What is nasal irrigation?
Nasal irrigation is an at-home treatment to rinse your sinuses. Your sinuses are air-filled, hollow cavities behind the bones in your face. Usually, they remain open so you can breathe easily. If your sinuses become irritated or inflamed, however, mucus (snot) can clog your nasal cavities.
With nasal irrigation, you flush away the clog using a saline solution (water and sodium chloride mix) with a neti pot or a rinse bottle. Nasal irrigation thins the mucus that’s causing the clog. It rinses away substances causing the swelling.
Which nasal irrigation is best?
You can buy the ingredients for nasal irrigation over the counter at most pharmacies or drug stores. All you need is a saline solution and a container to administer it. All containers sold for nasal irrigation purposes work equally well. Choose a container that’s most comfortable for you.
Containers include:
- Neti pots that allow you to pour saline into your nostrils, as if you were pouring tea from a teapot.
- Rinse bottles that you squeeze into your nostrils.
- Containers with special applicators that contain a prefilled saline solution.
What is nasal irrigation good for?
Nasal irrigation clears mucus and flushes out pathogens, allergens or other debris. Pathogens include germs, like bacteria and viruses. Allergens include pollen, mold, dirt, dust and pet dander. When these substances get trapped in your nose, they irritate your sinuses and cause symptoms like:
- A stuffy or runny nose.
- Itchy feeling in your nose or sneezing.
- Trouble breathing.
Nasal irrigation can help with symptom relief associated with allergies, sinus infections (sinusitis), colds, flu and COVID-19, among other conditions.
Who shouldn’t try nasal irrigation?
Nasal irrigation isn’t for everyone. You shouldn’t try nasal irrigation if you:
- Have an ear infection.
- Have pressure in one or both ears.
- Have a nostril that’s completely blocked.
- Have had surgery on your ears or sinuses.
Contact your healthcare provider if you have questions about whether nasal irrigation is safe for you.
What kind of water can you use to irrigate your nose?
It’s essential to use water that doesn’t contain substances that could irritate your sinuses or make you sick. Most water contains trace amounts of minerals, germs, pesticides and other substances. You don’t want to introduce these substances to your sinuses during nasal irrigation.
Instead, use:
- Distilled or sterile water: Distilled water is purified. It’s gone through a process to remove materials that could irritate your nasal passageways and germs that may make you sick. Look for “distilled” on the water before buying it.
- Boiled water: Boiling water kills harmful organisms, like bacteria. Boil water for five minutes to ensure you’ve killed all the germs. If you can’t use it immediately, place a lid on the container. Use it within 24 hours.
- Filtered water: Certain water filters can remove harmful organisms so that water is safe to use. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers detailed guidance about which filters are safe for nasal irrigation.
