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August 2014 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
Rinsing Sinuses
Safely
By John A.
Patterson MD,
MSPH, FAAFP
A pharmacist I
met several years
ago at a yoga retreat
couldn’t stop singing the praises of
her daily nasal rinse with a neti pot.
After having sinus infections several times a year for most of her life,
she had been symptom-free for over
a year by using this ancient self-care
practice. After doing some research,
I learned the procedure is generally
safe for both adults and children
when done properly. It can be used
both to prevent and treat nasal and
sinus symptoms.
Nasal rinsing with a salt water
solution can relieve congestion
and sinus symptoms and moisten
dry, irritated nasal passages. Like
salt water nose drops that you may
already be familiar with, the saline
solution relieves congestion by
drawing fluid from swollen nasal
membranes. Nasal rinsing can loosen thick or dried mucus and remove
dirt, dust and pollen filtered naturally from the inhaled air by nasal
hairs. This can relieve symptoms of
allergies, colds, flu and sinusitis.
The FDA warns, however, of
possible serious infection, and
even death, from improper use of
nasal rinsing devices, including neti
pots, bulb syringes, squeeze bottles
and battery-operated pulsed water
devices. Water safety is the main
concern. Municipal tap water, even
though properly treated, may contain bacteria and protozoa, including amoebas, which are deemed safe
is clean and completely dry. To mix
for oral consumption since they are
your saline solution, use commerusually killed by stomach bacteria.
cial water t ]\