When I started doing nasal irrigations I did some research and settled on the NeilMed squeeze bottle, which I am still using. This lets me flush a
large volume of water through, especially since I switched from their standard 8 oz. bottle to their larger 16 oz one (see Note below). The neti pot may have been breakthrough technology a few millennia ago, but I don't think it's suited for high-volume irrigation. And a squeeze bottle lets you vary the pressure. I realized, however, that the
cost of the premixed salt packages would mount up. In addition, I was interested in the
potential benefits of other ingredients, so I looked at commercial nasal-rinse products, and came up with my own formula.
From what I found, most commercial and DIY mixes vary in the ratio of salt
: bicarbonate from about
1:1 to 3:1. I settled on 2:1. I believe the NeilMed packets are 1:1, so this makes my solution slightly hypertonic if you use a teaspoon per 8 oz water. In addition, I use a slightly rounded teaspoon.
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5-Ingredient Nasal Irrigation Solution
For each 8 oz. (approx. 240 mL) of distilled or boiled water:
1 Level or slightly rounded teaspoon of my Dry Mix
1-3 Teaspoons of Alkalol (a commercial liquid nasal wash that has essential oils and a very small amount of alcohol)
3-5 Drops of grapefruit seed oil (GSE)
I keep my Dry Mix in a tightly closed, wide-mouth 16 oz. container. It consists of: 2 Parts canning/pickling or kosher salt : 1 Part food grade sodium bicarbonate : 3 Parts xylitol. I mix the dry ingredients thoroughly by filling the container just 3/4 full, tightening the lid, and tumbling in different directions while shaking. As a reminder, I labeled my container with the formula: 2 Salt : 1 Bicarbonate : 3 Xylitol _____________________________________
WaterI use fridge-filtered water that I boil for at least 5 min. and then let cool. I like to warm it back up to 85-90 °F (30-32 °C) before use because room-temperature water feels cold to my nose. Shake your final solution well to dissolve the dry ingredients.
SaltThe most recommended types, which are definitely safe for use, are canning/pickling salt and kosher salt.
Do not use iodized salt, and I personally would avoid sea salt as well. The smaller the salt crystals, the less shaking you'll need to dissolve them. Use a little more Dry Mix if you want a more hypertonic solution. Note that, just like in cooking, when you measure salt by volume (e.g. spoon, measuring cups, etc.), the larger the crystals, the less salt you are measuring (the smaller the grains, the more salt that packs into a given volume).
Sodium BicarbonateYou must use some sodium bicarbonate -- unbuffered water is not physiological and will feel like it's burning your nose.
XylitolXylitol is a natural sugar substitute. It is used in some DIY nasal rinse formulas as well as some commercial sprays. It's supposed to make your mucous less sticky, the aim being to prevent contaminate and allergen buildup. My Dry Mix is about
50% xylitol.
AlkalolI like adding Alkalol for the fragrance/feeling from its essential oils and tiny amount of alcohol. You can try the Alkalol and adjust the amount you add to your liking. The small amount I use doesn't increase the cost per irrigation that much. Look around on the internet -- prices for a 16 oz. bottle vary quite a bit, and you save more if you buy a few bottles.
Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE)GSE has anti-mold/anti-fungus and antibacterial properties. A small bottle will last a long time.
Optional vs Essential IngredientsYou can, of course, pare down this recipe from 5 ingredients any or all of the way to a basic
2-ingredient formula (salt + sodium bicarbonate). If you omit the xylitol from the Dry Mix, use 2 parts salt to 1 part bicarbonate and use just 1/2 teaspoon per 8 oz. water for an isotonic solution (about
equivalent to 1 regular NeilMed packet) up to 1 teaspoon (about
equivalent to 1 hypertonic NeilMed Extra Strength packet)
Obviously the larger the quantities of the ingredients you buy, the lower your cost per rinse. However, I suggest buying small quantities until you decide which optional ingredients (xylitol, GSE, Alkalol) you like and want to keep using.
I think most ENT specialists will tell you that, as long as you use boiled, distilled, or deionized water, nasal irrigations are safe to do as often as you like.
What do you use to make up your rinse -- a commercial product or your own mix? _________________________
Note: Support for irrigating with a large volume of solution to reach the sinuses better:
Characterization of nasal irrigation flow from a squeeze bottle using computational fluid dynamics (2019)
"Conclusion
Detailed physical mechanisms of liquid irrigation injected from a commonly used squeeze bottle were shown. Ipsilateral maxillary and ethmoid sinus penetration are primarily due to overflow rather than direct jet entry, confirming the recommendation of larger volumes of irrigation to “flood” the sinus ostia."
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Perhaps also of interest:
Efficacy of Buffered Hypertonic Saline Nasal Irrigation for Nasal Symptoms in Children with Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial (2017)
"Conclusions: In children with SAR, BHS is effective in improving nasal symptoms and NCC, with an associated beneficial effect on quality of life."
Djin
Post Edited (DjinTonic) : 5/8/2021 8:36:11 AM (GMT-6)