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An alternative
for sinus sufferers
By Kate Gurnett, Albany
Times Union
February 23, 2003
ALBANY, N.Y.
Three winter wishes:
Clear nostrils. Easy breathing. No medicine.
For many, relief
lies in the neti pot, the Aladdin's lamp of cold
prevention. Fill it with salt water and pour it into the
nostrils to flush the sinuses. Yes, in the nose. And
through. Think grade school cafeteria. Like a good,
milk-spewing joke. Leave decorum at the door.
"It's an odd type of
thing, but it's easy to do," said Kathleen Eberlein,
who pours salt water through her nose to combat chronic
sinus problems. With as many as 40 million Americans
fighting sinusitus and tiring of
antibiotics, antihistamines and decongestants, she sees
water irrigation as a natural alternative. She is not
alone. The Los Angeles Lakers, triathletes and holistic
health gurus such as Dr. Andrew Weil
recommend a host of techniques from neti pots to $90
electronic nasal systems to ease symptoms from congestion
and post-nasal drip to allergies.
A recent University
of Wisconsin study found the neti pot provided a simple
drug-free treatment for sinus infections. Patients
reported fewer headaches, fewer side effects and decreased
use of antibiotics. Nasal
cleansing, known as neti, has been used by practitioners
of yoga and ayurveda in India for
hundreds of years. First-time users may find the water
doesn't drain (adjust your head tilt) or the water stings
(add baking soda to the salt water).
Blame it on the
weather--or on increased knowledge of the pots--but
this year, neti pot use is on the rise. "I must have sold
100" and need to order more, said Patricia Kuehfus, the
owner of Pathways Body, Mind, Spirit Shop in suburban
Colonie. She also sells Sinucleanse, a natural saline
solution, to accompany the pots. "If you're starting to
get a cold, it stops it. If you
have a cold, it helps healing," she said.
Flushing removes
excess pollens and pollution and soothes dry nasal
linings.
Copyright © 2003,
Chicago Tribune
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