Diseases & Conditions
Try this: The nose knows about nasal rinses
- Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
Clogged sinuses? Runny nose? Facial pain or pressure? Rinsing your nasal cavity with a saline solution can be an easy way to find relief.
"Sinus and nasal irrigations are among the best studied non-pharmacologic ways to treat common nasal symptoms," says Dr. Benjamin Bleier, a sinus specialist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear.
You can do a nasal rinse using a small bulb syringe or a neti pot, which resembles a small teapot. Both are found at most drugstores and online. Here's how it's done:
1. Stir two to three teaspoons of non-iodized salt (not table salt, which has too many additives) and ¼ to ½ teaspoon of baking soda into 2 cups of lukewarm distilled water. (You can use tap water, but always boil it first.) Another option is an over-the-counter sinus mix; add one packet to the neti pot and fill it with distilled or cooled boiled tap water.
2. Pour the solution into a neti pot or pull it into a bulb syringe.
3. To rinse your nose, stand over a sink, bend forward, and tilt your head to one side. Insert the tip of the pot or syringe inside one nostril, and gently pour or squeeze the bulb to release about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the solution. The water will run back out the nostril (or possibly the opposite nostril) and into the sink. Repeat the procedure in the other nostril. Perform twice a day until your sinuses are clear.
Thoroughly rinse (with distilled or cooled boiled water) and dry the neti pot or bulb syringe after each use.
Image: © Maria Zubareva/Getty Images
About the Author
Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.