Allergies, colds, and sinus infections impact millions of us on a daily basis. As someone who suffers from all three, sometimes the average medication just doesn’t cut it for me. After years of taking various over-the-counter decongestants and nasal sprays, I decided to take the nasal irrigation route and try the NeilMed NasaFlo Neti Pot. According to the Federal Drug and Food Administration (FDA), sinus rinsing can help remove debris, break up thick mucus, and alleviate pesky nasal symptoms. A neti pot’s saline solution can gently pass through your nasal membranes and clean them out without causing irritation. The neti pot use has a rich history. Saline nasal irrigation (SNI) therapy has been part of Ayurvedic medicine for many years and it’s commonly used to treat upper respiratory conditions and chronic rhinosinusitis. “The neti pot relies on gravity to deliver saline to the sinus and the nasal cavity. Depending on the patient’s head mobility and freedom of movement, the tilting allows for the irrigant to be directed to the sinuses and through the nasal cavity,” says Anthony Del Signore, MD, director of rhinology and endoscopic skull base surgery at Mount Sinai Union Square in New York City. “[Neti pots] are suitable for patients who cannot tolerate even the smallest amount of pressure in the nasal passages.” It’s also a prime time of year to try sinus rinsing, since the weather is warming up and there is more pollen everywhere. After having a rough week with my chronic allergies, sinus headaches, and never-ending congestion, I was curious to learn more about this little teapot-like device and its potential benefits. (Learn more about the Everyday Health Wellness Code used for all products and services reviews.)
How It Helps Boost Your Wellness
Unlike other health solutions, the NeilMed NasaFlo Neti Pot is not used with medicine. Instead, to prepare the NasaFlo Neti Pot, NeilMed provides you with premixed sinus rinse packets to mix with safely sourced water. (NeilMed says you should use micro-filtered, commercially bottled, or previously boiled and cooled down water at lukewarm temperature for sinus rinsing.) These United States Pharmacopeia (USP) grade sodium chloride & sodium bicarbonate packets are drug-, iodine-, and preservative-free for a safer and painless way to clear your nasal and sinus passages. The shape of the NasaFlo Neti Pot makes a difference too. The spout was easy to place against my nose, even though I have a deviated septum and nasal polyps, which could make nasal irrigation slightly more challenging. Even though it felt a bit uncomfortable at first to tilt my head, the design of the NasaFlo Neti Pot made it easy to drain the saline solution from one side to the other and clean out any nasal and sinus buildup. Plus, I was able to monitor the mixture level at all times due to the pot’s clear design and measurement markings. It felt really good to have clear nasal and sinus passages after I used the NasaFlo Neti Pot, since I had a stuffy head and nose for quite some time.
How It Helps Make Wellness Possible
While over-the-counter decongestants and nasal sprays can help with allergy, sinus, and cold issues, it’s hard to monitor what’s happening inside the nasal and sinus passages. There would be times I didn’t know how congested I was until I visited an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist, where I was told I had rhinitis or a bacterial sinus infection. With NasaFlo Neti Pot, you can see how much mucus is coming out of your nasal and sinus passages. NeilMed says an advantage of the NasaFlo Neti Pot is that the gravity flow helps people, including myself, that don’t work well with positive pressure flow. Within a half hour, I felt like I could breathe easier, despite all the post-nasal drip and mucus coming out of my nose after the rinse. Plus, it gives you a non-medicinal, easy way to alleviate sinus pressure, nasal congestion, and headaches once a day or a few times a week.
How Much Does It Cost?
At only $15.99, the NasaFlo Neti Pot (Clear Plastic Design model) is one of the more affordable nasal irrigation devices on the market. For this price, you get a clear plastic neti pot, 50 premixed packets of USP grade sodium chloride & sodium bicarbonate that’s pH-balanced, and a booklet of easy-to-read instructions on prep, use, and cleanup.
The Bottom Line
The NasaFlo Neti Pot is a potential solution for your allergy, sinus, and cold symptoms. Even though it takes time to get comfortable with the movements and the fact that, yes, you will see all the clear, yellow, and green mucus slowly stream out of your nose, it does help clogged nasal and sinus passages. Within a half hour, I felt like the pain and pressure that I still had with over-the-counter decongestants and nasal sprays was minimized. While my allergy and sinus issues didn’t go away completely, it felt good to be able to breathe easily again. I will definitely be using this nasal irrigation device again, in combination with my regular immunology shots a few times a month.
The Competition
SinuCleanse Soft Tip Neti Pot is a top pick for comfortable nasal irrigation. This genie-style pot helps gently flush out your nasal and sinus passages. Plus, the pot has a clear design, making it easy to check the saline solution and water level. The Himalayan Chandra Porcelain Neti Pot offers you a more sustainable method of nasal irrigation. The porcelain and lead-free pot can be used for multiple nasal and sinus rinses. Himalayan Chandra also offers 99.99 percent pure non-iodized salt for your solution, which makes it a safer option if you need to clear out extra liquid and mucus from your nasal and sinus passages.
