Looking for a good quality Neti Pot....

Hi! I've used the Neti Pot for several allergy seasons now and attribute to it the fact that I no longer have to use medication to breath easy through all seasons of the year. I bought the drugstore kind, it's blue plastic with a lid. I like the lid as I can cover the holes and shake lightly to mix the salt.

I bought a bag of salt finding it the cheapest way to use "99.99% pure non-iodized salt, pharmaceutical grade" salt that is designed for Neti Pot use and for coming in contact with mucous membrane tissues. http://www.amazon.com/Neti-Pot-Salt-8-O ... 127&sr=8-5

Perhaps you want to visit an ENT doctor to make certain your 'clogged ears and sinus' won't present a problem with using the Neti Pot.

Let us know what you chose and how it went for you : ) Best wishes!

For those of you who let the water go out your mouth, please do explain. The only demonstration I've seen is on Oprah when Dr. Oz introduced it on her show. I've been to a few websites about neti pots as well, but I've never seen anyone let the salt water come out of their mouth. I have an inquring mind. Please explain or give a video link.

Thanks!

just tossing this out there, and hope it is in line with the conversation...

for allergies my ENT suggested a series of things that I tried for a few days and blew off as ineffective...

(nasonex, cingulair, there was quite a few things he threw at me, and I did not like any of em). One of the other
things he wanted me to try was saline nasal spray. I never heard of it before all of this, (did not know what a cpap was at that time either, this is a few months back). But not for nothing, would saline nasal spray be an effective alternative to a neti pot? Just offering up a little something where I can.....

drubin007 wrote:just tossing this out there, and hope it is in line with the conversation...

for allergies my ENT suggested a series of things that I tried for a few days and blew off as ineffective...

(nasonex, cingulair, there was quite a few things he threw at me, and I did not like any of em). One of the other
things he wanted me to try was saline nasal spray. I never heard of it before all of this, (did not know what a cpap was at that time either, this is a few months back). But not for nothing, would saline nasal spray be an effective alternative to a neti pot? Just offering up a little something where I can.....

I have asthma as well as sinus/ear clogging. I started using Neilmed's squeeze bottle & packets, which have helped a lot. Because I periodically get infections, my ENT added Bactroban antibiotic ointment to my mix. He also suggested saline nasal spray, but that is good for moistening, not for cleaning the sinuses. I find that if I use too much saline spray, my nose gets even more plugged.

On technique -- as long as I tilt my head far enough into the sink (and open my mouth), the stream goes right out the other nostril. Very little drips back into my throat. And of course, I spit that out. Swallowing sinus dregs is good for stomach upset at a minimum.

I use "NasoPure". It is not a neti pot but a squeeze bottle that comes with pre mixed saline packets. It's like the Nielmed and Ayr Saline Nasal rinse kits. Check it at http://www.nasopure.com.

The shape of the bottle makes it easy to use. I like that you don't need to tip your head with this system. To avoid the water in your throat that you may swallow, the doctor who developed this system suggests starting to say the letter "k" (just the beginning of the letter)as you squeeze the bottle and it keeps the solution from getting into your throat and possibly going down the throat.

I use distilled water as tap water where I live has a lot of minerals in it and is has no chlorine or fluoride to kill bacteria in it. To use a Neti Pot, I found I needed to put the top of my head almost in the bottom of the sink. I needed to be patient to allow the water to fill up all the sinus area, and to allow it to flow all the way through, and out the lower nostril. The amount of volume in the sinus area is much larger than I realized. I do not like the sensation of the sinuses filling up with saline solution. My issue with the squeeze bottle is that it is harder to estimate how much pressure to use. The pressure for the Neti Pot is dependent on the position of my head. If I do not get the top of my head low enough, or turned just right, then the flow is not good. The big thing I had to get over is to be patient enough for the flow to go all the way through, and use all the solution. I have more delay, like a nasal obstruction going left nostril and out the right.

Make sure you keep your Neti Pot washed up and not introduce germs into your sinuses. I use ordinary soap, and thoroughly rinse it off with tap water.

Which brings up another interesting aside. As a diabetic i have to check my blood sugar once a day. I was astonished when the experts at the diabetes center told me that any ordinary soap did a more through job of sterilize my hands than did alcohol, even if the soap was not an acti bacterial soap. Even plain Ivory would be better than alcohol.

Since I can tell many of you have been using a Neti Pot much longer than I have, please correct any thing that I have written that is incorrect.