Sinus Irrigation

Most of my patients by now know I am a big proponent of sinus irrigation (rinsing). Sinus irrigation is imperative for anyone with an acute upper respiratory infection (cold) or sinus infection as well as those with chronic congestion, sinusitis, or allergies. Additionally, in Denver's dry climate (especially in the Winter), rinsing of sinuses can be beneficial to everyone. Anytime there are symptoms of nasal congestion, drainage down the back of the throat (post-nasal drip), sinus pain/pressure, or head fullness sinus irrigation should be the initial treatment. For many people, aggressively irrigating the sinuses can alleviate the need for other therapies such as antibiotics or steroids.

Sinus rinsing is easy to do and can easily be instituted as part of a daily routine, like brushing your teeth. For maintenance treatment of chronic conditions (or Denver dryness), once daily or several times per week is just fine. During acute colds or sinus infections I recommend irrigating 2-4 times per day.

There are several different methods for rinsing. I find the easiest tend to be the use of a Neti Pot or NeilMed irrigation bottle. I have both available for free in the office. You can also purchase Neti Pots at any health food store and NeilMed bottles at any regular pharmacy or grocery store. Another option is using a baby bulb syringe to squirt solution in.

You can either make you own solution, or buy prepackaged ingredients. A typical homemade solution is 1 cup water, 1/2-1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1-2 pinches of baking soda. NeilMed makes prepackaged ingredients that I find easy to use and help with compliance. They are inexpensive and found in any pharmacy or grocery store. Many people prefer using distilled or boiled water, though I feel tap water is acceptable. Temperature of whatever solution you use should be luke warm. In more complex cases, additional ingredients may be added to the basic solution.

There is no documented long-term dangers of sinus irrigation. However, in patients with zero sinus symptoms, irrigation could remove the protective mucus layer and increase the risk of infections. Thus, if you have no symptoms and don't suffer from regular infections, I recommend rinsing only if you get a rare acute infection.

Below are videos demonstrating both the NeilMed bottle and the Neti Pot.

NeilMed Demonstration

Neti Pot Demonstration