Neti Pot – The Modern Hippy’s First Experience

Neti Pot

     Yesterday, a few hours before I tried to die from a horrible cold/sinus infection, I went to our co-op to get food and a neti pot. Yup, I could feel it, with each nose blow, each sneeze or almost-sneeze that caused my left eye to tear up(not my right eye – it was fine and well behaved), the pressure building that would cause my head to explode later that day.

     I brought the little green box home and looked very suspiciously at it. Several people I know have used neti pots and recommended them to me. “They make you feel so fresh and clean.” “Use only sea salt or it will hurt.”
     What?!? It’s going to HURT? “No, it will feel strange, but then you’ll get used to it.” What they didn’t know is every time I got lake water or pool water in my nose I dealt with horrible burning sensations and a terrible cough/gag reflex. Wonderful.

     Despite being very nervous about it, I gave it a try in the early evening as I started to die. Might as well do something to help myself die a little more slowly and perhaps less violently. I followed the directions which called for 1/4 teaspoon of salt to a warm cup of water. (They recommended table salt, I thought they were crazy because it has other crap in it sometimes. Like dextrose. Yup, Morton’s iodized salt has dextrose! That’s for another post though.) I used unrefined sea salt because I don’t have regular table salt. The directions said to stir until the salt had fully dissolved. Pour into the pot. Then they mentioned some people just mix it in the pot. Right, didn’t read that far. I could have cut out a step. Then I was supposed to stick the spout of the pot in my nose and lean over a sink. I was doing it in the shower. Might as well not risk sputtering salt water and snot all over my clothes. Plus I was dying, er miserable, and the shower would make me feel better.

     Well, it did feel weird. Once or twice it burned a little. Once or twice it threatened to go down the back of my throat. Gag. Bleh. Cough.
I used the hole pot, so about a cup of water. The funny thing was, I didn’t feel it come out of the other nostril. I’m pretty sure there was too much snot in my sinuses to let anything through. Let me tell you, even if it didn’t get fully clear, it did rinse out a lot of nasty snot. More than I thought possible. It did make my nose feel a little better. I didn’t get sick. Nor did I drown. But no satisfying spout of water out the opposing nostril. Oh well, it was my first try.

Today will be the second. Update impending.