I have become intrigued by a neti-pot and was surprised that many of you used them for sinus allergies and symptoms. A study presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology found that neti-pot use may actually increase your risk of infection.
Stopping neti-pot use was associated with a 62% decrease in sinus infections. The authors pointed out that neti-pots do provide relief of bothersome sinus symptoms, but that chronic use may wash away some of your bodies natural defenses and increase your risk of infection.
Neti pots have been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show and many people all over the internet are singing their praises. I get asked about them fairly commonly in clinic. Basically a neti pot is a form of nasal irrigation that is supposed to greatly improve sinus allergy symptoms. You take a small tea pot looking device filled with salt water and insert it into one of your nostrils. The salt water goes through your sinuses and out the other nostril. You can see a video of someone demonstrating the neti pot.
What do you think? Leave a comment or join the discussion in the forum.
I was wondering how long and how people participated on that research to get in the conclusion that stopping neti-pot use was associated with a 62% decrease in sinus infections.
The Neti Pot, or nasal irrigation in general, can be an excellent way to cut down on symptoms and avoid sinus trouble. It is also an ideal way to keep the nasal passages generating healthy mucus by clearing out the old and used mucus that carries pollens and dust. As with anything, overuse may cause other troubles, but regular use a few times a week will continue to help your sinus troubles.
I also found salinetherapy very good with their salinizer, so breathing in salty air helps a lot. Neti pots cleans the sinuses with a saline solution as well, so I would prefer washing the mucus instead of let is stay there and get infected…