Something near and dear to my heart in preventive medicine…
Perhaps medicine is too strong of a word. What I’m talking about here is something to lessen the necessity for medicine. Some things certainly do need medical attention but if I can prevent, or alleviate some of the discomforts of a cold, hey, I’m there! So I guess we can say "something near and dear to my heart in allowing the body to heal itself…"
Description
What I’m talking about here is a Neti pot: a small pot that looks like Aladdin’s lamp. You fill it with warm salt water and use it to rinse out your nasal cavity. I’ve used this devise since my mother gave it to me for Christmas years ago and I swear by it.
Colds and cold medicine
Cold symptoms are the body’s attempts to clean house. It is the healing, it doesn’t require healing. One way the body rids itself of toxins during a cold is through mucus. So when you have a cold and your nose is running, rejoice, it’s your body taking care of itself. Yes, I know, cold medicines help you get back to work sooner but at what cost? In order to aid the body’s efforts and speed healing during a cold it needs rest and, it is my understanding and belief, that cold medicines are toxic. So, during a cold, the body’s going along, cleaning out nicely when WHAM in comes that cold medicine. Now the body has something more toxic and nastier to deal with. It stops removing waste from the body, thus stopping the mucus, to deal with this new health threat: the toxic cold medicine. You think your cold is cured. It feels like it, right? Unfortunately, it’s not. I’d rather respond to the cold symptoms sooner and not introduce toxic cold medicine into my body. So at the first sign of a cold I cut out dairy, heavy protein and refined foods and start using my Neti pot.
Usage and benefits
The recommended usage for your Neti pot is once a day for daily cleaning and prevention of nasal problems. If you use it this often you may never have to deal with a cold again. Actually, that’s a little too intense even for me so I just use it when I actually have a cold. I don’t like continuously blowing my nose or being so stuffed-up I can’t breathe, so I rinse out my nasal cavity twice a day with the Neti pot. I find the best time is right after I get out of the shower. This is when the mucus is softest and exits the body the quickest. I find it quite satisfying to watch a blob of yellow mucus (if I’ve let my cold get this bad which isn’t very often anymore) slide into the sink and down the drain. Disgusting, I know, but it shows me that the extra effort is worth it, my body is getting the help it needs removing the waste and I’m recovering quicker with less discomfort.
Directions
I fill the Neti pot with warm water, add salt and stir until the salt dissolves. The amount of salt you need depends on your own body and what kind of salt you’re using. If the salt water burns when you rinse your nose with the Neti pot you need to adjust the amount of salt you’re using. Stop as soon as it starts to burn and try adding a little more salt or start over with less salt. You’ll need less granulated salt than rock salt but granulated salt will dissolve faster. To dissolve any grains that might have wandered into the spout I cover the tip of the spout and gently rock the pot back and forth being careful not to spill any water from the top opening. Believe it or not that’s all it takes. I stir the water a little more then lean over the sink, open my mouth, put just the tip of the Neti pot into the nostril furthest from the ground and let ‘er rip! er… drip, that is. At first it may feel a little foreign and uncomfortable but trust me, if you lean the top of your head closer to the counter you will cease to feel like you’re drowning, the water will flow out your nose and/or mouth and into the sink. (However, if you ARE drowning, stop. Okay?) Yes, it will come out of your mouth as well and that’s perfectly normall. After you’ve completed one side, all the water in the pot has gone through the nose, remove the pot and blow your nose out into the sink. (I put a hand on either side of my nose so I don’t get anything on the walls.) Then blow your nose with a tissue and do the other side. If you find you’re so stuffed-up that the water isn’t going in one nostril at all, do the other side first. If you have any respiratory problems I recommend checking with your doctor before performing this routine. Ask your doctor to try it out before offering advice on its use.
Follow-up
After I finish both nostrils, I wash, dry and put away the pot (I store it upside down in a place where it won’t break) then inhale some sesame oil. I got this method from Deepak Chopra’s book Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide. Put a little sesame oil or melted, unsalted ghee on a cotton swab and spread the oil or ghee inside your nostrils. Pinch your nose slightly with a tissue and breathe in deeply. I breathe in while alternating between pinching my nose leaving it open. The idea is to draw the oil or ghee up into the nasal cavity. This can be done up to five times a day. It helps to prevent colds, dry noses and crusty noses.
What you need: Neti pot, warm tap water, regular table salt and a sink. That’s it! Oh, yes, you will need a few tissues too. If you’re doing the sesame oil or ghee you’ll need them and a couple cotton swabs too.
Conclusion
The Neti Pot is your friend. Replace ceramic ones if they get chipped. Wash it with soap when finished with it. Turn it upside down to dry.
Disclaimer
I’m not a medical doctor, nor do I play one on television, so this review isn’t medical advice. I’m just telling you what works for me.
An interesting note about this review
This is actually the very first product review I ever wrote. It was originally written in February of 2000 and has been revamped here to update it to modern times. I was planning on submitting this review to earthmed.com (which no longer exists) along with a business proposal to write reviews for their website. Now here I am writing reviews for my own website. Will wonders never cease? Let’s keep that manifesting happening!
View details on Neti Pots from Amazon.com, that’s right, Amazon.com