Nasal irrigation

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Nasal irrigation is a personal hygiene practice which involves flooding the nasal cavity with warm saline solution (salt water). The goal of nasal irrigation is to clear out excess mucus and particulates and moisturize the nasal cavity. Either a fluid-filled syringe or a neti pot can be used. The practice has been subjected to clinical testing and has been found to be safe and beneficial, with no apparent side effects^[1]^[2].

1 Benefits and uses
2 Jala neti
3 Pulsating nasal sinus irrigation
4 Potential problems
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Benefits and uses

Common nose rinse device available at drug stores

The saline solution irrigation and nasal flush promotes good nasal health. It can be used by patients with chronic sinusitis including symptoms of facial pain, headache, halitosis, cough, anterior rhinorrhea (watery discharge), and one study has even reported that nasal irrigation was “just as effective at treating these symptoms as the drug therapies.”^[3]^{[dubious – discuss]} In other studies, “daily hypertonic saline nasal irrigation improves sinus-related quality of life, decreases symptoms, and decreases medication use in patients with frequent sinusitis,^[2]” and irrigation is recommended as an “effective adjunctive treatment of chronic sinonasal symptoms.”^[4]^[5]

Nasal irrigation is reputed to help prevent colds and otherwise promote good nasal health by cleaning out the nasal passages and helps alleviate stuffiness, dryness and the symptoms of allergies.^{[citation needed]}.

For those who suffer from chronic sinusitis, nasal irrigation is a quick and inexpensive way to promote ciliary function and mucus turnover, decrease edema, and improve drainage through the sinus ostia.

To summarize, nasal irrigation can purportedly:

Clear out sticky, persistent mucus and help reduce nasal congestion
Cleanse and rid the sinus cavities of allergens, irritants, and contaminants
Treat chronic sinusitis
Treat acute bacterial rhinosinusitis^[2]
Treat allergic rhinitis
Prevent common colds and flu
Relieve nasal dryness
Promote healthy nasal passages
Treat empty nose syndrome (a crippled nose caused by over-aggressive turbinate resection)
Improve breathing
Reduce coughing and other symptoms of post-nasal drip
Temporarily reduce symptoms of phantosmia
Generally improve sinus health.

Yogic breathing practices known as pranayama are enhanced by the practice of jala neti since many of them involve deep breathing through the nostrils.

Other benefits practitioners may notice:

Vision is clearer. Jala neti will clean the tear ducts, enabling better cleaning and moistening of the eyes.
Improved sense of smell
Improved sense of taste
Deeper, more relaxed breathing

[edit] Jala neti

Ceramic neti pot; neti pots can also be made from glass, metal, or plastic.

Nasal irrigation is an ancient Ayurvedic technique known as jala neti, which literally means nasal cleansing with water in Sanskrit, where the practitioner uses a neti pot to perform the irrigation. Because modern medicine has long supported the use of nasal irrigation to clear sinuses and prevent sinus and nasal conditions, physicians also accept jala neti as simply one type of nasal irrigation, which can be performed using a neti pot or syringe.

Jala neti, though relatively less known in Western culture, is a common practice in parts of India and other areas in South Asia, performed as routinely as brushing one's teeth using a toothbrush. It is performed daily, usually as the first thing in the morning with other cleansing practices. It may also be performed at the end of the day if one works or lives in a dusty or polluted environment. When dealing with problems of congestion it can be performed up to four times a day.

A typical method utilizes an isotonic saline solution. Recent research^[6]^[7] has indicated that a hypertonic saline solution may be more effective at treating specific symptoms of nasal inflammation.

[edit] Pulsating nasal sinus irrigation

Pulsating nasal irrigator.

Some people use bulb syringes, squirt bottles, and neti pots. Others use pulsating irrigation devices that deliver an intermittant pulsing saline rinse to remove bacteria, purulent material, and help restore ciliary function.

Several published medical reports indicate pulsatile lavage is more effective at cleansing and removing bacteria than non-pulsating nasal wash products like bulb syringes, neti pots and squeeze bottles, which rely simply on gravity and conventional flow. ^[8] ^[9] ^[10]

A pulsating nasal irrigation device delivers a controlled flow with pressure control that may be adjusted for individual comfort. Medical reports support that positive pressure irrigation retains a larger volume of solution and irrigates the sinuses more consistently than other methods. ^[11]

[edit] Potential problems

Some people may have hardened blockages. These may be eliminated gradually over several attempts but may be due to a deviated septum in which case a minor surgery may be needed.
Some mild blockages may also be removed with sutra neti when Jala neti is unsuccessful.
Burning or irritation of the nasal lining. This can feel similar to irritation one may experience from the chlorine in a swimming pool. This is usually due to water being at the wrong temperature and/or salinity, but can also be due to the salt containing the additive iodine. If the salinity is correct and the water is at body temperature, try using non-iodized salt.
Patients may feel sharp pains due to pressure on the sinuses. They should stop immediately and consult a doctor.
If a person experiences ear discomfort when performing Jala Neti, they should be sure to blow their nose more gently after the wash. If the problem persists, the openings of their Eustachian tubes may be particularly wide and they may need to discontinue use.
Cold water may cause discomfort in many people.
Nasal irrigation should not be performed when a person is having a nosebleed or has recently undergone some form of nasal surgery.