How to Use a Neti Pot to Help Cure A Cold Flu or Allergies

You've got a terrible cold. Your sinuses are throbbing, you’re coughing, and there’s that “heavy” feeling in your chest. You fear that even your bronchial passages are inflamed, that they’re filled with the same awful mucus that’s dripping down the back of your throat.

It’s that season again. This year, besides Swine Flu, many people are coming down with bronchial ailments – and they can last for weeks on end. Many of these illnesses are caused by viruses, so even if your doctor prescribes antibiotics, (and many do), they only kill the bacteria, not the viruses.

You could take an antihistamine, but that will dry you out with chemicals and make you jittery (or sleepy). You could take an over-the-counter cough syrup, but that also robs your body of fluids. All over-the-counter medications are designed to treat the symptoms of your infection, not the underlying cause. When it comes to viral infections, you have to let it run its course, but there is something you can do to jump-start self-healing. It begins with a Neti Pot.

The Neti Pot looks like a cross between Aladdin’s lamp and a teapot. You use a Neti Pot to perform a healing sinus wash called nasal irrigation or “douching”.

Cleaning out your sinuses with liquid is really nothing new; in fact, nasal irrigation goes back thousands of years beginning with the ancient Yogis. When I first learned about the Neti Pot technique, where warm salty water flows in one nostril and out the other, I was reminded of that silly cartoon of a Yogi cleaning his ear canals with a piece of floss that goes right through his head.

I must say, the Neti Pot technique is not so far removed from that absurd visual, except for the fact that it works really well.

Neti pots may be purchased at a health food store or through an on-line supplier. There are several styles. They come in plastic, ceramic, metal or glass. Some have lids and others do not. It really doesn’t matter.

After purchasing your Neti Pot, you will also need some salt. There’s a lot of talk lately as to what kind of salt you should use - be it the coarse Kosher-style salt, super-fine Neti Pot salt, or regular old Morton’s salt. I prefer the super-fine salt because it dissolves easily and the label says it’s “pharmaceutical grade” (whatever that means).

The measurement for how much salt to use (listed below), is a suggestion because no salt is alike. Just make sure you do not make your solution too salty! Test it out by tasting it. It should taste like tears, not Acme chicken soup.

Fill the Neti Pot with lukewarm water. You can use distilled or pre-boiled water if you choose, but most people are not that anal and trust their tap water.

Add ½ tsp of coarsely ground salt or ¼ tsp finely ground salt.

Next, stir the solution, lean over the sink and insert the end of the Neti Pot spout against one of your nostrils. You don’t shove it in, just insert it every so slightly so you are making a “sealed” connection.

Tilt your head to the side, away from the pot; open your mouth and breathe in and out normally through your mouth. Make sure you are leaning towards the sink.

The water will begin to flow into your nostril and up into your sinuses.

Don’t panic if you suddenly feel like you are drowning. The sensation is a bit like the first time you jumped into a swimming pool and forgot to hold your nose. This will pass in just a few seconds.

Keep breathing through your mouth and think happy thoughts.

The water will begin to flow out of your other nostril. This phenomenon is truly bizarre to the first time Neti Pot user, put it’s perfectly normal. What’s happening is that your sinuses are being flushed and the water is simply traveling along a natural path.

Continue this procedure until you feel you’ve had enough. Some people say it’s important to pour the entire contents of the Neti Pot into each nostril, but half a pot is usually quite effective.

When you are finished. Gently blow your nose in a tissue.

Make sure you repeat the procedure on the other nostril.

Keep a few more tissues handy, as the water will continue to drain from your nostrils for several more minutes.

If you also have a sore throat, mix up another batch of warm salt water and gargle for several minutes.

Clean the Neti Pot. Do not save any left over saline solution. Always make a fresh pot.

In just a day or two you will notice an improvement in your health! Keep up the procedure, as you will continue to feel better each day.

Today, nasal irrigation is gaining in popularity in some of the most unlikely places; namely the U.S. It’s one of the few “natural” remedies agreed upon by both western and eastern practitioners.

It’s interesting to note that Yogis used sound successfully to accelerate healing. They chanted, "OOOOMMMMM" after and perhaps during the treatment. The sound vibrations stimulated the nasal cilia, which in turn helped to return the body to its normal, balanced state.

The Yogis method of chanting can been duplicated used a toy Kazoo, so if you don’t feel comfortable chanting, try humming into a Kazoo. It should at least lift your spirits.

There are millions of tiny hairs in your nose and chest call cilia. They wave back and forth rhythmically and gently like soft blades of grass on a balmy day. Normally, the cilia flow within a friendly mucous blanket that contains all sorts of disease-fighting enzymes, and good white cells.

Cilia hairs move the mucous and trapped bacteria into your throat where you swallow it and basically get rid of it through your digestive system. But, sometimes the cilia slow down, allowing for bacteria to multiply in your nose, throat and chest. The result is an infection.

Cilia can also speed up. Allergies are usually the cause for this action. After a runny nose you’re left with tired slow cilia that invite bacteria and infection. The smooth, balanced flow of cilia is what keeps us healthy.

The curious thing about antibiotics is that while they may kill the bacteria, they do nothing to regulate the cilia, which is why people get recurring infections.

The Neti Pot is just one method of “natural” healing; however there are many holistic techniques that are highly effective healing modalities. They include homeopathy, Reiki, meditation, affirmations, visualization, acupuncture and chiropractic to mention only a few.

Tests have shown that black or green tea and good old-fashioned chicken soup have a cilia stimulating effect. That means, if you are clogged up with nasty mucus, these beverages can help dislodge harmful bacteria from your nasal, throat and chest passages by shocking the cilia into a natural wave pattern.

I am not an M.D., so I must say that everything I’ve suggested is just that – a suggestion. The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this web site is for general information purposes only.

Having said that, I will confirm that the effectiveness of eastern healing methods are steadily gaining the attention of medical professionals and they are being supported by the likes of WebMD, U.S. National Institute of Health and dare I say, Oprah Winfrey.

If you would like to explore more of this fascinating field of medical science, I have several other interesting and informative Hubs on subjects such as Holistic and Alternative Medicine, Quantum Physics and Health and Wellness.

© Copyright Green Lotus, 2011. All rights reserved.

Holistic Medicine - Treating the Mind, Body and Spirit

PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF FLU GERMS AT HOME

Reiki – How to Heal Yourself and Others

Manifesting Your Wildest Dreams

If You're a Smoker With Sinus Problems, Here's a Great Smoking Alternative-E-Cigarettes!

How to Have a Green Romance!