Sinus Irrigation Using a Neti Pot vs. Pulsating Sinus Irrigation

Do You Behave Like This??

Start Curing Your Sinus, Sore Throats, and Headaches in 5 Minutes, Click Here To Know How

>> Click Here To Know More <<

In a previous article I discussed the pulsating sinus irrigation system using a Water Pik or Hydro Pulse device. This is certainly the system that works best for me, but before finding out about this procedure I tried doing sinus irrigation with a neti pot.

Many ENT doctors recommend using a neti pot for sinus irrigation. This is a vessel that looks somewhat like a small teapot with a long, thin neck. A saline solution is mixed in the pot, and one places the end of the neti pot into a nostril while bending over a sink. To do this one bends over as if looking up to the ceiling. The saline solution can then be poured into one nostril, and the solution will run out the other. The procedure is repeated on the other side.

Personally I did not like the neti pot method. It was a mess to use and I almost had to take my shirt off to keep from getting it wet. More importantly, it also was not effective for me. I find the slow pulsating stream from the water pik method gives far better results than did the quick rush of water from the Neti pot, no matter how slow I tried to pour the solution into my nostrils. It also seems to clean out the nostrils much more thoroughly. Some people say a neti pot works well for them, so it might be worth a try, but I would strongly suggest simply using the pulsating method. Dr. Murray Grossan, in his book “The Sinus Cure- 7 Simple Steps” gives a reason for the superiority of the pulsating system. He explains how sinus cavities are lined with cilia, tiny hairs that move back and forth when sinuses are functioning properly. He states that the pump of a water pik sends out pulses of water that happen to be at about the same frequency at which the cilia function. These pulses can therefore reinforce the movement of the cilia such that they can function properly and move mucus out of sinus cavities and down into our digestive systems, where it is dealt with my stomach acids. The hydro pulse Nasal/Sinus Irrigator does the same thing.

Dr. Grossan explains that cilia can become temporarily or permanently damaged and thus cannot remove mucus from our sinus cavities. This mucus then dries up and causes blockage. Mucus that cannot drain builds up and can easily become infected. It should also be noted that cilia can be permanently damaged by using afrin. As many sinus sufferers are aware, afrin is an over-the-counter product, and the warnings on the label say to use it for only 4 days or less. This medication can damage the cilia in one’s sinuses and cause permanent damage if used too much. As frequent users know, there is also an effect called rebound congestion, so after using it you might end up just as congested as when you started. Thus, people are tempted to continue using it, and it is said to become addictive. Dr. Grossan simply recommends that you throw your afrin into the garbage and stay away from it. I have not used it for years now and am glad to be rid of it.

In either method of sinus irrigation one should use a saline solution made from lukewarm water. If the water is too hot or too cold, the procedure will be very uncomfortable, regardless of the method used. Of course the warm water also causes the salt mixture to dissolve more easily and thoroughly than if the water was cool.

Walt Ballenberger is founder of http://www.postnasaldrip.net/, a resource web site for sinusitis sufferers. Ballenberger is not a medical professional, just a sinus sufferer for years.

Related Articles:-

Sinus Problems? No Problem at All

How to Treat a Sinus Infection

A Sinus Infection Home Remedy

Secrets To Sinus Infection Relief

sinus infection

Symptoms And Causes Of Sinusitis - Part Two

Do You Behave Like This??

Start Curing Your Sinus, Sore Throats, and Headaches in 5 Minutes, Click Here To Know How

>> Click Here To Know More <<

Bacteria such as Haemophyllus Influenza or Streptococcus Pneumonia are usual inhabitants of our upper respiratory tract causing no damages to the body. When the organism is affected by another viral infection, is weaken or the sinuses are obstructed, they lead to an acute sinus infection. Fungal organisms like Aspergillus and Curvularia cause an allergic sinusitis to persons with suppressed immune systems.

Patients with nasal polyps or asthma can easily develop sinusitis during medication with non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs like aspirin or Ibuprofen.

Chronic sinusitis, as well as acute sinusitis can be especially caused by the allergic rhinitis, a nasal inflammatory disease. The condition known as vasomotor rhinitis is triggered by cold air, humidity, perfumes and alcohol also induces sinus infections.

Most common cause of chronic sinusitis is allergic factors in the air producing sinus inflammation; such allergens are dust, pollen, mold and they set off allergic rhinitis, the primer stage to a chronic sinus condition. Pollution and damp weather are also important triggers for chronic sinusitis. Allergic fungal sinusitis is given by the body’s reaction to outer fungus by releasing chemical compounds which produce inflammation and cause sinusitis.

Inhaled allergens make the bodies immune and defense cells to release histamine and other allergic factors on the sinus mucosa, leading to its swelling and to blocking the mucus drainage.

Nasal polyps and septum deviation are congenital or gained anatomical abnormalities and can cause sinus infections as well by keeping the mucus inside the nasal passages. The deviated septum means the inclination of the central nose bone between the nasal passages on one side, often the left side.

People usually treat all symptoms like the ones from a cold and ignore the possibility of sinusitis. The acute sinusitis lasts longer than a cold and doesn’t get better without treatment. Doctors set the diagnosis after a complete medical history, physical exam and radiological methods. The main concern of the treatment is to reduce pain, cure the inflammation and infection and resume the nasal drainage.

Sinusitis caused by bacterial organisms can be easier cured with a combination of antibiotics and nasal decongestant sprays. This kind of medication can cause side-effects like swelling and congestion.

The worst type of sinus damage is the combination between allergic condition and sinus infection; both cause congestion, discomfort, inflammation and excessive mucus secretion. Nasal sprays with steroidal components can be used for a longer time and usually have no side effects, except maybe irritation of the mucosa of the nasal passages.

So, if you want to find out more about sinus infection or aven about home remedies for sinus infection you should visit this link http://www.sinus-infection-guide.com/

Related Articles:-

Description of the Sinus Infection

How to Avoid Sinus Infections?

Unknown Causes Of Sinus Infections

How To Recognize Sinus Infection?

The Real Sinus Headache

Sinusitis and Biofilms - An Introduction - Part 2

Do You Behave Like This??

Start Curing Your Sinus, Sore Throats, and Headaches in 5 Minutes, Click Here To Know How

>> Click Here To Know More <<

Properties of Biofilms

As mentioned, the scum layer produced by the biofilms seems to form a sort of protective barrier for the bacteria and other microorganisms it encases. The literature states that the bacteria in biofilms can be up to 500-1000 times more resistant to antibiotics than normal free-floating bacteria, and research is ongoing to determine the exact mechanisms to explain this. In addition, biofilms occasionally release a portion of their bacteria, and this discharge can migrate and cause infection at a new location. At present there are no simple methods available to test for the presence of biofilms, so it is not an easy task to determine if they are present in a patient’s nasal system. The slime or scum layer looks a great deal like normal mucus.

Status of Biofilm Research as it Pertains to Chronic Sinusitis

Research regarding biofilms and sinusitis is still in its early stages. Most scientific papers describing research into the subject have been attempts to prove the theory that biofilms are present in chronic sinusitis patients and that they are a factor in the condition. We are a long way from seeing studies that might test how beneficial a certain treatment might be, or even how an ENT could easily determine if a patient has biofilms in his nasal passages.

Available Treatments

Some people suggest that nasal irrigation can be beneficial for people with biofilms, and this is certainly a good idea for other reasons as well. In fact it may be the single best thing that people with chronic sinus problems could do for themselves in the opinion of this author. Some studies seem to indicate that the only cure at present is debridement, or physical removal of the substance by an ENT. Again, we are in the early days of research into the theory, so it will be years before it becomes main-stream and other treatment therapies are developed and tested. If I were desperate with sinus problems and had tried every known therapy with no success, (including topical fungal therapy, which is also a relatively new approach) I think I would try to contact one of the medical schools at the universities that are doing research on this topic and see what I could learn or if I might be included in one of their formal studies. Among these are the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, West Virginia University in Morgantown, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, the Universite of Montreal in Canada, the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, Cambridge in England, Dartmouth College, the Center for Biofilm Engineering at Montana State University, and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, among others. I easily found extracts of papers written by all of these entities with a simple internet search on “biofilms”.

Conclusion

Research thus far shows a strong correlation between chronic sinusitis and the presence of biofilms in the nasal cavities of chronic sinusitis sufferers. Much more research to prove the theory definitively and to see it become a main-stream diagnosis remains to be done. At this point people are not even talking about such treatments as nasal sprays or other medications. Sinus sufferers should at least be aware of the issue and keep an eye on what research is being reported, as well as irrigating their noses with a saline solution daily. As noted above, there are a good number of research labs studying all aspects of biofilm research around the world, both medical and non-medical, so hopefully we will have some day an answer to the question posed at the beginning of this article and be able to effectively treat the group of people who continue to suffer from sinusitis despite years of treatment and multiple surgeries that do not bring permanent relief.

Walt Ballenberger is founder of http://www.postnasaldrip.net/ a resource web site for sinusitis sufferers like himself. For a free report entitled “Sinus Treatment Success Stories”, visit http://www.postnasaldrip.net/ and click on the Free Report link. This resource can be of significant help to chronic sinus sufferers.

Related Articles:-

Common Sinus Problems and Symptoms

How to Get Sinus Relief Now

A Sinus Headache - Can It Be Effectively Treated?

Important Facts about Sinus Infections

Blocked Sinus - 4 Ways To Clear It Naturally