Sinusitis FAQ

Snorting salt water

Question:

(SNIP)   Is it something that should be done on a routine basis or is it something that should be done only when needed?

Ahaaa… listen to a yogi:-)…But I guess we have alot of yogi’s here? Not included:-)    They’ve been doing it for Centurys. The rule usually is, (l Believe) before doing breathing exercises one should rinse his nose out with salt water. Clears up the passages. For a better breathing exercise. But there are other ways too. Oh well! just lurking at the post. Have a good day Bye Bill — It is of immense importance to learn to laugh at ourselves. –Katherine Mansfield//////Question of the day. If you have a toothache do you rinse your mouth with salt? How about a sore throat? Before you buy.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Pulsatile nasal irrigation with saline solution, using techniques and a device  developed by Dr. Murray Grossan, MD (ENT) was the best thing I ever did for my (very severe) sinus condition, once I had surgically corrected the anatomical problem. It is cheap, safe, non-toxic, all natural, and preventative. It fits the bill as "alternative medicine" (it may save you from drugs or surgery in fact) as well as any therapy on earth.  And it works.   See my sinusitis page for more info. www.music.columbia.edu/~cecenter/afsinus.html AF

very happy to take your word for it!! Jan

Response:

If the burning starts…you should maybe give it a break for a bit… you wouldn’t want to get turned off of it altogether… A friend of mine was doing the nasal wash and said it worked like a charm…burned herself with some other stuff (citrididal) she put in it as well… never followed the instructions and was afraid to go back and do it again….but after a break of a couple of days…she is back at it..and feeling rather good about doing it! Good luck…. Jenny – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Jenny replied: You can do it as much as you need to….also sea salt is much better for you than regular table salt! Thanks, Jenny.  I was worried I was overdoing it because after about four days it burned a bit.  But, like I said, the bags have started to go away so maybe it’s worth it!

Response:

Hi everyone, I read that snorting salt water (sorry, that’s just a very descriptive way to say it and it’s good for a grin) helps to clear out the sinus’.  

I have found that *snorting* plain warm (a warmer warm if that makes any sense) also helps. My husband finds it gross, but when I feel those sinus’s start to act up it helps. Maybe next time it doesn’t work I’ll try adding the salt. Will any ol sea salt do? How much would one add to say a dixie cup of water? — Machelle Simon-Grech                    |The opinions above are mine | Ford Motor Company/Visteon              |and only mine. They have    | Milan Plastics – Incoming Quality       |nothing to do with that of  | The Quest for Stanley has begun a new! Go Wings!

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You can do it as much as you need to….also sea salt is much better for you than regular table salt! Its a disgusting procedure, but it really works and gives a squeaky clean feeling as well! Hi everyone, I read that snorting salt water (sorry, that’s just a very descriptive way to say it and it’s good for a grin) helps to clear out the sinus’.  After a bad cold/infection I picked up back in May I found myself with huge bags under my eyes and decided that perhaps I had an undiagnosed sinus infection.  I used the technique for washing out the sinus’ with salt water for a few days and lo, and behold, the bags are decreasing in size.  So, here’s my question: how often should/could you do this wash?  Is it something that should be done on a routine basis or is it something that should be done only when needed? Thanks.

This practice of the saline nasal wash is borrowed from the Indian yogic practice of "neti." They originally used this procedure to enhance their breathing exercises, to make the mind more one-pointed and focused. It really does help in this regard. But I would recommend against the use of salt (even sea salt). Salt is very injurious to the delicate mucus membranes of the sinuses. These membranes are not supposed to be dry, they are supposed to stay moist. The saline wash "tans" these membranes, hardening them, and making them less functional in their ability to perform the tasks they were designed for. You can use the nasal wash without the addition of any salt, and still get very good results without this drawback. In fact try to use water that is very pure such as distilled. If your mucus build up keeps coming back very quickly, this will clue you in very well to the internal state of affairs in your body, and an improvement in diet would be in order. If you eat less cooked foods, and more fresh, raw fruits and vegetables, your mucus membranes will have less need to overproduce mucus as a carrier for the spent leucocytes being excreted from your body. Habib

Response:

—-snip—- This practice of the saline nasal wash is borrowed from the Indian yogic practice of "neti." They originally used this procedure to enhance their breathing exercises, to make the mind more one-pointed and focused. It really does help in this regard. But I would recommend against the use of salt (even sea salt). Salt is very injurious to the delicate mucus membranes of the sinuses. These membranes are not supposed to be dry, they are supposed to stay moist.

I would disagree with your statement about NOT using a saline solution for the nasal wash (aka nasal irrigation).  The reason that a saline solution is almost universally recommended is because the nasal irrigation works best if one uses a solution that closely matches the natural salinity of one’s body. If you have ever tried doing a nasal wash with a solution that does NOT contain salt, you would know that it is NOT a pleasant experience. The saline wash "tans" these membranes, hardening them, and making them less functional in their ability to perform the tasks they were designed for.

References, please.  Why don’t you confirm your speculation by posting a question to Dr. Grossan (an ENT M.D.) at alt.support.sinusitis about this alleged "drawback"? You can use the nasal wash without the addition of any salt, and still get very good results without this drawback.

Not recommended.  (See above.) In fact try to use water that is very pure such as distilled.

I agree that the water that is used should be as pure as possible.  You should also warm it to body temperature (~ 98.6 degrees) – use a thermometer. If your mucus build up keeps coming back very quickly, this will clue you in very well to the internal state of affairs in your body, and an improvement in diet would be in order. If you eat less cooked foods, and more fresh, raw fruits and vegetables, your mucus membranes will have less need to overproduce mucus as a carrier for the spent leucocytes being excreted from your body.

One can achieve significant relief from inhalant allergies with the use of nasal washes.  People who eat according to your suggestions can still have inhalant allergies, for which the use of nasal irrigation can be of value. Habib

Bubba

Response:

I have tried both. The wash with salt burns, and the wash without salt is gentler. The saline wash is not used because it matches the natural salinity of the body. The natural salinity of the body is due to organic sodium, not to inorganic sodium chloride, which is a poison. It is caustic, and as I said before, it dries mucus membranes that were never meant to be dry. This is very basic physiology & biochemistry that it boggles my mind you don’t seem to know about, given your propensity for wanting to sound like a scientific expert. Saline washes for the nasal passages are not used because some medical doctor researched it. It is a practice that is borrowed from yoga. Yogis have been doing it for many centuries, with a saline solution. Today, other people who continue to use it, do so simply because they are too lazy to question the traditional use of salt, in light of current scientific knowledge. Have you given any references to confirm any of your statements to me? I didn’t think so! You don’t warrant the time spent in finding the references, when I have the capacity to reason intelligently, and you make obviously unreasoning statements in your post. You need to take a college course in critical thinking. If references were to be gathered for individuals who were not already biased against the information, that would warrant the effort. You don’t fit into this category. Inhalant allergies are quite outside of what I was referring to. Your bringing it up was unrelated, useless information. You like to hear yourself talk. It really astounds me how many people on the internet who don’t really even seem intelligent, act like they think they think they are. They even seem to think their posts look intelligent to other people, too. Incredible! Habib

Response:

Hey, Habib – which way are we gonna go? WITH those evil, mad scientist doctors who do research or are we going to SCREW the real scientific studies? there is real research on this subject and it appears to work. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Saline washes for the nasal passages are not used because some medical doctor researched it. Have you given any references to confirm any of your statements to me? I didn’t think so! You don’t warrant the time spent in finding the references, when I have the capacity to reason intelligently, and you make obviously unreasoning statements in your post. You need to take a college course in critical thinking. If references were to be gathered for individuals who were not already biased against the information, that would warrant the effort. Allopathic chemical medicine is pseudo-science. It is bunk, pure & simple.

So should my friend stop her chemical medicine called insulin? I don’t want her involved in any bunk. Speaking of the critical thinking course you advise, you haven’t even included HOW MUCH salt is dissolved into the wash. Will 1 mg per gallon be too much? — Kali On Line; http://members.xoom.com/arniskali/

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have tried both. The wash with salt burns, and the wash without salt is gentler. The saline wash is not used because it matches the natural salinity of the body. The natural salinity of the body is due to organic sodium, not to inorganic sodium chloride, which is a poison. It is caustic, and as I said before, it dries mucus membranes that were never meant to be dry. This is very basic physiology & biochemistry that it boggles my mind you don’t seem to know about, given your propensity for wanting to sound like a scientific expert. Saline washes for the nasal passages are not used because some medical doctor researched it. It is a practice that is borrowed from yoga. Yogis have been doing it for many centuries, with a saline solution. Today, other people who continue to use it, do so simply because they are too lazy to question the traditional use of salt, in light of current scientific knowledge. Have you given any references to confirm any of your statements to me? I didn’t think so! You don’t warrant the time spent in finding the references, when I have the capacity to reason intelligently, and you make obviously unreasoning statements in your post. You need to take a college course in critical thinking. If references were to be gathered for individuals who were not already biased against the information, that would warrant the effort. You don’t fit into this category. Inhalant allergies are quite outside of what I was referring to. Your bringing it up was unrelated, useless information. You like to hear yourself talk. It really astounds me how many people on the internet who don’t really even seem intelligent, act like they think they think they are. They even seem to think their posts look intelligent to other people, too. Incredible! Habib

Response:

Jenny replied: You can do it as much as you need to….also sea salt is much better for you than regular table salt!

Thanks, Jenny.  I was worried I was overdoing it because after about four days it burned a bit.  But, like I said, the bags have started to go away so maybe it’s worth it!

Response:

For the last 20 years I have always recommended that people use the Salt-Bancha Nasal Rinse for these purposes. Now I feel vindicated. I find nose blowing disgusting and a new study says it can also be bad for your sinuses. If you have a common cold that results in a stuffed nose, it’s better to sniff than to blow it to clear the nasal mucus, according to researchers at the University of Virginia. The reason is that blowing your nose increases the pressure in the nasal cavities and can transmit bacteria or viruses into your sinuses. In a study with 10 healthy volunteers, the researchers found that intrasinus pressure from blowing the nose was 10 times greater than during sneezing or coughing and resulted in nasal mucus being forced into sinus cavities. Nose blowing is thus implicated as a means of transmitting bacteria or viruses into the sinuses and may be a trigger for sinusitis, the researchers said. Like i said, I’ve never been a nose blower and find it unattractive to meet someone who takes out a handkerchief and blows, puts it back in his or her pocket and then wants to shake your hand. Contrast this with a nice hygienic sniff, which is okay. So if you want more info on how to pull this off the right way, and you have MS Word on your computer, feel free to request the document from me. — Kali On Line; http://members.xoom.com/arniskali/

Response:

You can do it as much as you need to….also sea salt is much better for you than regular table salt! Its a disgusting procedure, but it really works and gives a squeaky clean feeling as well! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi everyone, I read that snorting salt water (sorry, that’s just a very descriptive way to say it and it’s good for a grin) helps to clear out the sinus’.  After a bad cold/infection I picked up back in May I found myself with huge bags under my eyes and decided that perhaps I had an undiagnosed sinus infection.  I used the technique for washing out the sinus’ with salt water for a few days and lo, and behold, the bags are decreasing in size.  So, here’s my question: how often should/could you do this wash?  Is it something that should be done on a routine basis or is it something that should be done only when needed? Thanks.

Response:

Hi everyone, I read that snorting salt water (sorry, that’s just a very descriptive way to say it and it’s good for a grin) helps to clear out the sinus’.  After a bad cold/infection I picked up back in May I found myself with huge bags under my eyes and decided that perhaps I had an undiagnosed sinus infection.  I used the technique for washing out the sinus’ with salt water for a few days and lo, and behold, the bags are decreasing in size.  So, here’s my question: how often should/could you do this wash?  Is it something that should be done on a routine basis or is it something that should be done only when needed? Thanks.

Response:

Filed under: Sinusitis surgery

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