# Are there any risks with a Neti Pot?



## kyweaver

I know they need to be clean, but is there anything else I need to watch out for? 
Can it be used too much?


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## marinemomtatt

Over use could cause over drying which would allow a perfect environment for infection.


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## jynxt

marinemomtatt said:


> Over use could cause over drying which would allow a perfect environment for infection.


That shouldn't be a problem if you are using a balanced solution that isn't heavy on the sodium chloride. To prevent that either use a solution that is neutral (like the little packets that you buy) or add a pinch of baking soda to your saline solution. 

My son uses a neti pot because in the winter his sinuses dry something awful, then when spring rolls in his nose bleeds because the membrane has thinned from being dryed out. When he first started with this he was told to rinse as often as possible throughout the day but to always wait at least a full hour between rinses and NEVER rinse less than 2 or 3 hours before going to bed. 

My husband will rinse as much as 4 times in a day when he's getting too much dust and metal filings in the air at work. (For some reason he can't seem to keep a mask on at all) 

At any rate, I would think that you shouldn't need to rinse more than 3 or so times in a day. Give your body plenty of time to respond and your sinuses time to drain.


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## Trisha in WA

Why not use it 2-3 hours before bed? That seems to be when I think about it, and it helps keep my post nasal drip to a minimum during the night.
I have also heard of using baking soda...why would you do this?


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## cathleenc

harm, no. discomfort, possibly.

everyone's nose is different - you may need to experiment to find what feels right for your nose. My nose is fussy - city chlorinated water literally burned my nose. Too much salt or not enough salt, awful. Table salt vs sea salt can be different. Cool water vs tepid water vs hot water, different too. Just keep on trying and you'll find a combo that soothes and cleanses.


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## kyweaver

Ok, Thanks. I didn't want to make things worse by over-doing it. 
My nose hates me.


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## jynxt

Trisha, the reason it isn't recommended to use the neti pot within a couple of hours before going to bed is so that your sinuses can drain completely and you won't have issues with drainage while you are lying down. My hubby has remembered only an hour before bed and used a rinse, but it only worked out well for him if he wasn't congested.

As far as chlorine goes we either boil it out or use distilled water....at least for now anyway, we are hoping to get a berkey and that will solve that issue.


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## Trisha in WA

Thanks jynxt. That makes good sense.
We are getting a Berkey too. For anyone interested Lehmans has a special if you buy 2 pairs of the black filters they are 74.94 per pair vs the 99 normal price.
Also, if you order from azure standard they just this month started carrying them for 87 per pair.


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## Cabin Fever

The only risk I can think of is drowning.


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## okiemom

If tap water is painfull use declorinated water. use bottled or let it air out for a day or so. Use warm not hot or cold water. 

If I am having problems after a cold I will use two packets in a bottle for a few times. I will somethimes us it morning and night. until the sinus are back to normal. I do happen to use it at night before bed and have never had a problem personally. If you do bend over it can drain so I have to be careful leaning over to kiss the kids night or I will drip on them. oops. I do it after I kiss everyone and I just go to bed. really helps w/ the morning sinus hangover/headaches I used to get. 


I have had sinus surgery for cronic sinus infections and since I have been useing the bottle I have not had to go to the Dr. The bottle is the only thing that has helped. I wish I had know about it before the surgery as it did no good. I have not heard any real reports of the sinus surgery doing wonders for people. My brother has had 3 and is still the same. Now he uses the bottle and is much better.


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## Harry Chickpea

Just read recently of a doctor who did a study and found that people who use the neti pots regularly actually change the texture of the nasal passages and become MORE prone to infections.

Found it:

How Nasal Irrigation Increases Sinus Infections

Like brushing and flossing, nasal and sinus irrigation has become a daily ritual for many people who tend toward chronic nasal problems. Popular wisdom has it that removing mucus daily via nasal irrigation (also called nasal lavage) rids the nose of dust and other pollutants, eliminating a possible breeding ground for germs and infections while also allowing for easier breathing. It seems to make sense -- but does it work? Not at all, according to a new study. In fact, long-term nasal irrigation actually contributes to nasal infections.

What&#8217;s Going On?

Talal M. Nsouli, MD, director of the Watergate and Burke Allergy & Asthma Centers in Washington, DC, has a lengthy rÃ©sumÃ© that includes having been personal allergist to President Clinton during his two terms, clinical professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine and former president of the Greater Washington Asthma, Allergy and Immunology Society. Dr. Nsouli says he began to question whether regular irrigation was helpful or harmful when he saw that patients who practiced regular lavage had nasal linings that looked hard and smooth, "like a piece of plastic." He began to notice the trend toward more use of this practice about seven or eight years ago, and decided to investigate, recruiting 68 patients who had used neti pots for nasal saline irrigation at least twice a day for 10 months or more.

For one year, these patients continued irrigation as before. At the end of the year, they were instructed to suspend nasal irrigation for the next 12 months. Another group of 24 patients who used neti pots daily were used as a control group and monitored for 12 months. The results were startling, even to Dr. Nsouli: Patients who stopped nasal irrigation for one year had a 62% reduction in sinus infections from the previous year -- and got half as many infections when not using sinus irrigation as those in the control group.

According to Dr. Nsouli, mucus contains aggressive antimicrobial agents that have antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activity. One called lactoferrin, an immune system stimulator, has been shown to be effective against infection, including cold-causing viruses (rhinovirus) and, I was surprised to learn, even the HIV virus. Irrigating the nose regularly washes away the mucus and with it a valuable defense mechanism. When study participants stopped their nasal irrigation routine, they were astounded at how much better they felt and how quickly -- even though it takes two to six weeks to fully restore the natural condition of the nasal passages.

Frequent irrigation does moisten nasal tissues, but this effect lasts just 20 minutes -- in fact, notes Dr. Nsouli, the viscosity of mucus helps the nose stay moist. Some patients experience a yellow-green discharge after giving up lavage, but Dr. Nsouli said this is actually a symptom of a low-grade infection or chronic undiagnosed allergies. He advises them and anyone else with a chronic stuffy nose to see a doctor. Typically, the solution is a course of antibiotics and/or prescription nasal sprays that block symptoms while they improve the condition. Dr. Nsouli points out that it is the practice of rinsing that is problematic, not the solutions used, so this advice applies to over-the-counter nasal sprays as well.

Neti or Not?

Nasal lavage grew in popularity after the well-known physician/author Dr. Mehmet Oz sang its praises on Oprah a few years ago. Many adherents use a spouted, urnlike device (it comes from the Ayurvedic tradition) called a neti pot. It gets placed in the nostril and water is poured through it to flush out mucus. While previous studies have supported regular use of the neti pot, Dr. Nsouli says these were based on subjective, self-reported, short-term findings -- unlike his study, which was carefully controlled with objective evidence provided through CT scans of the sinuses, fiber-optic endoscopy and detailed medical histories.

Dr. Nsouli emphasizes that he&#8217;s not completely against using the neti pot or any of the many other nasal-lavage devices on the market today including pumps, Waterpic-like devices and OTC saline sprays. In his opinion, these should be used only when specifically needed and for a short time, such as when you have a bad cold that makes it difficult for you to breathe. There also is a risk for contamination of whatever device you use and resultant chronic infections, so be sure to practice good hygiene. Use whatever device you like to wash out the mucus once or twice a day, but for one week only -- that&#8217;s what Dr. Nsouli does and what he now advises his patients to do.


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## ajaxlucy

My mother stopped using a Neti pot after she began having terrible spells of vertigo. Some of the irrigation fluid seemed to be affecting her inner ear, because the spells stopped after she stopped the nasal irrigations.


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## marinemomtatt

Harry Chickpea...Thanks for sharing. What you shared is pretty much what I've seen in Neti Pot users I've talked to. So many are on this mucus is bad band wagon, forgetting that our mucus membranes need to be MOIST to be HEALTHY.
(Dr. Oz is a bit out there, I've never trusted him and/or his 'science'.)


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## Trisha in WA

I think as with everything too much is still too much. Moderation is the key. I wouldn't use it everyday unless I was fighting off an infection.


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## backachersfarm

I think neti pots a great. We have used them in our family with wonderful success. If you use the flush at the recommended strength it is the same saline strength as your body fluids. Flushing just clears out irritants. I wouldn't expect any Dr. to advise something like this tho. It keeps you healthier and away from their office. Most of those over the counter and prescriptiond drugs have a rebound affect. It might make you feel better for awile...but then you are worse off then you were to start withwhen they wear off.


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## PrairieBelle22

I have used a Neti pot off an on for the last 6 months at my doctor's recommendation. While I have staved off any sinus infections, I do not know if I can attribute that to the rinse. When I ran out of packets, I quit rinsing for a while and I did start having lots of problems this spring when the trees started pollinating.  I have noticed that my nasal passages seem rather dry after I rinse so I have started using a moisturizer called Ayer. I would thing that the mucus that our bodies produce naturally would be the best moisturizer.


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## sgl42

here's a link to FAQs about neti pots by health & yoga, the place i purchased my neti pot from:
http://www.healthandyoga.com/html/neti/neti_faqs/neti_faqs.asp

after using the neti pot, you need to gently blow your nose to get it to dry out. and if you blow too hard, you can potentially force water from the nasal passages into the ear canals and cause problems. lots more info in the faqs.

not dangerous, but uncomfortable if you get too much or too little salt in your saline solution (it stings -- ask me how i know!). 

i use a neti pot about once a day during the 2 month cedar allergy season here in tx, and maybe once a week during the rest of the year. or if i feel i'm coming down with a cold/sore throat, i'll use it daily for a few days. with this level of usage, i haven't experienced any long-term problems.

--sgl


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## barnyardgal

ajaxlucy said:


> My mother stopped using a Neti pot after she began having terrible spells of vertigo. Some of the irrigation fluid seemed to be affecting her inner ear, because the spells stopped after she stopped the nasal irrigations.


I had a friend that this happened to and he had to go to dr cause of a severe ear infection and vertigo...had to take antibiotics for it.......he don't use the netti pot no more...


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## mommathea

barnyardgal said:


> I had a friend that this happened to and he had to go to dr cause of a severe ear infection and vertigo...had to take antibiotics for it.......he don't use the netti pot no more...


Same here, My mom started using one after her ENT told her to start using one after she had sinus surgery. She got me on because I have horrible allergies. 
All I got from it was a double ear infection, and a sinus infection. no more pot for me.


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## Tirzah

The Neti-Pot works great for me. I use it in the mornings usually 3-4 times per week with a saline solution. I used to have sinus infections and allergy issues all the time and was taking Tylenol Sinus on a regular basis (meaning every day).

The only thing I would be concerned about would be overuse, and also if using a zinc rinse (some companies sell this as a tincture to use with it) I would be afraid of using too much and possibly losing my sense of smell.


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