a bad sinus infection starts to clear, you get the terrible drainage.

My results: It flushed out the snot in my nose, but didn't actually flush out my sinuses. It seemed to be a placebo for people with an urgent need to "treat" themselves. I kept using it every day as it instructed, it neither shortened the duration of infection (which makes sense, your body has to fight off the infection), nor did it flush the crud out that drains afterward.

Call me unimpressed. Plus, some scientific thinking says that using such a device as preventative care, is actually worse for you since you strip away protective mucus (DUH).

But, but... I used it and didn't get sick! Then you know what, you probably wouldn't have gotten sick anyway.

Your mileage may vary. I think everyone here has said that. I disagree about not getting the sinuses to clear, as mine have been cleared by the process.

Don't buy these things. You could blow out an eardrum using them (read the warning labels carefully). That could put a sudden crimp on your diving.

I never thought we get the "you're gonna die!" mentality in a sinus rinse thread.