Hooked on Neti

I grew up with allergies: cats, dogs, molds, pollens, air. Every week I would get an allergy shot, and then once every year I would go downtown to Cincinnati to get a bunch of shots in my back or arm from the allergist to determine how my allergies were going. Probably due to all that hot hypodermic action as a child, I can handle cats, dogs, even pollen and molds now. Allergy season still causes me to sneeze a bit, but nothing like what it would have been. Thanks to technology.

But not satisfied with my reduced allergy symptoms, I have taken up the 3000-year old practice of pouring salt water into one nostril and letting it run out the other nostril, aka nasal cleansing, aka the Neti Pot. I had overheard my singer friends talking about theirs, in hushed worshipful tones – “Oh, I never get colds anymore.” Then I saw a woman buying one at Whole Foods. It’s a squat little teapot with the spout coming from the bottom of the chamber. I was sold; I got the pot, and I bought a little baggie of non-iodized salt. Who doesn’t like a miracle drug, especially one that thumbs its nose at 3000 years of progress in pharmaceuticals?


Here’s how it works: You scoop in some non-iodized salt (the amount depends on your pot – mine recommends 1/8 teaspoon) and some warm water, and make sure the salt is dissolved. And that the water’s not too hot. I’ve learned the hard way that the inside of my nose does not like hot water and salt crystals. Then, tip your head like you’re lying on a pillow, put the neti pot spout in your top nostril, and pour the salty liquid in, letting it run gently out your bottom nostril into the sink. Keep the neti pot close to your face. It takes a few tries before you stop feeling like you’re waterboarding yourself; sometimes I still end up with a mouthful of water somehow.


With my neti pot, I often find that a headcold doesn’t get a firm grip on my head – it dissipates faster, and I’m less likely to lose my voice. Also, allergy season is a little less oppressive if I’m religious about neti potting morning and night. For me, it’s as effective as taking a decongestant, and more effective than your typical cold medicine, since most of those make me sleepy and hyper AT THE SAME TIME so I’m too tired to do anything, but too jittery to sleep.


The Down Sides: I’m scared to neti pot (yes, I am using it as a verb) every day of the year: Some doctors believe that overdoing it can send a sinus infection deeper into your sinus cavities. If my nose is extremely stuffed up, the water just pours through my mouth. It also adds extra time to my morning and evening routine. My boyfriend thinks I’m crazy. And it’s one more thing to pack when I travel.


For me, the benefits outweigh the inconvenience and the concerns: I love my neti-pot, and I love that it lets me avoid taking another pill during allergy season. Best of all, I always have an extra store of salt in the bathroom if we run out in the kitchen.