# Does nasal rinse work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 4, 2009, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-nasal-rinse-work/519971 "2009-12-04T09:01:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-nasal-rinse-work/519971/21 "2009-12-05T18:22:30Z")
Nobdy mentioned a _nose, or nasal syringe_ ? It’s much easier. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-nasal-rinse-work/519971/22 "2009-12-05T22:08:01Z")
My [ENT specialist](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otolaryngology) strongly recommended this practice to alleviate congestion/sinus issues. Anecdotally: I’ve tried this for a couple of years using the NealMed kit. Once I used up the sachets of solution, I kept the squeezy bottle but made up my own using a recipe an MD posted on the net. It definitely feels good for a few minutes to an hour after I’ve done it, but I don’t see any definite long-term improvement. I haven’t particularly done a scientific study though. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-nasal-rinse-work/519971/23 "2009-12-05T23:12:07Z")
Yep, so far so good. I haven’t had my yearly December cold/flu yet. ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-nasal-rinse-work/519971/24 "2009-12-07T05:03:05Z")
Wasn’t asking Reddit good enough for you? Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![LizzieB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@LizzieB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LizzieB)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-nasal-rinse-work/519971/25 "2009-12-09T00:28:34Z")
I love my neti pot and recommend nasal irrigation all the time! No, it’s not exactly killer party conversation but good habits w/ the sinuses can go a long way toward good health. I am a huge believer in natural cures, and in not jumping to meds or surgery too quickly. However I must say that if things get to the “chronic” stage don’t mess around. See your doctor and then if you get a ct scan make sure you know all your options (it used to be that sinus surgery was the only option. but now there are less invasive choices like balloon sinuplasty). That’s my two cents. Best of luck. ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-nasal-rinse-work/519971/26 "2009-12-10T22:56:42Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Another really helpful thing I learned from the surgeon is the value of apple cider vinegar. It seems there is something in apple skins that helps thin mucus. It’s concentrated in the vinegar. One half ounce, a couple of times a day, thins the mucus and your sinus drains and your body gets the upper hand and you get over your cold really fast. Bonus it will clear your clogged sinus’s within minutes of ingesting! I know you said, “Ingesting”, but I really, really want to make sure. You are talking about drinking the vinegar and not snorting it up your nose, right? ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-nasal-rinse-work/519971/27 "2009-12-11T00:40:08Z")
Absolutely, sorry for the confusion. Inhale saline mist, ingest 1/2 ounce apple cider vinegar twice a day. You can mix it with maple syrup or grenadine or anything you like to cover the taste. Or you could realize it’s certainly no worse tasting than a shot of tequila and shoot it back. (Caveat, you should always brush your teeth afterward, vinegar is very bad for tooth enamel!) ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-nasal-rinse-work/519971/28 "2009-12-11T17:08:31Z")
In today’s Washington Post: [http://voices.washingtonpost.com/checkup/?hpid=sec-health](http://voices.washingtonpost.com/checkup/?hpid=sec-health) Some regular users found a decrease in sinus infections once they stopped using the neti pots. Hmmmm. From the article’s link: > [@](#): > > Nov. 9, 2009 – Long-term use of a neti pot to clear stuffy noses and blocked nasal passages may actually encourage more sinus problems rather than keep them away. > > A new study shows people who used nasal saline irrigation for a year and then discontinued use the following year had 62% fewer cases of sinusitis in the year that they didn’t use the device. What this does NOT explain is how the year of use compared with the year before use… could there have been a net long-term improvement as a result of the neti compared with prior to its use, that carried over to afterward? Paging Doctor Qadgop!! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-nasal-rinse-work/519971/29 "2009-12-11T17:36:15Z")
As noted in the article, it’s a small study of only 68 users. So I’m not changing my recommendations yet, as the overwhelming preponderance of evidence still supports its use. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-nasal-rinse-work/519971.md?page=1)