25 september 2006
Nasal Cleaning Pot a Vessel of Tingly Fun!
YPSIDIXIT BELIEVES that she should try new things on a regular basis. She believes that when you try a new thing, it creates a new neural pathway in the brain. So she purchased a nasal cleaning pot at the co-op today, after reading, enraptured, online testimonials as to its powerful efficacy.
Y. was trepidatious, scared even, and the online photos of people using these Pots certainly gave me pause. But my curiosity won the day. I tried it, and was astounded by how well it worked. An hour later, I'm breathing vast, healing draughts of Ypsilanti air and I feel more uncongested than I have all day. All cleaned out! Woowee, it's a marvel!
Unbelievably graphic description of the process below, in "Continue Reading," where the more quease-prone kind readers can safely skip it.
I opened the box and took out the little teapot. The co-op had special salt for sale, too, but Y. drew the line at that and just roughed it with table salt, like our hardy pioneer forefathers. I put a quarter teaspoon in and filled it with warm water, stirring to dissolve the salt.
The directions said to tilt your head forward and to the side so that you can just see the sink drain out of the corner of your eye. I inserted the nozzle into my right nostril and, as the instructions said, breathed through my mouth. I had no idea how the pipes connected in there and if I'd choke.
Nope. Somehow the water runs in, crosses over, and comes out the other nostril. I watched the stream of water run into the sink. Removing the pot, I blew out the remaining water gently with a tissue, and then reversed the process.
I felt a great tingle. The roots of my teeth felt...activated in some way, and vibrated in a vaguely Novocainey way. My whole nasal passage felt opened up, and tears streamed from my eyes. [GROSS SENTENCE ALERT]: I felt several tides of nasal mucus sloughing off down the back of my throat for the next ten minutes. [/GSA] It was enormously liberating in some way. It feels so clean now when I breathe. And my whole nose feels...dewy.
Who knew such a simple thing could work so well? I'm a nasal-pot convert, yes, sir.
Between that and soaking sprout-seeds on the kitchen counter, Y. is having a high old time over here this Monday night. Never a dull moment!
Posted by ypsidixit at 25 september 2006 20:17
Comments
I was gonna wait with posting this till tomorrow, so as not to taint the poll findings, but it made too big an impression. I'll have to trust that life will produce another blogworthy event of equal or greater excitement by tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed here.
A lot of heavily Virgo-influenced people, like Y., are weird about health issues. Many are hypochondriacs. Others follow odd health rituals or are strange about consuming certain foods, often quite picky. Many eat vitamins like candy. I wonder if the kind local astrologer Bon Rose Fine would agree with these statements.
Between the nasal pot and the sprout-jar and the astrology, I've got a solid foundation for my next Yahoo Personals ad, yes sirree. Winning combo!
Posted by: Laura at 25 september 2006 20:43
This technique is only the first step of a three-step process of cleaning the sinuses. There's also sutra neti, done with a string or catheter, which Y. has tried in the past and which also works.
What I like about jala neti is that it is so gentle and natural. Instead of taking a decongestant drug, just a bit of warm salt water works wonders.
I also feel great, and relaxed. It's said to reduce stress as well, and that seems to be true. It's also claimed that it reduces snoring, which makes sense; if things are cleaned out in there, seems as though there'd be less of a breathing problem in general.
Posted by: Laura at 25 september 2006 21:41
But don't take my word for it. Here's an official-type medical study on nasal irrigation:
"CONCLUSIONS: Daily hypertonic saline nasal irrigation improves sinus-related quality of life, decreases symptoms, and decreases medication use in patients with frequent sinusitis. Primary care physicians can feel comfortable recommending this therapy."
Posted by: laura at 25 september 2006 22:04
Jala neti update:
The difference, next day, in breathing and sensation and smell is remarkable. My sense of smell is much sharper. There's a fresh smell in my nasal cavity and mouth that smells vaguely of soap or just cleanliness. I also learned that jala neti helps control bad breath by getting rid of neighborhood bacteria, and that it also cleans out the otherwise uncleanable sinuses via the venturi effect:
"Due to gravity and a venturi-effect, the sinus passages are also drained by the vacuum pressure flow of the water. Whereas it would normally be impossible to drain a “dead end” cavity like the sinuses, Jala Neti achieves this ingeniously and simply.
"As the water flows past the nasal passages it “sucks” out the virus-infested mucus from the sinus cavities flushing them clean with the saline water."
At any rate. I'm glad I tried it.
Posted by: Laura at 26 september 2006 10:42
I have never used one of those pots but when I have a cold or when my allergies are acting up, I have been known to mix up a batch of warm salt water and just snort it. I usually do this in the shower though because it is kind of messy.
It works wonders though
Posted by: lynne at 26 september 2006 13:17
Same idea, yep. I have heard that it is a custom in some (Eastern?) European countries to use this snorting or sniffing technique, for the same health reasons.
Posted by: Laura at 26 september 2006 13:29
As I said in your Opinion Poll ... my dogs do a very fine job of keeping my nasal passages clean ... ears, too! Thanks for the suggestion, nonetheless.
Posted by: E. G. Penet at 26 september 2006 17:40