About Using Kettles for Treating Sinus Infections

For all its advancements, modern medicine is simply a progression of age old remedies that have since fallen to the wayside (or to the homeopathic section of many health food stores). With healthcare costs skyrocketing, many are turning to those same natural remedies instead of pricey trips to the pharmacy in hopes of offsetting costs and alleviating symptoms. For sinus pressure caused by congestion or infection, the original neti pot offers a safe, although different looking solution, to the problem.

Function

• The sinus cavities are small openings in the four pairs of porous skull bones that surround the nose. Sinusitis, the medical term for sinus infections, results when the openings become inflamed, usually as a result of allergies, a sensitivity to chemical or environmental pollutants, or bacterial infection. Over the counter medicines (and in some cases, prescriptions) have a calming effect on the inflamed tissues and prohibit further irritation. The kettle (neti pot) method, however, is designed to irrigate the nasal openings and flush out the sinuses.

Features

• The pot itself is an unassuming ceramic pot (although plastic, clay, and metal aren't uncommon) with a long, thin spout. Most commercially available pots include several packets of the saline solution, and when they're used up, you can purchase additional packets. Most pots retail in the $15 to $30 range, depending on the vendor, material and amount of saline packs included in the package.

Uses

• After filling the pot with lukewarm water (hot is potentially damaging and cold is rather uncomfortable), mix in the contents of the saline packet. Tilt your head slightly to one side and insert the pot spout into your nostril that is the closest to the ceiling. Gently pinch your nostril around the spout to prevent any leakage. Slowly pour into the saline mix into your nose, taking care to relax and breathe normally through your mouth. If the solution drains from your mouth, tilt your head more, raising your nostril higher. Otherwise, the solution should drain out of the opposite nostril. When done, exhale sharply through your nose to clear any droplets of the solution, then repeat for the other nostril.

Benefits

• Currently there are no known side effects from neti pot use, and its benefits are being touted by modern medical experts. By clearing the infected (inflamed) sinuses, one notices almost immediate relief. Many neti users suggest using the kettles daily to prevent infections from occurring and permitting optimal breathing. Because sinus infections are a primary reason for doctor visits, many natural health advocates advise sufferers to try the pots before making an appointment with their physician.

History

• Neti pot usage was common among yoga enthusiasts, because the pot can be traced back to ancient India. Like every other human being on the planet, the yogis who suffered from sinus infections combatted the congestion by developing the neti method, which has remained unchanged for the past few thousand years. The pots have always been available to those in the know, until recently when a rise in the public's interest in natural medicine resulted in department chain stores such as Wal-Mart, Target and Walgreens stocking neti pots.