Anyone ever use a neti pot?

DoulaYvonne · 12-12-2006, 08:15 PM

Hi Ladies!
My poor congested daughter seems to have an allergy to dairy. We are trying to eliminate dairy as much as possible with a good deal of success. I am wondering if a neti pot might be useful and if anyone has used one or anyone's children used one? Thanks for the advice

sunmama · 12-12-2006, 08:32 PM

yes, I have used a netti pot. I guess it would depend on how old your daughter is. It was a bit uncomfortable in the beginning for me. You sort of get that water in your nose feeling....makes sense considering there's WATER IN YOUR NOSE!!!! But I am sensitive to that sensation. I work at a health food store and just about everyone on staff uses one. They're definitely a great tool to help clear nasal passages and help sinuses. We sell a TON of them. There is a book out there(probably more than one, I am sure) that can tell you all sorts of different things you can put in your neti pot for different ailments. Can't remember the exact title but I will get back to you on that. Check your local natural foods store. Also try just a eucalyptus steam, although the results of the neti would be far superior. PS have fun in ARUBA!!!

DL · 12-12-2006, 08:43 PM

......hmmmmm.... I have never heard of a netti pot. I will have to do an Internet search, and maybe I'll learn something new this evening!

MothertheMother · 12-12-2006, 09:10 PM

its a little pot (think of genies and lamps) you use to pour water (and other remedies) in your nose to help clear your sinuses.

RosyDoula · 12-12-2006, 09:12 PM

I took a yoga class last spring at a local community college and the teacher demonstrated that. Its soooo weird to me. I'd hate to get that burning feeling of water up your nose. She was a weird teacher though. "Now tighten your anal sphincter muscle." Er... no thanks, lady.

DL · 12-12-2006, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RosyDoula

I took a yoga class last spring at a local community college and the teacher demonstrated that. Its soooo weird to me. I'd hate to get that burning feeling of water up your nose. She was a weird teacher though. "Now tighten your anal sphincter muscle." Er... no thanks, lady.

I would probably giggle too much and get thrown out of her class! Nope...I don't think I could use the netti pot thingie. I have to pinch my nose whenever I go underwater while swimming because the water goes straight up my nose and burns so much it brings tears to my eyes (although I refuse to wear nose plugs!

).

b'earth angel · 12-12-2006, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RosyDoula

"Now tighten your anal sphincter muscle." Er... no thanks, lady.

You crack me up!

I thought it was tight to begin with???

Think of a netti pot as a straw for your nose!

The water up my nose thing is hard to do, but it does work wonders. I don't have a netti pot but I have done the nasal irrigation thing. Sometimes it is all that helps.

beautifulbirth · 12-13-2006, 01:08 AM

I just used a faux-neti

It is sold commericially now as a plastic bottle with a nozzle on the end. You add the special packet of salt to warm water and voile. squirt it up the nose while leaning over the basin. It is akin to rolling around in the waves. Not quite pleasant, but clears/dries the nasal cavity quite well. I don't know if children would do it though, perhaps an 8-10 year old may give it a go, but it seems hard to believe any younger kid would want to try it.

Wouldn't the allergy to dairy be more of an internal issue rather than an external one? I thought that the neti was to cleanse the nasal passages. I know that dairy can increase the thickness of one's bodily secretions, I guess I am unaware of what else the neti can do.

Best wishes.

DoulaYvonne · 12-14-2006, 09:27 AM

Thanks for all the info ladies. My dd is 8 so she may be willing to try. We are pretty new to this dairy allergy thing so I am just trying to help her in a non-medicated kinda way. She had been congested fairly on and off for months. When she asked me about a month ago if strawberries had a smell

I knew I had to address it. Of course the doc wanted to give her nasal steroids and not address the real problem. A friend suggested a possible dairy allergy and we thought we'd try to eliminate the dairy for a week. At the start of the week, I asked her on a scale from 1-10 how bad was her congestion, she said an 8. By the end of the week, she said a 2!

It has been hard because she loves milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. I just think she was on dairy overload. We are now very selective about what dairy she eats, maybe pizza once per week, and milk on cereal once per week. Fortunately, she doesn't have an extreme intolerance where we have to read labels for cassein or the like.

DouLaura · 12-14-2006, 10:01 AM

A couple things we use for clearing the sinuses/nasal passages and ears (since they are connected together) are ear candles and dropping a coupel drops of hydrogen peroxide in the ears. The peroxide in the ears can drive you batty because it fizzes and tickles but seems a whole lot more tolerable to me than water in the nose! lol. Anyway, we use the peroxide more for viruses/colds because viruses can't live in an oxygen rich place. But the side effect is that your nasal passages get all clear. I would *think* the effect would be the same for allergies. We put just a couple (2-4) drops in and leave it until it quites fizzing, usually 5-10 minutes.
Ear candles definitely work for allergies but they don't seem to get into the sinuses quite as well as the peroxide.

purpleheather79 · 12-15-2006, 07:42 PM

I used one a lot during my last pregnancy. I always have major sinus issues in early pregnany for some reason. It did help but only for a short period of time immediately after I used it. My DH thought it was hilarious to watch. LOL

Ceci · 12-17-2006, 12:14 AM

Tried a netti pot once and hated the burning sensation, and of course that made me sneeze water all over the place. I've been very congested this week and I can't/won't take any meds while pregnant so I have been doing it the old-fashioned way and sitting at the kitchen table with my head draped over a pot of steaming water.

DH took pity on me and bought me the modern version by Vicks where you fill it with water and stick your face into this plastic thingy and breathe in the steam. It really helped a lot with my congestion. Also, I have been sleeping with those breathe easy strips. I look like a total dork but I can breathe so who cares!