Recently Oprah featured neti pots or nose bidets for sinus problems. I have numerous chronic sinus and allergy patients that have seen the benefits from irrigating the sinuses using this technique. The neti pots have been around for centuries. They look like a small teapot or genie lamp. They’re filled with saline solution and used to irrigate and cleanse the nasal passages. Using a neti pot may be a little awkward at first. You’ll need to tilt the head forward and to one side and then tilt the neti pot up. The pot makes a seal with one nostril and the saline solution runs out the other nostril. You can buy saline packets or make a solution with 2 to 3 cups of lukewarm water and one teaspoon of non-iodized salt. Iodine might impair the nose cilia that help clear mucous. You can decrease irritation by adding one-half teaspoon baking soda , decreasing the salt or adjusting the water temperature.
