Nasal Irrigation Or Nasal Lavage

Nasal irrigation or nasal lavage is the personal hygiene practice in which the nasal cavity is washed to flush out excess mucus and debris while moistening the mucus membranes of the nose and sinuses. It has been practised in India for centuries as one of the disciplines of yoga. Clinical testing has shown that this practice is safe and beneficial with no significant side effects.

The technique may be as simple as snorting water from cupped hands but more elaborate methods use a pot, squeeze bottle, or syringe to pour or squirt the water into a nostril. The water then either runs out of the other nostril or goes through the sinuses to the back of the throat from where it may be spat out.

Warm salt water is commonly used with a buffering agent such as sodium bicarbonate. Sometimes xylitol is added to help kill bacteria that has accumulated in the nose. Hypertonic solutions which are more salty than the nasal fluids are favoured and one study indicated that salt from the Dead Sea was especially efficacious.

To alleviate irritating nasal problems, your doctor may recommend nasal irrigation, also called nasal lavage. Nasal irrigation involves flushing out thickened mucus and irritants from your nose. Nasal irrigation is appropriate for children and adults.

To perform nasal irrigation, you need a few simple materials:

• A bulb syringe
• A 1/4-teaspoon (1.23 ml) measuring spoon
• A measuring cup
• Salt
• A small basin or sink

First, wash your hands with soap and water. Then, mix 1/4 teaspoon of salt with 2 cups (473 ml) of warm water, about body temperature. The salt water is called an isotonic solution, or saline, because it is a non irritating mixture with the same saltiness as your body fluids. If you have iodine sensitivity, non iodized salt can be used.

Squeeze the air from the syringe and draw as much saline as possible from the basin. Turn the syringe upright, squeeze to remove any remaining air, and again draw the saline to completely fill the syringe.

Next, bend over the sink. Resist the urge to tip your head back. Instead, lean slightly toward the sink. Gently insert the tip of the syringe into your nose.

You should insert the syringe a distance equivalent to the width of your fingertip. Do not insert it all the way into your nose. Angle the tip of the syringe toward the outer corner of your eye, then slowly squeeze the bulb so that the liquid gently squirts into your nose.

Let the solution drain from your nostril. It may come out of your other nostril or from your mouth. Repeat on both sides of your nose, using two full syringes in each nostril.

Finally, clean up your supplies. With fresh, clean water, fill the syringe then squeeze out the fluid. Repeat several times so that the water coming out is clear. Dry the bulb syringe and store it in a cup or container.

  SinuPulse Elite Advanced Nasal Sinus Irrigation System

  SinuPulse Elite Advanced Nasal Sinus Irrigation System

"SinuPulse Elite Description"

The SinuPulse Elite was developed and engineered in Switzerland to be the best, most advanced sinus and nasal irrigation system in the world complete with state-of-the-art electronics and Intellipulse technology. Featuring a patented SinuMist function it is the only irrigator capable of delivering both a gentle pulsating mist spray for soothing relief and a more thorough pulsating rinse to cleanse the sinuses and massage the nasal cilia to their normal, healthy state. With the pulsating atomizer spray and pulsating cleansing rinse it really is like having two units in one! The SinuPulse Elite is a soothing drug free device to relieve symptoms caused by sinus infections, sinusitis, allergies and the common cold including: post nasal drip, cough, congestion, sinus headaches, and irritated nasal passages. Recommended by leading health care professionals pulsating irrigation is supported by published medical reports. The SinuPulse Elite advanced features include: state-of-the-art Micro Touch power button, electronic LED display, fully adjustable pressure and pause control on handle, hypo allergenic design, calibrated pulse rate, quiet operation, measurement scale, hi-capacity water tank with hygienic cover, soft color coded nasal tips for family members, and sinus treatment information.

SinuPulse Elite Advanced Nasal Sinus Irrigation System