Umm Ahmed
18th June 2008, 06:36 AM
Non muslims finally catching on to the benefits of taking water into the nose.
http://i25.tinypic.com/14t1wk8.jpg
Don't turn up your nose at this one
By Sylvia E. King-Cohen, Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service
Published: June 14, 2008, 00:01
Want water in your nose? On purpose? Enter the neti pot, a teapot-like vessel designed to help you pour a saline solution in your nose.
And chances are good you’ve seen it touted on television or stocked on the shelves of drug stores.
Strange solution
Strange as it sounds, nasal irrigation — rinsing microscopic debris out of your nose — is something doctors recommend. In fact, Oprah Winfrey’s favourite medicine man, Dr Mehmet Oz, coordinated an on-air demonstration of the technique, saying it’s one of the best things you can do for your body.
“Think of it basically as a bath for your nose,” says Dr Karen Haunss, an ear nose and throat specialist in Long Island, the United States, who has been advocating nasal irrigation for years to patients with post-nasal drip or those on the mend from surgery.
“You’re washing out all the allergens. It helps fight chronic sinusitis as you wash out bacteria and viruses.
The sinus area is one of the most difficult to wash out,” Oz explains. “Nasal irrigation takes away some of the burden of pollen, allergens and other things that make you uncomfortable, so your body can focus.”
But it’s not for the squeamish. Tilting forward over a sink, a neti pot user pours the liquid into one nostril, which circulates through the nasal passages and comes out the other.
Huge response
Oz says: “I knew what the response to the show would be. But after I spoke to some [ear nose and throat doctors], I decided to go ahead and do it. After the show, it was the single most e-mailed question of the season.”
You don’t necessarily need a neti pot to irrigate your nose, Haunss says. It can also be achieved by using regular nasal syringes and squeeze bottles filled with saline.
Many models — ceramic, plastic and metal — are available, selling at $15 to $20 (Dh55 to Dh74), with a box of 100 saline packets at $6 to $8 (Dh22 to Dh29).
“There is no downside to this,” Haunss says of the neti pot. “It is sort of like going into the ocean and getting some water up your nose.”
Some tips to keep in mind
DO
* Breathe naturally through your mouth as you do this.
* Consider plastic neti pots or squeeze bottles for children.
* Irrigate at least in the mornings and the evenings.
* Dry the neti pot between uses.
DON’T
* Don’t use non-saline water or regular table salt. Finely ground, non-iodised salt is best. (Mix about 1/4 tsp in 8 ounces of warm water.)
* Use lukewarm water.
* Refrain from sharing neti pots. If you must, rinse thoroughly between uses.
Sources:
Dr Ketan Mehta, creator of the Neilmed system;
Nina Mehta, CEO of Neilmed Pharmaceutical; and
Dr Diane G. Heatley, developer of the SinuCleanse system.
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/08/06/13/10220824.html
http://i25.tinypic.com/14t1wk8.jpg
Don't turn up your nose at this one
By Sylvia E. King-Cohen, Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service
Published: June 14, 2008, 00:01
Want water in your nose? On purpose? Enter the neti pot, a teapot-like vessel designed to help you pour a saline solution in your nose.
And chances are good you’ve seen it touted on television or stocked on the shelves of drug stores.
Strange solution
Strange as it sounds, nasal irrigation — rinsing microscopic debris out of your nose — is something doctors recommend. In fact, Oprah Winfrey’s favourite medicine man, Dr Mehmet Oz, coordinated an on-air demonstration of the technique, saying it’s one of the best things you can do for your body.
“Think of it basically as a bath for your nose,” says Dr Karen Haunss, an ear nose and throat specialist in Long Island, the United States, who has been advocating nasal irrigation for years to patients with post-nasal drip or those on the mend from surgery.
“You’re washing out all the allergens. It helps fight chronic sinusitis as you wash out bacteria and viruses.
The sinus area is one of the most difficult to wash out,” Oz explains. “Nasal irrigation takes away some of the burden of pollen, allergens and other things that make you uncomfortable, so your body can focus.”
But it’s not for the squeamish. Tilting forward over a sink, a neti pot user pours the liquid into one nostril, which circulates through the nasal passages and comes out the other.
Huge response
Oz says: “I knew what the response to the show would be. But after I spoke to some [ear nose and throat doctors], I decided to go ahead and do it. After the show, it was the single most e-mailed question of the season.”
You don’t necessarily need a neti pot to irrigate your nose, Haunss says. It can also be achieved by using regular nasal syringes and squeeze bottles filled with saline.
Many models — ceramic, plastic and metal — are available, selling at $15 to $20 (Dh55 to Dh74), with a box of 100 saline packets at $6 to $8 (Dh22 to Dh29).
“There is no downside to this,” Haunss says of the neti pot. “It is sort of like going into the ocean and getting some water up your nose.”
Some tips to keep in mind
DO
* Breathe naturally through your mouth as you do this.
* Consider plastic neti pots or squeeze bottles for children.
* Irrigate at least in the mornings and the evenings.
* Dry the neti pot between uses.
DON’T
* Don’t use non-saline water or regular table salt. Finely ground, non-iodised salt is best. (Mix about 1/4 tsp in 8 ounces of warm water.)
* Use lukewarm water.
* Refrain from sharing neti pots. If you must, rinse thoroughly between uses.
Sources:
Dr Ketan Mehta, creator of the Neilmed system;
Nina Mehta, CEO of Neilmed Pharmaceutical; and
Dr Diane G. Heatley, developer of the SinuCleanse system.
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/08/06/13/10220824.html