Nasal Saline Wash

Nasal sinus sufferers have relied on saline irrigation and washing of the nasal lining for decades. Numerous products are available for purchase, so deciding which product is best for you may be quite confusing and even expensive.

This simple homemade recipe will work just fine:

• Carefully clean and rinse a 1 quart jar, then fill the jar with tap or bottled water.  Add 2-3 heaping teaspoons of “canning/pickling” salt.  NOT table salt, which contains unwanted additives.   Ask your grocer for the salt.  Next, add 1 teaspoon of baking soda.  Stir or shake before each use.  Store at room temperature.  Discard solution after one week.  If the solution seems too strong, use less salt (1 ½ to 2 tsp). 
  
  
• Instructions:  Plan to rinse the nose with the solution 2 to 3 times per day.  You will need a bulb/ear syringe, a large medical syringe (30ml) or a waterpik.  Pour some warm salt solution into a clean bowl.  It may be warmed in a microwave to body temperature.  (NOT TOO HOT)  Fill the syringe with solution from the bowl.  Do not put the used syringe back into the bowl because that will contaminate the salt solution. 
  
  
• Stand over the sink or in the shower and squirt the solution into each side of your nose, aiming at the back of your nose, not towards the top of your nose.  If you swallow a little of the solution it will not hurt you.  Most people notice a mild burning or stinging the first few times they use the salt water mixture.  This usually goes away in a few days. The solution may be placed in a small, clean, commercial nasal saline bottle for use. (If you are using a nasal steroid spray, always use your steroid spray AFTER cleaning your nose with the salt solution.  This allows the steroid to reach deeper into the nose and sinuses, and work much better.)

The nose’s job is to warm, humidify and clean the air we inhale. The processors of the nose are structures called turbinates. The turbinates can swell, causing stuffiness and congestion in the nose. And once the turbinates are swollen, the cleaning function of the nose is diminished. The nose is then unable to effectively clean the bacteria, allergens (allergy triggers), pollutants, dirt, and chemicals from the inhaled air, making it much easier to get sick.

Using saline to clean inside the nose will help rid these irritants from the nasal lining, just like washing your hands before dinner or after working in the garden.

Nasal saline solution can be applied as a fine mist to help with moistening the dry, irritated membranes or with a Neti pot for a gentle flow of saline solution into the nose and out the other side. As you can imagine, this takes some getting used to and many sinus/allergy sufferers use this treatment regularly. Finally, there is a sinus rinse treatment which provides a steady stream of saline to form a “power wash” of the nose and sinus. Some people will incorporate all three systems depending on their particular needs.

We at Northeast ENT can make some specific suggestions as to which system may be best for you. Call 570-387-4368 to speak to our friendly scheduling specialists and make an appointment to find out how to make this season a healthier one for you.