As an allergy sufferer and OSA patient, here is a how-to manual on sinus irrigation.  It feels great, gets rid of congestion and keeps me from getting sinus infections.  Happy nose-hosing!!

Love to Share disgusting but wonderful topics Vicki

This procedure is from the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Scripps Clinics in La Jolla, CA

The procedure accomplishes several things;
1.  It gets rid of any allergens that might be irritating your nose.
2.  It gets rid of any “pockets of infectionâ€� that might be forming.
3.  It clears your nose and makes it easier to breath.
4.  It moisturizes your sinuses
5.  It feels great!!-Really!!

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon white karo syrup
1 pint warm water

To irrigate with a soft rubber tip ear syringe:
The kind of bulb I prefer is blue with a blunt clear piece that can be removed from the bulb.

To irrigate the nose, stand over sink with head forward, mouth open and chin out.  Insert tip of syringe in the nose and gently squeeze the solution in nose being careful not to swallow.  If you feel like swallowing, stop and bend head well forward and allow solution to run out.  Irrigate the other side in the same manner, then blow nose, closing off one side at a time and blowing with the mouth open.

The number of times you syringe the nose depends on the amount of mucous in the return flow.  Ordinarily douche is performed twice daily initially and then every day to every third day as needed to maintain the effect.

To irrigate with a Water Pik Nasal Irrigator Tip

An ENT should have these.  That is where I get mine, which is a;
Grossan “Original Sinus Irrigator Tip� made by;

I'm not sure if the contact info is OK to post (commercial link no no rule), so PM me if you can't find one and I'll email you the contact into.  Also, check with local pharmacies

Fill reservoir or water pik with warm water.
Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water in the reservoir

NOTE:  The new H2O piks have a larger reservior, make sure the salt to water ratio is 1/2 teaspoon salt to one pint water. See below for description of an isotonic solution.

Set control knob on lowest pressure
Place nasal irrigator tip into nostril and bend over sink.
Adjust control knob until a comfortable pressure is reached.
Solution enters one nostril and leaves by the other.
Switch to other nostril and repeat.
You may gently blow through the nostril not containing the irrigator.
Ordinarily, the irrigation is performed twice daily initially and then every day to every third day as need to maintain the effect.

Points To Remember:
Do not use if a burning sensation occurs.
Do not force salt solution through nostrils.
Discontinue if ear pain occurs.

Here is what I really do, don’t tell my ENT, after 2 sinuses surgeries, for allergies not apnea, he’d kill me.

He wants me to use sterile H2O, I use warm tap H2O.  I never use Karo syrup.  I only throw in a little baking soda if I have an infection and I can smell garbage up there.  If you have a sinus infection, then you need to irrigate several times a day.

If I am really desperate, like at work, or traveling, I’ll put salt in a cup, snort it and blow my nose a few times.  The trick to this is that you have to make sure the salt water is isotonic before you snort it.  That is, that it is near the same salt concentration as your body.  If it is hypertonic (too salty), then it is like snorting seawater and if it is hypotonic (too little salt), then either situation hurts like heck and plays havoc with your nose.  I stick my tongue in the salt water first to check it.  If you have followed the recipes a while, then you learn what the proper salt concentration tastes like.

I know this may sound disgusting, but it feels wonderful to perform and great to breath easily afterwards.  I’ve even chased off a few sinus infections this way



Last edited by Vicki on Mon Nov 21, 2005 4:36 am; edited 3 times in total

my nostrils and sinuses were cronically blocked with heavy allergy mucus until I used a netti pot, which basicly does the same as the other methods mentioned

its like a small coffee pot which is filled with warm salty water, its pushed into 1 nostril and eventually the water flows up and thru the sinuses and then out thru the other nostril, softening the mucus and enabling its removal by simply blowing the nose

it did take some getting used to and initally felt like I was drowning in the ocean, but its been a big help and the mucus eventually occurred much less often, almost as if it had learned not to bother as it wouldnt last there long

the nettipot eventually broke, so now I simply use a small coffee pot, Ive read about adding baking soda but havent got around to trying it yet

ideally pure salt without any anticaking additive should be used but this can be very difficult to get, some so called sea salt has the anticaking additive in it

theres said to also be some beneficial yoga thing from doing it, but I havent noticed

a complicated nose blowing and bending forward routine is supposed to be done but I dont bother with this, occasionally some warm water can flow from the nose about 1 hour later but this is only a minor problem

Hi Vicki,
You are a wealth of information and I find you wherever I go! Thanks for these tips. You may just help save my husband from undergoing surgery which I'm not at all confident will actually fix his problem longterm.
I'm also going to try it for my allergies.
Now the hunt begins again for the products here in Adelaide, Oz.... they'll exist but the names will be different probably.
Cheers,
Mandy

What is the karo syrup for?  To moiturize?  I saw another recipe and it didn't call for the karo.

I am always a little dry and I haven't even gotten started on my cpap therapy yet.  So I would like to try this.  

Thanks,

Leslie

Hi All,

To Mandy- plain old salt that you get in the grocery store to eat and cook with works just fine.  In fact I have this shared use for my table salt.  Guests would be disgusted if they knew the other function!

To Leslie- I keep meaning to call Scripps and ask, but I think that the Karo Syrup purpose is to moisturize (high sugar concentrations inhibit microbial growth), but I'm not sure that is the case here.

I wish I had known about this too before I got roto-routed!!!

Have fun!!

Vicki


_________________
Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.
Marilyn Von Savant

That which does not kill you makes you stronger-Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich must of had apnea.

WOW, I think that I'm going right now to see if I can do this without drowning myself.   I am so glad that I found this site.  Thanks for the wonderful info.
Sleep good and sweet dreams!

Yikes! I sure hope no one has gotten in trouble following the directions posted (two years ago), but since I just found this now, and have just started using a Netti Pot, I had to respond.

1.) Do NOT use regular salt (i.e. table, kosher, or sea salt) as they often iodize it, and definitely do not purify it as much as the nose needs it to be. And, I'm not so sure that adding syrup or any other product other then water and "pure" salt, should be used. Think about the function of the nose -- it's not just for breathing. The little hairs in it are cilia, and their purpose is to remove allergens, bacteria, viruses, etc. out of the air we breathe, before letting that air go into the lungs. Part of our health problems (at least those reading this) have to do with the inability of the cilia to do their job properly, because we breathe in so much stuff, other then air, it literally weighs down the cilia, allowing foreign pathogens to invade our sinuses, and ultimately our lungs. Now you're being taught to include syrup and impurities into the very act of cleaning nasal passages?! Rather defeats the purpose, doesn't it?!

2.) Don't take my word for this and don't take anyone else's word for this, UNLESS they have been carefully taught how to do this and understand the science and purposes behind it. Second hand instructions are taught by students in this process, including me. Do some extensive research on it (ceramic and plastic Netti pots tend to smell funky after a while, plus I've learned other gross, yet important stuff about the size and shape of the pots to use.)

3.) Keeping sinuses cleared out this way has a side effect that's both good and bad -- you can smell much better. Of course, living in a large city, that isn't necessarily a good thing, but I've also noticed an underlying smell all the time -- chlorine. I suspect I really am smelling chlorine, but from the water out of my tap. I think I'll have to use filtered water, eventually, but, as I'm asking you to do, before taking all the advice given here, I'll need to research that aspect of it too. On the one hand, chlorine is a disinfectant. On the other hand, it isn't a natural substance that our bodies need. I don't know the answer to this yet (stumbled onto this thread while researching further), just wanted to open your minds to how much more info is out there that we should ultimately understand, while correcting bad info fiven on this board.

It is always better to research new ideas regarding your health before assuming you are always getting good info. I truly fear for those who have been snorting impure salt and syrup up their noses, simply because soneone else said to. Heaven knows what their sinuses really are like now, two years later, and how many others are headed in the same direction. Even if they don't feel any different, I can point to a huge group of men, who now need to get their lungs X-rayed every other year, because asbesto also seemingly did nothing bad to them over the decades they used it in HVAC work or installing old tile flooring. That's one of the problems with these types of message boards -- word-of-mouth is considered at the same level as expertise. Be careful with the info you receive.

And "Guest" what sinus irrigation company do you work for?  That recipe is in use by physicians for allergy and post sinus surgery patients.  You want everyone to go out and buy expensive solutions?  Folks don't believe everything you read by some anonymous guest.

“Guestâ€� I think most people are intelligent enough to read if salt is iodinated or not.  The syrup is specifically there to buffer and normalize the solution to physiological conditions.  Good grief, it is one teaspoon of White Karo syrup in a pint of water.  You make it sound like you are pouring undiluted syrup up your nose.  YIKES, don’t do that!!!

Personally, I just stick with the table salt.

Oh, and you should really should read up pulsed irrigation, much better than Netti Pots.  It helps cilia function (see the sticky on sinus irrigation in the top posts of this forum for the updated version of this thread).  Try pulsed irrigation!  Read up on it!!  Research it!!  You will be a believer, truly!!  But I think you'll have to change the company you work for.

Vicki


_________________
Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.
Marilyn Von Savant

That which does not kill you makes you stronger-Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich must of had apnea.

Thank you Vicki!  Irrigation has helped save me from those bothersome sinus infections, irritations, stuffiness, etc that I was experiencing before.  I must also mention that my allergy symptoms have been under control as well.  Anyway, I back this site and forward it to all my friends that complain about their sinus issues and even though they don't have apnea, they try this and they all have said what a wonderful help it has been.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.

For many many years, I used to count on being on antibiotics every few months due to sinus infections.  It was endless, the sinus infections would return again and again.  My Dad's allergist recommended to him a product called Alkalol (Dad suffered from sinus infections even more than me).  It is made by The Alkalol Company.

That was about 10 years ago.  Dad passed the tip on to me and I still use the product regularly, once a week as maintenance, several times a day if I feel an infection trying to take root.  Here (California) it costs about $4 for a 16-oz bottle.  It is OTC, most pharmacies don't stock it but can easily get it for you.  It has become so popular in my area due to word of mouth, most pharmacies here have a few bottles in stock all the time now.  I introduced it to my doctor, he was impressed and recommends it now as well.

Alkalol is a mucus solvent.  It is in an alcohol base, with eucalyptus and peppermint oils, menthol, and other ingredients.  Yes it is more expensive than salt water, which I had used for years before Alkalol with fair success in staving off infection.  I use about 1/2 ounce Alkalol per treatment.  I use it full strength but it can be mixed half and half with water.  At full strength it does sting a little due to the alcohol content if sinus is raw, but the relief felt immediately afterward is worth it.  I hardly ever feel that 'sting' anymore, my sinuses have been clear for so long now, unless a good infection is brewing.

It is the most effective mucus solvent and cleaner I have ever used.  In the 10 years I have been using the product, I have only lost the battle and needed antibiotics 3 times, compared to at least 3 times per year, every year, before that.

If you are interested, google it up and ask your doctor about using it.  I use the large soft tip blue ear syringe Vicki mentioned in the beginning of this post.   Some people I introduced to Alkalol use a netti pot, others use a hypodermic syringe (without needle of course) or oral syringe.

YMMV (your mileage may vary), but you might try it if you suffer from chronic sinus infections like I did, or just want to prevent them.  I can't speak highly enough of the product, based on my own experience.

(unpaid and unsolicited endorsement for Alkalol -- I am just a very happy customer)

Thanks sleepngood!!  Pointing people in the direction of a safe and simple over-the-counter method, used in Europe and Asia for decades makes sense to me.  Equating sinus irrigation with asbestos induced lung cancer is ludicrous.

I’m adding this link to the irrigation sticky (so to speak).  It is from Wikipedia but it has several peer reviewed references in it.

Wikipedia Nasal Irrigation

Pseudonym, Alkalol sounds like it would do a great job of cleaning and clearing out sinuses!!  I’ll have to give it a shot.

I was so glad “guestâ€� mentioned iodine.  You can only do this if you are not allergic to iodine, but if you are getting (or have) a sinus infection, my ENT had me make an irrigation solution which included a very small amount of Betadine solution since Betadine is anti-microbial.  You have to make sure you are using Betadine solution and not Betadine scrub otherwise you get soap up your nose “Yikes!!â€� as guest says.

Vicki



Last edited by Vicki on Mon Jun 18, 2007 1:30 am; edited 1 time in total
_________________
Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.
Marilyn Von Savant

That which does not kill you makes you stronger-Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich must of had apnea.

Vicki wrote:

You have to make sure you are using Betadine solution and not Betadine scrub otherwise you get soap up your nose “Yikes!!� as guest says.

Vicki

ahhh... the smell of Betadine. Very unique and totally unforgettable. As much as I used to smell it back in the day, I am not so sure I'd want to smell it for hours, but to avoid an infection? *sigh*... maybe, lol

John


_________________
"Death doesn't really worry me that much, I'm not frightened about it... I just don't want to be there when it happens." - Woody Allen
Respironics M Series Auto with A-Flex , Pressure 9-12cmH2O, Mirage Swift II Nasal pillows, and Ace bandages

dunetraveller wrote:

ahhh... the smell of Betadine. Very unique and totally unforgettable. As much as I used to smell it back in the day, I am not so sure I'd want to smell it for hours, but to avoid an infection? *sigh*... maybe, lol

John, consider giving Alkalol a try?  It is a somewhat odd smell due to the mix of ingredients, but not unpleasant at all IMO.  Doesn't taste bad either. Your pharmacy can order you a single bottle and generally will have it there the next day, two days tops.

Alkalol is also a very soothing antiseptic for minor cuts, scrapes and burns, and a pretty fine mouthwash and gargle too.  Should you or anyone not like it for sinus irrigation you will still be able to use it up in some of these other uses of the product, so the small investment will not be a total waste!

Cheers!
--pseudonym

Vicki wrote:

Pseudonym, Alkalol sounds like it would do a great job of cleaning and clearing out sinuses!!  I’ll have to give it a shot.

Please do try it Vickie and post your experience.  Every person I've suggested it to (not all are willing to try nasal irrigation though!) that has used it, has become a convert like I have.  I would really like to know if your experience is just as positive.

Blessings,
--pseudonym

P.S.  I'm thinking I should have bought their stock, I promote the product so much

After reading all these posts about it, I am starting to teeter over the edge toward giving it a go. I am already having to spray saline up my nose prior to taking my allergy meds (but it does burn and I know from here that that's not a good thing), and I know the amount of irrigation that the spray can accomplish is minuscule compared the amount of water used in a full irrigation. Living in the desert like I do it is definitely in my best interests to get a lot of that dust and pollen out of my nose. I take a medication to thin out the mucus, but that doesn't mean I have gotten all of the other junk out and I would like to have an idea that I have gotten down to the bare floor so to speak. Looks like I am going to be buying an irrigator in my near future.. now do I go old school with the bulb or the water pic? Thanks for the advice pseudonym, Vicki, et al.!!

John


_________________
"Death doesn't really worry me that much, I'm not frightened about it... I just don't want to be there when it happens." - Woody Allen
Respironics M Series Auto with A-Flex , Pressure 9-12cmH2O, Mirage Swift II Nasal pillows, and Ace bandages