/ April 23, 2010/ Nasal Irrigation/ 11 comments
While some amount of mucus production from the nasal and sinus lining is normal, allergies and sinus infections can cause excessive mucus production. This excessive mucus production causes nasal and sinus symptoms such as a runny and stuffy nose or post nasal drip. The key to symptom relief is to physically wash away this excess mucus and allergens such as grass and tree pollen, dust particles, pollutants and bacteria from the nasal passages. The rinsing will reduce inflammation of the mucosa membrane, allowing you to breathe more normally.
Current medical literature indicates that large volume saline nasal irrigation, delivered with low positive pressure, provides superior system relief to patients with sinus disease and nasal allergies. For an effective nasal rinse, you need to use a large volume (100 to 200 ml) of saline solution in each of the nasal passages, delivered with adequate positive pressure to displace the mucus, pollen and allergens from the nasal passages.
The key to significant symptom relief is to perform a true saline nasal irrigation with sufficient volume and adequate pressure to remove mucus and associated pathogens from the nasal passages. Therefore effective nasal irrigation devices must have the following characteristics.
1) The capacity to hold a large volume saline solution (200 to 240 ml)
2) The ability to deliver a solution with low but adequate pressure into the nasal passages. The pressure must be sufficient such the saline can not only flow through the nasal passages, but also displace the mucus, pollen and allergens.
3) Finally, the saline solution must travel up the nasal passages, flow over the septum and out through the other nasal passages. Until this entire flow cycle occurs, you will not achieve a thorough cleansing job. This fact alone makes nasal sprays unsuitable or true large volume saline nasal rinsing.
Think about this!
The nose is the only filter to process approximately 14,000 liters of air that we breathe every day. In order to keep this air-filter clean, it is necessary to have a routine of daily nasal hygiene.
Let us now take a look at some of the large volume nasal irrigation devices
1) Large volume, positive pressure, squeeze bottle system: The large volume (240 ml) easy squeeze system effectively satisfies the requirements for a true saline nasal irrigation as described above. It allows the user to deliver the solution with sufficient pressure to thoroughly clean the nasal passages, while maintaining the head in the upright position (no tilting or twisting of neck required). The user has complete control of the pressure and the volume of solution as it enters into the nasal passages, allowing for a gentle and therapeutic experience. All mucus and associated pathogens are displaced from the nasal passages, allowing the user to experience long term symptomatic relief when the product is used consistently.
NeilMed® Sinus Rinse™ is a large volume, positive pressure, squeeze bottle system that is the #1 recommended saline nasal irrigation systems by ENT and Allergy specialists in the USA and Canada. The success of NeilMed Sinus Rinse system has created a consensus among thousands of family doctors, ENT and Allergy specialists that large volume, positive pressure saline nasal irrigation system provides the greatest relief to patients with nasal allergy and sinus disease.
2) Neti Pots: All neti pots operate on the principle of gravity. Tilting your head and simultaneously raising the neti pot device allows the solution to flow through the nasal passages due to effect of gravity. They are suitable for patients who cannot tolerate even the smallest amount of pressure in the nasal passages.
Disadvantages of other neti pots
1) Many neti pots on the market are not sized to hold 200 ml to 240 ml of saline solution. You may have to prepare the solution twice to get the large volume required, which is costlier and more time consuming. However, the NeilMed NasaFLO Neti Pot is of adequate size i.e. (240 ml).
2) Most neti pots do not allow the user to control the flow of saline solution into the nasal passages. However the NeilMed NasaFLO Neti Pot has a lid (to prevent accidental spills) and allows the user to stop the flow, by placing a finger on a hole on top of the lid.
3) The biggest limitation of all neti pots is that gravity alone cannot create a sufficient pressure to wash away all the undesirable mucus and nasal irritants. While it may seem to provide some immediate symptomatic relief, long term relief is unlikely because most of the mucus and associated pathogens remain in place.
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