Seasonal allergies flaring up? Gently rinsing your nasal passages with a saline solution helps to open up the nasal passages, clear out mucus and remove the pollen and other irritants causing all the problems in the first place. Performed with a neti pot or bulb syringe, sinus flushing has its origins in Ayurvedic medicine.
Want to give it a try? Our DIY Nasal Saline Rinse recipe makes for easy nasal irrigation.
Ingredients
1/2 cup sea salt
1/2 cup baking soda
Neti pot or bulb syringe
2 cups of filtered water
Directions
1. Mix sea salt & baking soda together and store in a jar. (The amount you've made will last through several nasal rinses.)
2. Add water to a small bowl and mix in 1/2 teaspoon of salt/baking soda mixture until dissolved.
3. Pour 1/2 cup of mixture into neti pot or, if using a bulb syringe, place bulb in water and squeeze to fill.
4. Lean forward over the sink, at about a 45-degree angle. Tilt your head so that one nostril is pointed down toward the sink. Don't tilt your head back.
5. Place the spout of a neti pot or the tip of a syringe just inside your nostril that is pointed up away from the sink. The tip should go in no further than a finger's width. Keeping your mouth open, squeeze the bulb or tilt the pot to pour the water into your nostril. Breathe through your mouth, not your nose.
6. The saline mixture will run through your nasal passages and drain out of your other nostril. If any flows down into your mouth, it won't hurt you, but you will want to spit it out.
7. Gently blow your nose to remove mucus.
7. Repeat the same process, changing position and pour the saline through the other nostril. Continue repeating sides until all the liquid has been used.
8. Wash neti pot or bulb syringe after use and allow to air dry.
Last Updated: March 17, 2022
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