Are Neti Pots Safe? | Timothy Valentin

Are Neti Pots Safe? | Timothy Valentin

First off, what are Neti Pots? Well, Neti Pots are small kettles used to irrigate nasal passages.  You fill the Neti pot with distilled water, add some saline to it and pour the water in one nostril and have it come out the other.  The intent here is not to gross you out but to explain how they are used. The saline water flows through the sinuses and rinses away the pollen and other foreign particulates that cause sinus infections and allergies.  So that's the therory.

Ok a little more about how to use Neti Pots

Neti pots look like a small tea kettle and are used as nasal rinsing devices.  You fill them with distilled (luke warm) water, add saline or salt and  proceed pour the water through your nasal passages and sinuses.



As to how often you should do this? It depends a bit on how severe your allergies are, some people will use the Neti Pot or other nasal irrigation device daily while other find they only need to use it about three times a week.  You may have to experiment with one a little bit to see what will work for you.

Always use distilled, sterile or previously boiled water to prevent getting an infections from contaminated water. Mix in about 1 teaspoon of salt with 16 ounces ( a pint) of water.  Some people will add some baking soda to reduce the irritation affects of the salt but that is not required.



If  you experience some irritation with using the Neti Pot, you can reduce the amount of salt, lower the temperature of the water or use the pot less frequently.

Care of the Neti Pot

Make sure you thoroughly clean your Neti or other irrigation device after each use.  Some people have gotten brain infections from using a contaminated device--so be careful!

Most devices will come with instructions on how to use them. You can also ask your ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat doctor) for advice on how or if you should use a Neti.

In general Neti Pots are safe but you need to take care of them so they will take care of you.

 Where can you get a Neti Pot?

Neti pots are pretty easy to find. You can Google "Neti Pot" and find an online source or you can stop by your local drug or health food store.  They usually cost between $10 and $20.  Some will come with a saline mix that you can use instead of salt.




Timothy Valentin

http://timothyvalentin.com