Les Jones

Word of the Day > Word of the Day - Neti Pot

Neti pot - a pot used to irrigate the sinuses. From Wikipedia:

Jala neti is a yoga technique, meaning literally "water cleansing", where the practitioner rinses out the nasal cavity with water (usually salted) using a neti pot. The technique is starting to be recognized by science under the term nasal irrigation.

Jala neti, though relatively unknown to western culture, is a common practice in parts of India and other areas in south east asia, performed as routinely as using a toothbrush. It is performed daily usually the first thing in the morning with other cleansing practices. Sometimes it is done more often such as at the end of the day if you work or live in a dusty or polluted environment. When dealing with problems of congestion it can be performed up to 4 times a day and has been shown to speed up the healing process for common colds.

And from The Chicago Tribune:

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.

Well of course neti pot use is on the rise. Duh! I mean, who could possibly resist this kind of great marketing:

You know, I have sinus problems, so this could actually help me, but if I do try it I promise not to take or post pictures of myself with a neti pot in one nostril and snot streaming out of the other.

A few years ago I saw a doctor being interviewed on television about a similar device she had supposedly developed. (It may have been SinuCleanse.) I didn't realize the underlying idea had been around so long.

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