Neti Potter

You have probably heard about Neti pots and how many people have found a way to cure their sinus infection. If you are wondering that is Neti pot and how is it supposed to work, you are at the right place. This article gives you all the details about neti pots.

The first time you see it, you might confuse a neti pot with a teapot. There are also chances that you might confuse it with Aladdin’s lamp. The neti pot is a small pot with a spout and a handle. The spout is designed in such a way so that it is easy to plug it in one’s nostril.

Types of Neti Pots

Neti pots are of different types based on what they are made of.

• Ceramic and Glass Neti Pots: These are very fragile and should be handled with care. You cannot fill these neti pots wholly because they tend to get heavy soon.
• Copper Neti Pots: They are robust, light-weighted and easy to handle. But the only thing is that the saline solution tends to oxidize the copper material leading to some deposits on the inner walls of the pot.
• Steel Neti Pots:  These are the best of the lot and are strongly recommended.
• Plastic Neti Pots: These have been gaining popularity because of their lightness and cheap cost.

The ceramic and the plastic neti pots might cost around $20 while the steel neti pots might be on the expensive side.

How to Use a Neti Pot?

A form of nasal purification method called Jala Neti, that originated in India, makes use of the neti pot. Jala Neti is also known as Nasal Irrigation. The nasal passage is cleaned with the saline solution. But it is very important to put the saline solution in the right way to your nostril. And for that, a neti pot comes in handy.

The solution that you fill in the neti pot should primarily consist of water and salt. You should use lukewarm water for Jala Neti. The salt should be non-iodised and should not contain any anti caking agent. Ensure that it does not form lumps.  Remember to test the solution to check if it is too warm or too salty.

The steps to follow after you fill the neti pot with the saline solution are:

1. It is preferable if you do the nasal irrigation over a sink.
2. Bend your head a bit and plug in the nozzle of the neti pot into the nostril that is on the upper side.
3. Now tilt the neti pot a little so that the water flows out of the spout into your nostril.
4. You will feel the water through your nasal passage and then it gushes out through your other nostril that is on the lower side.
5. Wait until the neti pot runs out of water. And then come back to the normal position and blow your nose so that any remaining water comes out.
6. Now shift the position of your head to the opposite side. Repeat the above steps with the other nostril.

Benefits of Using Neti Pots

• Lot of people have found that the regular use of the neti pots have helped in decreasing their sinus congestion and other respiratory illnesses.
• The neti process clears all the build up and the impurities in your nasal passage there by making your breathing easier.
• People have experienced a sharpness in vision and thinking abilities after doing Jala Neti.

Jala Neti can be practiced for about four times a day. The best time is to do this on an empty stomach in the morning.

It is seen that the nasal irrigation method using neti pots is one of the safest methods of purification or cleansing. With the right guidance and understanding, neti pots can be used to enrich our health and life very easily. If you have not bought a neti pot yet, it is not too late; you can always buy one and start the purification process as soon as possible.

Sinusitis is a condition in which the openings of the sinuses are blocked due to inflammation of the inner lining of sinuses. The mucous is blocked leading to a pressure of the blockage causing pain. The symptoms of sinusitis are running nose and a heavy feeling in the head.

The environmental pollution is one of the major reasons of sinusitis. The dust, pollen and other irritants are the major culprits of sinusitis.

It is a known fact that the saline solution is very good cleanser for the nasal part. Neti pot provides you the right way of taking and emitting the saline solution. It is the most efficient and safe method to cleanse your nasal passage with salt and water.

By using the neti pot, one can clean the sinuses and breathe more easily and freely. The salt water or the saline solution, which is used with the neti pot, should be almost of the same concentration as your tears. It washes away all the dirt and impurities in your nasal passage, thereby purifying it totally.

Now, the hygiene of the nasal passage is very important. If it is clouded with dust, pollen or any other impurity, then it could actually invite lot of respiratory diseases. So it is very important to ensure that the nasal cavity is always clean and free.

When you are buying a neti pot, ensure that the tip of the spout fits all sizes of nostrils. In fact, Jala Neti or the nasal irrigation technique works the best if the spout fits correctly into your nostril.

Steps to follow for Jala Neti

1. Make a saline solution using warm water. You need to take care of the fact that the water should not be too cold or too hot.
2. Tilt your head a bit and pour the warm water into the upper nostril from the spout of the Neti pot.
3. You will feel the water running through the passage and then pouring out from the other nostril.
4. Keep the neti pot in the same angle so as to let the water flow into your nose due to gravity.
5. Finally when the water in the neti pot is exhausted and when all the water has gone out of another nostril, come back to the normal position.
6. Repeat the above steps for the other nostril now.
7. After the process is complete, gently exhale so as to release any water inside.

Once you get used to the technique, the whole procedure will not take more than three minutes. You can practise it up to four times a day. The ideal time would be in the morning before breakfast. Include this in your daily morning ritual and make it a healthy habit.

Usually one gets nervous while doing this cleansing technique for the first time. Ensure that you have understood the directions properly and if you are still in doubt, please take the help of people who are already doing it. Do not perform this neti until you understand the process thoroughly.

Initially, you might see that the water does not flow uniformly through the nostrils. U might swallow the water instead. But you know that practice makes you perfect and within few days, you would have mastered the technique.

This age old practice of Jala neti by using the neti pot has shown lot of positive results regarding sinus infections over the years. So why don’t you adopt this easy and reliable technique and bid good bye to all your sinus infections?

Today, the science and technology innovation produces miracles again and again. However it is a known fact that it cannot offer solutions to all the problems, especially the ones related to health. There have been new diseases erupting now and then and people have been realizing that health is indeed wealth. In recent years, people have been going back to the age-old methods to maintain good health and peaceful life. One such ancient method of living has been Yoga.

There are various forms of Yoga and Hatha Yoga is one of them. This form of yoga tends to concentrate on the purification of the body by balancing the physical and the mental aspects of oneself. Hatha Yoga has six Shatkarmas or purifying techniques. One of them is Neti.

Jala Neti is the most commonly practised form of Neti. It is the nasal cleansing technique through warm salt water. In the recent times, Jala Neti is also called Saline Nasal Irrigation (SNI) or Neti Pot Therapy.

Neti pots are used for practising Jala Neti. These pots can be made of metal, plastic or ceramic. This pot has a spout at one end and a handle at the other. It will probably remind you of Aladdin’s lamp.

How to Prepare the Solution for Jala Neti?

The solution is made of salt and water. It is important that you use only lukewarm water for this technique. Ensure that the salt is non-iodized and does not form any lump. Let the amount of salt, which you add to the solution, may be proportionate to the water taken. You can taste it a bit and spit it out. It should be of the same concentration as tears.

How to use the Neti Pot?

Do the Jala Neti over the sink, if possible. Before you go ahead with the technique, just check the temperature of the water to see if it is too hot or too cold.

Tilt your head to one side and then pour the water into your nostril that is on the upper side, from the spout of the Neti pot. When you do this, the saline solution enters your nasal cavity, cleanses it and then flows out through the other nostril. Repeat the same with your head tilted the other side.

Advantages of using Neti Pot

• This technique is particularly beneficial for people with asthma, allergies, sinusitis, common cold and similar breathing problems.
• Jala Neti removes the dirt from your nose and cleanses it thoroughly. The warm water loosens the dried mucous or any other dirt built up inside.
• The warm water taken during Jala Neti, also drains the sinuses thus relieving you off the sinus pressure immediately. Hence this technique is very much recommended for people with sinusitis problem.
• It is known to have had positive effects on concentration and visualisation.
• It is also known to treat ear infections.

Usually Neti is done once or twice a day. The best time to do this is in the morning before you start your daily activities.

Now, the picture of pouring the water into one of your nostrils might not be appealing to many. In fact, some of them even think that it is not safe. But it is a very scientific method that is absolutely safe. But one important thing is that you should know the exact way to do Jala Neti. If you are not sure about it, then you should probably consult a Yoga expert.

There might be hiccups in the beginning. The water might not come out of the other nostril easily. Sometimes the water may not come out at all. Instead, you might be directing it towards your throat. But with some practice, you would be doing it right and enjoying the benefits of Jala Neti.

Let us make use of this simple yet effective purification technique and make our lives healthier.