Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Congestion? Sinus headache?

 

You just need this:

Nasal Irrigation


Okay, so I know what you're thinking: "Her teapot is so fancy! I want to irrigate my nasal cavities AND be cost-effective."  Or maybe you're actually just thinking that it looks gross.

In which case you're right.  It does.  But that's just a minor detail.  If you can get past the Gross Factor, you might just find that you really like this.  I did.  (That's right; I've done this before).

Nasal irrigation originated in an Ancient Hindu medical practice called Ayurveda.  It is very old and just as intuitive.  Basically, you just pour water in one nostril and out the other.  There are a few key details though:

1) The water must have the proper salinity (oh yes, you didn't think this one wasn't going to be about salt, did you?).  The salt helps to match the salinity of, well, snot, so it doesn't hurt when the water goes in your nose.  You can purchase pre-measured salt mixtures at a pharmacy or health store, or you can prepare your own mixture at home.  A good recipe is one pint warm water, one teaspoon canning/pickling salt (more on this in a bit), and one teaspoon baking powder (to cut the acidity of the salt).  If you'd like, you can store this solution for up to a week.

2) Make sure to use canning or pickling salt, as opposed to regular table salt, because table salt is iodized and contains other additives that are abrasive to the nasal membrane.

3) Use warm water, as it is more comfortable than cold or hot water.

4) When pouring the solution in your nostril, tilt your head slightly, making sure that your sinuses are higher than your throat.  If you tilt at too sharp an angle, the water could go down your throat instead of out your other nostril.  This isn't a bad thing, but it's a little gross if you think about it (not that you don't already swallow like a quart of snot a day, or some other ridiculous amount).

 The sinus rinse family!

As gross as it is, nasal irrigation is very effective at easing colds, sinus infections, or any other such ailments.  More than just clearing out the nasal cavities, sinus rinses also help kill bacteria.  The first couple times I tried it, I was, not surprisingly, grossed out.  But I've since come to really appreciate its effectiveness.  And a little ickiness is a fair price to get rid of a headache.

24 comments:

  1. I think i will pass on this one hahaha not because the gross factor but mostly because i don't like sticking things in my nose. Ok maybe my finger from time to time, but that's it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This doesn't look gross only, I think I'm gonna mess up and asphyxiate with the water.

    Interesting blog!

    ReplyDelete
  3. That's a good point. I should probably have mentioned that you shouldn't inhale suddenly when doing this.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I may try this next time I get sick.

    ReplyDelete
  5. As much as I love sticking things in my nose I'm gonna give this a pass cause I don't wanna use my tea pot like that.
    Also if you click on the picture so it goes to full screen with black background the white behind the girl gets black and it looks very cool!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, cool. Apparently the background is transparent. And so is the shine on her forehead.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You've actually done this? You've never had a girlfriend or boyfriend have you? That is gross.

    ReplyDelete
  8. A Homestar reference, didn't expect to see that here.

    I would be very tempted to try that actually, my sinuses get clogged a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Should I add cocaine? :P

    ReplyDelete
  10. this is actually really helpful to me since my nose been kinda stuffy for MONTHS, its so fukin annoying when its whistling

    ReplyDelete
  11. interesting post, I'm just glad my nose never gets too bad

    ReplyDelete
  12. I saw the title of this, and I was like "AHA! I have one of those!" And I do. It isn't quite so fancy, but it is a nasal irrigation teapot thing. I call it a nedi pot. And it is a brilliant invention. I use it during allergy season. I love it. Cool blog!

    ReplyDelete
  13. lol, is so hardcore to put salt in the noise, I don't mean it's no useful, but is hardcore xD

    ReplyDelete
  14. It actually works really well.

    colej666.blogspot

    ReplyDelete
  15. I once saw the most amazing gif of that

    ReplyDelete
  16. and totally disturbed by that. Going to use the brain version of a neti pot.

    ReplyDelete
  17. ugh..the nose...drinking tea??!! Gosh, I seem to have upset my stomach!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I am done with nasal irrigation for sinus infections.They are gross!

    ReplyDelete

to prove that you're worth your salt.