Nasal Wash Recipe

Nothing is more annoying than being unable to breathe because of a stuffy nose. Over-the-counter nasal sprays that give instant relief are helpful, but they can get you hooked and have a devastating rebound effect if you ever try to wean yourself off them. Prescription sprays available are also great, but they can have side effects and may not be practical long-term. A safe, easy solution is do-it-yourself nasal wash.

Equipment

Several items are available for nasal washing, including plastic or ceramic Neti pots, large bulb syringes or squirt irrigation bottles. These tools are not expensive, usually cost between $10 and $20 and they may come with packets of pre-mixed nasal wash powder. Whatever method you use to deliver the wash, make sure to clean and dry it thoroughly after each use.

Recipe

Start with 8 oz. slightly warm water. If you are using a Neti pot or irrigation bottle, you can pour the water directly in those. You may use distilled water, but if your tap water is drinkable, it is acceptable.

Mix into the water tsp. baking soda and tsp. non-iodized salt. Do not use table salt (it is iodized) and try to make it fine-grain for quicker dissolving.

Stir or shake until the solids are dissolved completely. If the solution is for a child, cut the recipe in half.

Washing

Lean over a sink, or bend forward in the shower so you are looking down, but with your forehead slightly higher than your chin. Insert the device into one nostril--just deep enough to keep the solution from flowing back out--and begin to breathe through your mouth as you gently pour or squeeze some solution into your nose. If using a syringe or irrigation bottle, do not propel the solution so forcefully that it goes into your ears. A Neti pot uses gravity to drive the flow.

Solution should flow out the other nostril, and you may taste some going down your throat. This is OK; do not panic.

Remove the device and blow the excess liquid from your nose. Do not inhale it.

Repeat these steps until you have poured half the solution through that same nostril, and then pour the rest of the solution through the other nostril the same way.

Results

If you use the nasal wash once or twice a day, relief should last for several hours each time. With regular washing, you should eventually notice less nasal congestion, sneezing and sinus pressure. If you are taking prescription medication, you may experience enough relief to cut back or discontinue it, depending on the severity and persistence of the condition causing you symptoms.

Warning

Do not wash your sinuses with plain water. It will burn.