Looking for Nasal Congestion Relief? Look for a Neti Pot (2024)

FAQs

Looking for Nasal Congestion Relief? Look for a Neti Pot? ›

A neti pot is a container made to rinse debris or mucus from the nasal cavity using saltwater. You might use a neti pot to treat symptoms of nasal allergies, sinus problems or colds. Using a neti pot can help when indoor air dries out nasal passages. Neti pots use saltwater to avoid irritating nasal passages.

Along with other nasal irrigation devices, these devices — commonly called neti pots — use a saline, or saltwater, solution to treat congested sinuses, colds and allergies. They're also used to moisten nasal passages exposed to dry indoor air.

Neti pot solution recipe

Mix 3 teaspoons of iodide-free and preservative-free salt with 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Store in a small, clean container. When you're ready to use the neti pot, mix 1 teaspoon of this mixture into 8 ounces of distilled, sterile, or boiled and cooled water.

DON'T overuse it.

Use a nasal rinse as needed, whether it be a few days or once a week. When your allergies are bad, you can use a neti pot or nasal rinse one to two times per day. Be aware, though, that using nasal rinses too often can irritate your nasal passages.

Whether it's from a hot shower or piping hot cup of tea, steam can thin mucus and help it drain from your nose. For faster relief, pour boiling water into a large bowl. Cover your head with a towel, lean over the bowl, and breathe in the steam. You can do this three to four times a day.

Due to potential concerns regarding infection, patients are commonly recommended to use distilled, bottled, or boiled tap water when mixing these solutions.

This may due to too much or too little salt in the saline solution. 5 It is also possible that the irrigation may actually cause nasal congestion, but this will typically resolve on its own.

Tilt your head down and sideways over a sink. Place the spout of the neti pot just at the entrance of the upper nostril. While you breathe through your open mouth, start to pour the water into the top nostril. If the water flows into your mouth, tilt your head further down so the water flows into the bottom nostril.

Use a neti pot, bulb syringe or squeeze bottle made for this purpose (check your local pharmacy or health store). Disinfect your device with white vinegar or isopropyl alcohol before use. Read labels! The best salt for a nasal rinse is non-iodized, such as pure sea salt or kosher salt.

How to clean a deep inside nose? ›

Using a squeeze bottle, bulb syringe, or neti pot, pour or squeeze the saline solution slowly into the upper nostril. Allow the solution to pour out your other nostril and into the drain. Breathe through your mouth, not your nose, at this time. Repeat on the opposite side.

Neti pots can help relieve cold or allergy symptoms. Safe neti pot use requires using sterile, distilled, or boiled water. Make sure to boil water for… Saline solution, which is a simple mixture of salt and water, has many handy uses, from clearing nasal passages, cleaning wounds, and rinsing contact…

Nasal Decongestant Spices

Spices such as ginger, cayenne pepper, and horseradish have natural decongestant properties that can help clear sinuses. Incorporate these spices into your meals or prepare a homemade herbal tea by steeping grated ginger or a pinch of cayenne pepper in hot water.

Mucus buildup can become thick, so it may take time to clear up. To help thin out thickened mucus, try using medicated or saline nasal sprays. An irrigation device called a neti pot can also flush out thick mucus. A hot steam shower can also help moisten your nasal passages and relieve congestion.

Nasal rinses can be done at any time of day.

Conclusion: Despite standardized instructions for the preparation of saline irrigation solutions, many patients use untreated tap water. The extremely rare, but typically fatal, risk of meningoencephalitis from Naegleria fowlerii makes this a potential health hazard.