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neti pot, irritating my face??

thetpill

Bluelighter
Joined
Oct 17, 2005
Messages
34
so i had a quick question regarding the neti pot.
I have been using regularly for the past year. I had been up until about two weeks ago only been doing the first step which is to alternate between nostrils. recently I began the second phase which involves inhaling salt water mixture through the nose and out the mouth. This has made a world of difference. My head feels so much lighter and clearer and I have expelled a lot of crap that evidently has been stuck in my head somewhere. real dark, black, green and brown stuff. I have been amazed at how i feel within such a short time.

i woke up today, very stuffy. I have completed my normal routine with the neti pot 3 times today and am now very clear. I notice however, the part of my face directly under the eyes and to the left and right of the nose has become red and feels slightly irritated. what is this from? is it normal? is it form using my neti pot too much? shoudl this happen as the areas behind the skin have probably become more clear and the skin relaxed?

any help would be appreciated.
also, does anyone know any good resources on teh neti pot, perhaps with how to videos included. It is so hard to find good references.
 
Sorry I don't know the answer to your question thetpill, but I am interested in the neti pot as well. I've heard plenty of people say its fantastic, but they were all extreme yoga enthusiasts, who believe some weird things. Is there anyone more impartial here that uses it and would recommend it? TIA
 
I just use a shot glass, it's fabulous. I would like to use the full string eventually, but feel like I need a teacher to attempt it. Also, the one where you swallow the cloth looks intense. all of my info is yogic in nature.
 
Well seeing as neti pot is basically a saline solution which is inserted and swished around your nose and mouth, i doubt constant exposure would cause irritation. My mother has been using saltwater to rinse her nasal cavity for years and has never had any irritations.

Judging from the eyes, maybe its a very mild allergic reaction to something you've done? (maybe the neti pot solution was a little contaminated) or maybe when you inserted into your nose, you've scratched a bit of your skin.

I too am curious about neti pot and i am no expert, but hope this helped.
 
"Burning or irritating the nasal lining. This can feel similar to irritation one may experience from the chlorine in a swimming pool. This is usually due to water being at the wrong temperature and/or salinity, but can also be due to the salt containing additive. If the salinity is correct and the water is at body temperature, try using a different type of salt."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neti_pot
 
I have had sinus draining problems and have used the nedi pot for about 5 years. It has helped my sinuses immensely more then anything.
I really don’t think it can make your face sore if you use it right it will run water through your sinus cavities but I can’t see how it would hurt your face, it seems like it would hurt your sinuses first and make them swell.

A sinus doctor told me that doing the neti pot more then 2 or three times a day is not that great because you sinus produce mucus that is good for the functioning of your nose and if you wash all the mucus out to many times a day it is not good.

The swallowing gaze stuff is strange I really don’t think that has much benefit. Maybe if you could get it trough a sinus cavity that was completely plugged up. Sinuses usually get plugged because the membranes get swollen and I don’t see reaming them out with string and gauze making them less swollen.
 
thetpill said:
so i had a quick question regarding the neti pot.
I have been using regularly for the past year. I had been up until about two weeks ago only been doing the first step which is to alternate between nostrils. recently I began the second phase which involves inhaling salt water mixture through the nose and out the mouth. This has made a world of difference. My head feels so much lighter and clearer and I have expelled a lot of crap that evidently has been stuck in my head somewhere. real dark, black, green and brown stuff. I have been amazed at how i feel within such a short time.

i woke up today, very stuffy. I have completed my normal routine with the neti pot 3 times today and am now very clear. I notice however, the part of my face directly under the eyes and to the left and right of the nose has become red and feels slightly irritated. what is this from? is it normal? is it form using my neti pot too much? shoudl this happen as the areas behind the skin have probably become more clear and the skin relaxed?

any help would be appreciated.
also, does anyone know any good resources on teh neti pot, perhaps with how to videos included. It is so hard to find good references.

as far as the irritation goes i think i am experiencing a similar situation. i have been using a neti pot with the saline solution found in stores for a couple of months now. while using it, a lot of times the solution would drip/spill onto my hands.. during this time i noticed that my right hand was experiencing extreme dryness and it was very chapped. the palm side of my fingers are so dry and looks rather deformed. i have been careful not to spill any on my hands for a couple weeks now and still my hand looks the same. i really hope this isnt permanent.....

also, can you explain what phase 2 is? and what its effects are? thanks
 
vanth said:
Sorry I don't know the answer to your question thetpill, but I am interested in the neti pot as well. I've heard plenty of people say its fantastic, but they were all extreme yoga enthusiasts, who believe some weird things. Is there anyone more impartial here that uses it and would recommend it? TIA

I try to convert everyone I know into using a NetiPot, and I am not a yoga superextrimist. I used to get sinus infections ALL THE TIME until I started using it. I use it every other day, and my sinuses are so clear.

I would recommend getting a ceramic one, as opposed to plastic.
 
brooklynneti said:
as far as the irritation goes i think i am experiencing a similar situation. i have been using a neti pot with the saline solution found in stores for a couple of months now. while using it, a lot of times the solution would drip/spill onto my hands.. during this time i noticed that my right hand was experiencing extreme dryness and it was very chapped. the palm side of my fingers are so dry and looks rather deformed. i have been careful not to spill any on my hands for a couple weeks now and still my hand looks the same. i really hope this isnt permanent.....

I would suggest using another salt, like kosher or sea salt. However, depending on where you are in the world, if you are experiencing really cold weather right now, dry skin is going to happen, and salt will only make it worse. My nose and hands are INCREDIBLY dry right now.
 
hadn't checked back in awhile, but thanks for the feedback guys.

I think my problem stemmed from being a little sick, possibly not using the right temp water/salt ratio, and possibly too frequently. but no long term effects were experienced. probably just winter/dry skin as well.

for those interested:
I was originally introduced to the neti pot by an aunt, but never really gave it serious attention and practice until recently. I've always had problems with sinus infections and other allergy/nasal problems which have been dramatically fixed or reduced by my usage. I particularly notice a difference when Im sick or have an infection, and the duration is reduced considerably. i am often completely disgusted by the stuff that comes out of my head (when im sick) and its no wonder i feel like crap and theres pressure i can hardly stand. all of which is barely remedied by conventional medicines. the evidence of which is visible in the sink. while its disgusting im glad it no longer is in my head and i get better much more quickly.

i am no yoga enthusiast, however by the success and improved health i have experienced from practicing the neti pot-it has sparked my interest in more natural ways of healing the body, including yoga and helped me gain a better sense of my own body and health as well.i definitely recommend it to everyone.

i use a ceramic neti pot, tap water, and sea salt. once i figured out the right temperature and ratio of salt i learned to recognize the proper mixture by pouring a little on my hand to test the temperature and to taste a little bit to see if the salinity is adequate. much like one would test a baby bottle. now the process is quick easy and simple.

for information on how to do the different phases look here:
http://www.jalanetipot.com/method.html
 
I use the Neti weekly and sometimes more frequently if I am having sinus reactions to either the weather or my general environment.

If you are experiencing irritation then the only place to look towards would be your solution. You should really only be using clean filtered water and either lake salt or kosher salt. The water should be close to your own body temperature, not hot and not ice cold. What I do is mix the water and salt in the pot and then let the pot stand in hot water for a few minutes. This gives it the right temperature.

I know others put tea tree oil, vit E oil or eucalyptus etc but I have been told this should be avoided for frequent use.

Your water should be clean and of the correct temperature and the only lake or kosher salt added.
 
Tea tree oil just sounds kind of painful. Or annoying that I would be smelling it for the rest of the day. Does this help with sinus infections or just used as an astringent?
 
Hi since i have used this, i notice that my mucous is extremely clear and thick. is this a result of the neti pot? or is this something that i am only noticing after flushing my nose out with it? do you guys also experience very clear mucous? thanks
 
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