I recently, finally, bought a Neti pot. I've heard about them for YEARS, but just haven't been able to bring myself to try one. However, since I'm on more of an all natural spree than ever, and I'm living in the very cold prairies, and having a baby means I don't sleep well (even though he's sleeping through the night), I am therefore frequently congested.
Plus, my mum has been using one for months now and loves it. She originally bought a cheap plastic one and then when I invested in one of the traditional ceramic ones, she did too. She likes it way more than the plastic one. On top of the Neti pot, I bought a box of the saline solution to use with it. If you're cheap, you can make your own using baking soda and Himalayan rock salt (Google for a recipe). This is what my mum does, and it works wonderfully!
I've got to say, I'm completely sold! I love it! I love how clear my nose is after I use it. I love how much better I can smell after I use it - especially awesome when something's cooking!
I don't love the initial feeling of the water running up one nostril and down and out the other. But once it gets going, it's actually not that bad. The initial feeling is very much like getting water up your nose when you dive into the pool wrong, without the force or as much aching, stinging pain as it's thrust into your sinuses as well, or it rushing down your throat too. It's only the first second or so that's slightly uncomfortable and then it doesn't feel like anything, and when you stop to blow out, it feels amazing!
The trick is to keep breathing through your mouth, not swallow and not accidentally breath through your nose and ultimately put yourself in a world of hurt as salt water rushes into your sinuses. I realize I'm probably not really selling this thing very well, but trust me, it's incredible; it's worth a tiny bit of minor discomfort. I can't believe I never tried it before.
I tried this in the past and found it very painful with the pain shooting right up into my head. I followed all the instructions. After my third try, and I did have the solution at the right temperature, it was still painful and I threw it away.
ReplyDeleteAwe that's too bad! I find that some days are more painful than others, and it just depends on how stuffed up I am… And I did actually try it today and for the first time, the water was a bit too warm and that hurt quite a bit too! I'm sorry you had a bad experience.
ReplyDeleteI've been doing some thinking, Lori…. How much of the saline solution did you use? That MAY have contributed to your pain. I use just a 1/4tsp of the solution, and I find that's oodles! Maybe the concentration you used was a bit too high for you?
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