Sinus Infections

Neti Pot for Sinus Infections

5 star (17)		89%
4 star (1)		5%
(1)		5%

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.

Tiffany (TexS) on 05/29/2021:
5 out of 5 stars

When using a neti pot for sinus infections, please use only DISTILLED water. NEVER use tap water for a nasal rinse.

Nancy B. (Michigan) on 06/29/2018:
0 out of 5 stars

Neti pot usage for sinus infections: I find when I use the neti pot with Himalayan salt it really burns. Even without the salt it still stings. Is this normal?

Kimber (North Illinois) on 05/17/2013:
5 out of 5 stars

After 2 week of dealing with severe spring allergies which consisted of major head/ sinus congestion, watery eyes, and coughing from post nasal drip I felt maybe maybe a trip to the doctor might be a next step. I was taking a decongestant, a antihistamine , netti pot, and Apple Cider Vinegar 2x's per day, with all this I was feeling like a sinus infection was brewing- adding pressure and headache. So to get to the point- I hate going to the doctor and trying to handle this the best way I knew how. Desperate to get rid of this brewing sinus infection I took 1 tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar and added to the netti pot with warm water. After completing only 1/2 the treatment because it was very uncomfortable burning through my sinus cavity I had to stop. Well be prepared- w/ a box of Kleenex because war had been declared!!! With in minutes stuff/ infection was on its way out. Within an hour relief was being felt. As uncomfortable as the neti pot was with Apple Cider Vinegar the result were quick and immediate. Bye bye infection!

Kimberly From Wv (Fairmont, West Virginia) on 09/08/2012:
5 out of 5 stars

Ok for some background. 3 days ago I felt a sinus infection/ head cold coming on. I was VERY congested and had such pressure my eye balls, upper cheek bones and temple area as well as my ears felt like they were going to pop out.

I then had a sore throat that was right at the back of the top of my throat where the air comes in from the nose. It hurt to talk, swallow very severe pain. I came to earth clinic in desperation to find an instant fix.

I read teds personal remedy which included a pinch of borax and 1 tsp of hydrogen peroxide in a half glass of water. I used only tap water as I had no bottle water and I used 3% hydrogen peroxide from walmart as I had no food grade. I drank it last night before bed.

At about 530 am I awoke in such pain in my head and nose was so closed up and felt dry almost like I could feel my sinuses moving it was really painful. My throat killed me. So I remembered I had a neti pot. I again did not have what I should have but I was soooo desparate that I used above luke warm tap water.

1/2 tsp of iodized table salt and 1 tsp of hydrogen peroxide again from walmart 3$.

I began to pour it up my right nose hole and began the panting that is needed to get the water to come out the other hole. But nothing came out. My sinuses were completely swollen closed. I kept at it and ended up with some going down my throat.

I turned my head to the other side and poured the rest up my blocked side and finally I began to have drainage out the other side. I filled the neti pot up and did this 3 more times alternating sides.

I took a 600 mg ibuprofen and went to bed able to breathe but still in pain. I awoke this morning with both noses open and all pain and pressure is gone. My throat is NO longer sore. Praise God. I again took the pinch of borax and 1 tsp of hydrogen peroxide in a half glass of water and used the netti pot and I can say that as of right now I feel great.

I still have a little sniffle but no pain and no sore throat. This stuff works. Yay...

Toni (Sanford, Florida) on 03/04/2012:
5 out of 5 stars

I tried the Neti Pot rinse with crushed garlic and seven days later my sinus infection is gone!!! No mucus, no sore throat and earache gone. From the day I started this regiment my symptoms did not worsen but it did take a week for all symptoms to be gone. This is so much better than ten days of antibiotics (sometimes two rounds of ten days) and two hundred dollars to a doctor!

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Jaxine (Nowhere, Fl) on 01/21/2012:
5 out of 5 stars

I have been suffering from recurrent sinusitus for years now. I think it has been 5. I have about 5-6 infections a year, usually accompanied by a cold. I am in the middle of my first infection of the year, most likely caused by stress. I have been on a longer work schedule and doing quadruple the work. But this infection wasn't accompanied by a cold. It just came last night. I do the Neti Pot 2x a day everyday so I can prevent infection.

I also take a multi vitamin with extra C 2x a day and a 5000 mg Vitamin C 1x a day. This only clears out my mucus and let's me breathe easier for a little bit.

This morning I mixed ACV into my normal sinus rinse. I instantly felt some relief even though it stung. I also did some oil pulling for about a minute and it showed no results.

Lindsay (Chicago, Il, Usa) on 07/29/2010:
4 out of 5 stars

I have had severe nasal congestion due to allergies and repeated sinus infections since the age of 4. I spent years on allergy pills, medicated nasal sprays with HCl (the rebounding is terrible), and later saline sprays, which were far better than nothing but not that great. I started rinsing with a neti pot (1 cup of warm filtered water; 1/2 tsp of un-iodized salt; 1/4 tsp baking soda; and a few drops of castor oil for each nostril) about 3 years ago. It took a couple of weeks of using it daily or every other day before I noticed anything profound, but now I can breathe better -- particularly when I'm laying down for sleep -- than ever before in my life. If I'm sick I'll rinse 1-2 times per day; otherwise I only do it every other day. My nasal passages tend to keep draining little amounts for about half an hour after I rinse, so allow some time to sit upright with tissues on hand before going to bed. Important: When I only rinsed sporadically, it was not half as effective. If I do it less frequently than every other day, "stuff" has a chance to build up in my sinuses I have a noticeably harder time breathing.

Ellen (Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada) on 11/26/2009:
5 out of 5 stars

Try using a neti pot with celtic sea salt dissolved in a luke warm mixture. Use 1 tsp salt per cup of water. The salt is very alkalizing and will remove the acids from the sinus area. The salt will also reduce the bacterial infection greatly and you should find relief if you do this 5-6 times a day.

Zuuch (London, United Kingdom) on 06/02/2008:
5 out of 5 stars

I have used this technique to cure a really bad sinus infection. I just wanted to add that if you use green tea instead of just water its more effective. I also added a small amount of garlic juice and ginger juice to the tea. I made a half gallon of this solution and poured it all through. ( I just used a regular teapot because the neti pots are a bit small ) It took about half an hour. There was instant relief from pain and by the next day the sinus infection was cured just by this one treatment alone. I think the important thing is to get that garlic juice right up inside your sinuses onto the surface of the infected area. It stings a little, but not even as bad as chlorinated water.

Linda (Studio City, CA) on 03/25/2008:
5 out of 5 stars

Try using the Neti pot with warm salt water. It flushes out your sinuses like nobodies business and it's safe and effective. You can use it everyday. Whole Foods sells them or you can get them off the internet. This and the Cayanne pepper drink saved me last night. My sore throat went away and now my PND is getting better. You guys are great.

Lad (Bel Air, MD) on 03/20/2008:
5 out of 5 stars

I had aggressive sinusitius for four years which would grace me with unusually acute fatigue and depression - it's REALLY miserable. I constantly took nasty Leviquin antibiotics and had sinoplasty over 2 years ago to open my breathing passages.

It is a very elusive infection (sinuses probably offer germs a lot of hiding places) though I think household and seasonal allergy congestion is my big trigger to proliferate it.

Earlier this year, I had a re-infection that closed off my breathing for the first time since the surgery. This time, the Leviquin didn't seem to get it all.

But, I FINALLY whipped it this time around, and breathe better than ever, with:

- Olive Leaf Extract Aggressive use (150mg 4-6x/day or more) w/ 15%-20% oleuropein (seems to route out the germs IF used long enough in quantity) DON'T use w/ antibiotics, N-Acetyl-Cysteine or Soil-Based probiotics. A co-worker, mentioned below, also swears by OLE alone for her chronic sinusitis.

- Neti pot rinse 2x/day (using dash of Himalayian Crystal Salt w/ low sodium, so it doesn't need baking soda buffering like table salt). Sinus irrigation is very proven and is not nearly as hard or gross as it may look to some. It works much better than the sinus/face "baths" & "dips" I tried and has more flow and volume than the squeeze bulbs I used. A special, BIG nasal syringe I bought blasted WAY too much pressure and drove the congestion/infestion further up my sinus/ear canals making it worse. (Which a co-worker swore her Neti pot use also did to her- something said to sometimes happen in people with larger ear canal openings). To prevent this, you may need to wait until you sinus passages open up enough for the water to gently flow through them. Maybe a one-time use of Afrin-type sprays will accomplish this. Just take it slow and steady.

- Nasalcrom spray afterwards 2-4/xday to turn off the Mast Cell / histamine triggers. It's neither an antihistamine, nor a steroid, and is a decent, localized, solution with a very good safety profile - (for a pharmaceutical ;-)). You just got to get started early with it and be patient. The coming Spring & Fall Allergy Seasons will put this stuff to the real test. I may have to use Nettles, Claritin, etc. to pick up the loose ends. (I had success with Zicam Allergy too, but I wondered if the gel ultimately worsened congestion).

------------------------------------- Also used (and probably helpful):

- Lactoferrin w/ colostrum 1-2 grams/day (infected sinuses naturally try to secrete more ferrins to rob germs of the blood iron they feed from). That, and Germanium, also seem to consistantly help my general respiration.

- Apple Cider Vinegar, (1 tsp) or Potassium supplements (150mg) whenever I felt stuffiness coming on (seems to help dry out the sinuses rapidly). Cheap and worth a try. Sinus Buster pepper-based nasal spray may also help open passages up - if you don't mind the sting.

- Seagate Olive Leaf Nasal Spray (w/ GSE & Wild Indigo) (used during the day, esp. in dry air - doubtful it is very effective alone without all the above).

---------------------------- Environmental trigger elimination I probably should try (if I wasn't so lazy)

- total house / air vent cleaning and mold detection (or just move!)

- eliminating ALL wheat/flour and dairy in my diet (major ER4YT "Blood Type O" immune triggers). Both seem to automatically make the sinuses a little stuffier, hence, I keep the ACV / Potassium above handy.

Good Luck!

Rita (Pierson, FL) on 11/29/2007:
5 out of 5 stars

NETI POT: Saw this remedy on Oprah and I tried it and no more antibiotics for me. This is an inexpensive ceramic pot (available in Health food stores)in which warm water and sea salt are mixed; you bend over sink and turn your head to once side. Keeping the pot level, place the small spout into the top nostril until it has a snug fit. breathe through your mouth and slowly tip you head downward allowing the warm water solution to travel through your sinuses and out the other nostril. You would not believe what will come out of there. This works for sinus infections, nasal congestion, post nasal drip and headaches. No more drugs or drops necessary. Can be used daily without any side effect.

Katia (Jacksonville, United States) on 09/13/2007:
5 out of 5 stars

I get a miserable sinus infection every year, usually it begins in August. A couple of years ago it started, after about three weeks, I went to the doctor and he gave me antibiotics and nasal spray. Ten days later I was no0 better off than when I started. Another, stronger antibiotic, another two weeks, same infection. Eight weeks and three drugs later I decided I was just going to have live this way forever. Then our accupuncturist neighbor came over one day and explained the neti pot process to me. A mild sea salt and warm water solution into the neti pot, tip your head back and slowly pour the salt solution into one nostril. This is where it gets tricky, because nature sends the salt water straight to your throat which will generally make you choke or cough in that position. You have to teach yourself to close off your throat (not breathe). Once you get a good bit of water in your nose, you roll your head backwards slowly and in the opposite direction. If the water is in the right nostril, roll left. You should be able to feel the solution running through your sinuses. Make sure you do this over a sink, or with a towel handy, because once the water makes it through, it will come out the opposite nostril, at which point you will likely sneeze or cough. I would repeat this step 4-5 times twice a day, ending with a good nose blowing. Salt dries things, even gooey sinuses. I never buy allergy meds any more, and before I could find a real neti pot, I mixed the salt and water in a glass and filled a straw with the solution. My kids find this process very entertaining as well, I usually have an audience when I treat my sinus infections.

MAHINDRA (DUBAI, UAE) on 03/20/2007:
5 out of 5 stars

Hi all. It may not be easy for everyone to buy a jalneti pot, coz it is not very easily available. A yoga institute in India taught me a better method, without using any pots. Take a cup (coffee mug size) of warm water (should not be too warm), add a pinch of salt and stir it. Now, try to hold some of this water in your palm (sufficient quantity) and quickly bring your left nostril close to it and try to suck that water with your left nostril, closing the right one with the right hand. As soon as you suck it take the right hand of your right nostril. All the water sucked in will come out either from your nostril or your mouth. Wait a bit, try it on the right side using the same technique and once done blow your nose gently from each side. Do it daily and say a big Good bye to your sinus issues.

Madeira (Alexandria, VA) on 03/07/2007:
5 out of 5 stars

I was suffering from a sinus infection and did not want to take antibiotics so after reading the H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) remedies and the feedback, I decided to add about 7-8 drops of 3% H2O2 to my Neti-pot and rinse my sinuses out. I did this twice and also applied H2O2 to my cheek where my sinus was killing me. I then slept with a heating pad on my face and WA-LA -- no sinus infection -no pain the next morning! I could chew again!! Lots of disgusting stuff still coming out 2 days later but no antibiotics and no pain and in less than 24 hours -AMA-ZA-ZING!! This remedy is a keeper! Thanks for all who shared -- you gave me the courage to try it!!

Karena And Baird (Gainesville, FL) on 03/04/2007:
5 out of 5 stars

I have cured my sinus infections by using a Netipot, which is a lavage treatment for your sinuses. But instead of just adding salt to the warm water, I also added 1/8 tsp. of a crushed clove of garlic. The garlic burns, but only for an instant. The garlic will zap the bacteria! I poured one pot of this into each nostril 2 times a day. My sinus infection was cured in 4 to 5 days. No, it is not a quick fix, but it does work!!

Penny (Glasgow, Scotland) on 01/31/2007:
5 out of 5 stars

I suffered with low grade sinus problems for years until I tried an ancient Indian yogic practice called Jala Neti, which involves using warm salt water to clear out the nasal sinuses. Yoga websites contain information on this procedure and links to suppliers of neti pots (little jugs specially designed for pouring the salt water through your nostrils). This is very different from spraying stuff up your nose, but is quickly learned and extremely simple, as long as you don't have a deviated septum or similar. Once you're in the habit, it takes about as long as cleaning your teeth. I now do this every day, more often if I can feel a problem developing with my sinuses, and for the first time in years have been able to breathe properly. I also haven't had a cold since I started jala neti about two years ago. The salt water clears bacteria, viruses, dust and assorted allergens out of your sinuses and nasal passages, and allows your nose to do its job properly. I would recommend this most highly, but would stress that you need a reputable source of information and products, and should never put anything except pure salt and warm water in the neti pot.

Jem (NYC, USA) on 01/30/2007:
5 out of 5 stars

I was desperate for a cure to my clogged sinuses and post nasal drip. Unable to take over the counter decongestants I searched high and low for a natural cure. I came across what is known as a neti pot which has been used by the yogis of India for centuries. It looks like a genie pot and you can buy it in any major pharmacy. There is one company who sells it along with little packets of solution which is more convenient but you can make your own solution using equal parts of salt and baking soda. You put the solution into the neti pot and fill it with warm *NOT HOT* water. The spout of the neti pot goes up one nostril, you tilt your head and the stream of warm water and solution comes out the other nostril. You then repeat the process on the other side, gently blowing your nose in between. The results for me were immediate but it can take a few days to get the mucous out. It really works, I have unclogged my sinuses and my post nasal drip is almost gone. You can use it every two hours but I suggest every other day. It can feel weird at first but it doesn't hurt and if you hold your head to the side properly, it will not go down your throat. If it burns a little it can mean that you either put too much salt or not enough in the water, you will have to play with the amount or buy the pre-made packets in the store. I just bought a refill of 40 packets for around ten bucks. This will draw all of the mucous out. I did not believe it but I was so desperate that I gave it a try. The nose is the number one source of viruses and bacteria because it is a filter. All colds and flu invade your body through your nose. By cleansing your sinuses every other day with a neti pot, you are removing viruses, bacteria, pollen and debris that can make you sick. It can be used to prevent getting sick as well as relieving the symptoms. I clean my sinuses with a neti pot before I brush my teeth and I do it every other day.

Gayle (Winter Park) on 03/01/2004:
5 out of 5 stars

I've had sinus infections off and on for years. I heard about a device called a neti pot while studying yoga. At the first sign of a sinus problem coming on (usually early spring), I bring out my pot and flush my sinuses with 1 cup of warm water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt (non-iodized) once or twice a day. It's been remarkable in helping me to avoid trips to the doctor for antibiotics.

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Neti Pot for Sinus Infections