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

[claudine]

I bend over the sink just enough so the stuff doesn't run out my nose onto my shirt! LOL
(do not tilt head to either side)

Ahh....ok will try out your method...hoping that it works better for me this way! Thanks!

 

[SouthSideScubaSteve]

I use the Neilmed Rinse Bottle most days, and can say it has greatly reduced issues with my sinuses; above and below the water. I find the squeeze bottle much easier to use than trying to tilt my head over the sink while trying to avoid soaking shirt; most days I use it in the shower. it's just easier.

My only compliant is that I seem to always have a small amount of salt water trapped in my sinuses after I rinse; typically it’s not enough to realy notice and either evaporates (keeping my sinuses nice in moist in the process), or it runs out when I bend down to tie my shoes (I now keep a box of tissue next to my shoe-rack).

The only times I don’t use it are: 1) if I have a flight within 6 hours & 2) days I am diving…. I started doing this because I rinsed one morning, then headed to the airport for an AM flight; no problems on the way up, but on the descent my left ear wouldn’t clear... 36 hours later, the pressure finally released and was followed by a trickle of salty water from my sinus cavity!

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Iwas thinking the shower option would be a good idea, but I never remember until I am all soaking wet..

 

[dave4868]

I use the Neilmed Rinse Bottle most days, and can say it has greatly reduced issues with my sinuses; above and below the water. I find the squeeze bottle much easier to use than trying to tilt my head over the sink while trying to avoid soaking shirt; most days I use it in the shower. it's just easier.

My only compliant is that I seem to always have a small amount of salt water trapped in my sinuses after I rinse; typically it’s not enough to realy notice and either evaporates (keeping my sinuses nice in moist in the process), or it runs out when I bend down to tie my shoes (I now keep a box of tissue next to my shoe-rack).

The only times I don’t use it are: 1) if I have a flight within 6 hours & 2) days I am diving…. I started doing this because I rinsed one morning, then headed to the airport for an AM flight; no problems on the way up, but on the descent my left ear wouldn’t clear... 36 hours later, the pressure finally released and was followed by a trickle of salty water from my sinus cavity!

I concur about the convenience of doing the saline nasal irrigations by bulb or piston syringe in the shower!

It should be noted that the following comments are just my anecdotal personal experience and aren't intended to be construed as medical advice.

Just for the sake of discussion, I'm using a 60cc piston syringe, the kind with the Luer Lock fitting for needles, NOT the irrigating tip. The Luer Lock fitting is short and doesn't interfere with sealing the conical base of the syringe against the nostril opening.

With my head tipped back, the saline can be injected through one nostril and out the other, keeping the passages filled as long as my head remains tipped back.

In addition, since I want to irrigate the sinus(es) more effectively, I just repeatedly plug and unplug the exit nostril while injecting the saline. This forces saline to replace air in the sinus(es). I can hear the saline sloshing around in the frontal sinuses after doing so. I can't tell if the other sinuses are getting any saline, but my frontal sinuses definitely are! This has been much more effective than simple irrigations of the nasal passages, especially for cleaning out contaminated mucous during an infection.

I let the saline stay in there a few minutes and then eject and drain the saline by leaning forward and gently forcing some air into the cavities with my nose pinched, then unpinch and allow depressurizing. In between pressurizations, saline will drain as air pressure in the sinus cavities forces it out. After 4 or 5 such cycles, my sinus cavities are usually fully evacuated of saline. Only occasionally will a very small amount drain out later as you describe.

I believe the pressurized saline irrigation technique also gives my eustacian tubes a beneficial workout, as I have found clearing my ears while diving has become easier, often not even requiring a nose pinch!

Dave C

 

[SouthSideScubaSteve]

...I let the saline stay in there a few minutes and then eject and drain the saline by leaning forward and gently forcing some air into the cavities with my nose pinched, then unpinch and allow depressurizing. In between pressurizations, saline will drain as air pressure in the sinus cavities forces it out. After 4 or 5 such cycles, my sinus cavities are usually fully evacuated of saline. Only occasionally will a very small amount drain out later as you describe.
...

I will have to try using my "squeze bottle" to force (gently of course) some air through after I'm done with the rinsing... great idea, thanks!

 

[dave4868]

I will have to try using my "squeze bottle" to force (gently of course) some air through after I'm done with the rinsing... great idea, thanks!

You won't need the squeeze bottle to eject the saline. It's so simple:

Just pinch your nose and gently blow, release, blow, release, etc. With each release, saline will run right out of your nose.

You'll see how easy it is!

Dave C

 

[merxlin]

You can also sit down, fold forward and drop your head down to your knees. Any fluid still in the sinus cavity will usually run right out as you raise your head. Most bathrooms have a convenient place for this.

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Glad that two and half years after I started this thread that it is still going. I am still rinsing and still converting friends. After seeing my health improve over time my friends slowly keep joining the rinsing club.

I had one friend say, "I am not joining your rinsing cult!" One night she was sick and had been stopped up and had a sinus headache for days. I called to see if she needed anything from the store and she said I am sick enough to try to join the cult. I told her to rinse a couple of times in a row and every few hours. Within a short time her infection started clearing.

Not only is she a member not, but she is telling other people. It is cheap and it works.

When ever I have been in a large crowd, especially during flu season, I rinse as soon as I can to keep the viruses from embedding themselves in my sinus cavities. That seems to be working well too!

I do not use the premixed packets. Just the cheapest sea salt or canning salt I can find. Any salt without iodine will do. You can mix a little baking soda in too.

It really has changed the quality of my life. I am no longer having to take tons of meds to control sinus issues, am not sick as often, and feel much much better.

Oh and I like the rinse bottles like the Ayr system or the Neti bottle--I do not like anything where I have to tip my head. Sometimes, if I feel stuffed up I will rinse a couple of times in a row or rinse wait a few minutes and then rinse again

 

[claudine]

Thanks for all the useful tips!! Having used both, I find the rinse bottle much easier to use than the Neti-pot and it seems to clean better! The congestion is getting better and I can breathe better!

Will try out the various suggestions here as I go along, thank you guys!

 

[SouthSideScubaSteve]

.... I do not use the premixed packets. Just the cheapest sea salt or canning salt I can find. Any salt without iodine will do. You can mix a little baking soda in too....

How much salt do you use (per oz or rinse bottle)?