I frequently suffer from upper respitory issues.  Allergies, colds, sinus infections, all that fun stuff.  I was skeptical about neti pots when they were first suggested to me.  They seemed weird and gross.  Pouring saline solution into one nostril out of another?  I gave in and decided to give them a try a few months ago.  Long story short, they’re pretty much the best thing ever.

I don’t buy into alternative medicine much but the mechanism of action here is pretty straight forward.  Literally flushing the bad stuff out using brute force.  Also, there have been actual studies on the effects of their usage.  It turns out that if you use it every day, regardless of whether you’re having issues, they’ll actually increase your risk for sinus infections.  Used over the course of a few days, they are actually very effective.

You pick one up at your local drug store, along with salt packets portioned out with the right amount of salt for one usage.  You can also just use regular salt and measure it yourself.  Fair warning, the first time you try it, prepare for like a 10 minute sneezing fit.  That’s what happened to me anyway.  That doesn’t happen anymore after you get more used to it.

I was starting to get a cold on Thursday.  Thanks to my neti pot, I’m not stuffed up and even if I still feel some effects of the cold, I’m about 90% normal today.