If you have a cold or sinus infection, using a neti pot is one of the best things you can do to relieve your congestion and infection. You’re probably wondering, though, “How do I use a neti pot?”
Salt is anti-microbial, so it’ll help kill the virus causing your cold and the bacteria giving you an infection. My doctor in New Orleans told me a long time ago that gargling with warm salt water is one of the best things you can do for your cold, and he was not wrong.
Salt is also very drying. That’s why we put it on eggplant and squash to dry them out before roasting. It pulls out the moisture in these vegetables, and it does the same for your nose and sinus cavities.
There are a couple of caveats to using a neti pot. One is that using it can cause a sharp sting in the sinus cavities in your forehead, like the kind you got when you were a kid in the swimming pool and breathed in too much water too fast.
The other caveat is that you MUST boil the water in a cooking pot and then let it cool down before using it. Boiling it will kill brain-eating amoebas and other nasty pathogens hanging out in your drinking water.
I don’t bother with buying the special salts sold with neti pots because they are a rip off. All you need is a good sea salt or land salt, and you’re good to go.
What about you? Have you tried one before?
I have used some of the salt mixtures with my neti pot. One of them is mixed with xylitol and it does not cause that burning sensation. I had another mix that used baking soda but it did not work to get rid of the burn. I’m not sure what ratio of xylitol to salt you’re suppose to use though.
Hi Meghan,
I cannot speak to the xylitol ratio, as I only use sea salt in my neti pot.
To Your Health,
Maria