am I doing this wrong?

[juanbenae]

Nasal irrigation.

Bought a knock, copy of the Navage unit a few months back and wonder what the hooplah is all about now. It does actually kinda make my sinuses feel better, but not what I'd expected, maybe should say hoped for. The set up, clean up post usage is a royal pain in the a$$, it makes me feel like my eardrums are going to burst when using, and the recovery of the water/saline solution is ineffective to say the least. The other thing I learned is you need to flush it after use to get the remaining water in the pump evacuated. I do use the recommended distilled water but wondering if the thing will get polluted over time like those coffee makers do.

I do it over the sink so the recovery issue I can tolerate, but the pressure it puts on my ears does not seem like a good thing.

Do any of you folks use one of these things? Are my experience standard procedure?

[wildthing]

I only used Nailmed a couple of times. I just followed the instructions in the box. Seems to have worked.

These days I just use Simply Saline and pretty much do the same thing: tilt my head one side and spray on the top nostril until it flows out the other nostril. Have to press it in to make a good seal.

[Bill Douglas]

So it's sort of an enema for the nose and sinuses?

[recycled sixtie]

Fortunately my sinuses have been good lately but a year ago I got a kit from my drug store which contained a plastic bottle rather than a motorized pump. It said boil the water, let the water cool down and add a packet of something that I cannot remember what it contained. Probably salt. By squirting the plastic bottle in one nostril the water exits the other nostril. I used boiled tap water but would understand that distilled water could be used. I use distilled water in my CPAP machine though.

Anyway the effect of water sluicing through the nostrils feels weird. I felt that it gave some relief from sinus problems though. I followed the instructions closely.

Cheers, Guy.

[cabmandone]

If you're feeling ear pressure, you're definitely not using it correctly in my opinion. I've used a Navage for several years now and never experienced ear pressure. Thinking about this a bit more, it would seem your suction side isn't sealing while the pressure side is. If everything is working like it should, you shouldn't have any real pressurization.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by cabmandone

If you're feeling ear pressure, you're definitely not using it correctly in my opinion. I've used a Navage for several years now and never experienced ear pressure. Thinking about this a bit more, it would seem your suction side isn't sealing while the pressure side is. If everything is working like it should, you shouldn't have any real pressurization.

Same here. I bought a NAVAGE four or five years ago when I started reacting more to pollen, etc. than ever before. The system really helps me.

No pressure issues at all and the clean up is easy.

[sc_rufctr]

Good Lordy... I had absolutely no idea a thing like this existed!

[vash]

no thanks. I rely on gravity and head pressure with the plain Jane little teapot thing.

[Skip Newsom]

I've used an Ayr plastic bottle with snozz hosing nozzle for a few years now, mostly in spring to combat/flush out pollen and such.

When I was in my 40's I had a sinus infection at least once a year, my left side passageways were small, so I had it roto-rootered and have not had a sinus infection since.

When I'm feeling congested, I'll use it, only 3-4 times a year.
You control the saline flow by how hard you squeeze, and yes you can get your ears to pressurize.
I have a process that works well for me, part of it is blocking off one nasal passage and filling the other side, block both by squeezing and holding your nose, bend over to rinse out the upper sinus's and then release over the sink until I've run about a cup of warm saline through.
Messy?
Oh yes, effective, yes again.

[E Sully]

I can see doing this on occasion, but I would be cautious as I don't see it being healthy to remove the good mucous the body produces to protect the sinuses.
I would consult with an ENT doctor first, but here is a snippet from an internet search I just did.
"Start by performing just one irrigation a day. If the rinse is helping, you can irrigate your nose up to three times a day. But nasal rinses should not be used as a preventive measure when you don’t have symptoms. It won’t prevent sinus issues and can cause infections to develop.

Your sinuses and nasal passages are lined with good mucus — it traps the irritants and germs that enter your nostrils and can kill some bacteria. Regular flushing can hinder those protective features and increase the risk of infection."

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by vash

no thanks. I rely on gravity and head pressure with the plain Jane little teapot thing.

I used to do that. Just fill under the shower head, insert and tilt.

But people were saying tap water is no bueno. I got the Navage and distilled water. Nuke water for 1 minute, pour into unit and go to town. It works but a bit of a PITA, I like the neti pot in the shower better.

[Starless]

Originally Posted by vash

no thanks. I rely on gravity and head pressure with the plain Jane little teapot thing.

Same here. Just went through 2 weeks of antagonizing sinus. I use a cheap Neti pot with warm distilled water and packet of some sort of saline solution. Works great!

[juanbenae]

My experience is much like the YT vid posted above, minus the cackling hen, and the attempt of him trying to be funny. One thing I did notice about his effort was mine instructed to plant your tongue to the top of your palette to prevent the solution from draining into your throat.

I thought I'd use it more, but my grievances with it has me doing it only a few times a month.

[creaturecat]

neti pot here.
simple and effective. some ENT folks recommend tilting head (considerably) - to better access the upper sinuses

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by juanbenae

My experience is much like the YT vid posted above, minus the cackling hen, and the attempt of him trying to be funny. One thing I did notice about his effort was mine instructed to plant your tongue to the top of your palette to prevent the solution from draining into your throat.

I thought I'd use it more, but my grievances with it has me doing it only a few times a month.

I think the Navage suggests doing the same. For you guys talking about neti pots, I used to just fill a coffee cup with water, add a pinch of salt, boil, let cool then stick my nose in the cup and inhale. The Navage is a bit easier than that.

[Icemaster]

Used both, I prefer the Navage, cleanup and prep is actually pretty smooth and gets better results if I'm in the middle of a sinus attack which is when I primarily use it. If I'm doing a lot of dusty work I'll run a rinse and clean stuff out, amazing how effective your sinuses are at trapping stuff.

I've had the same experience as Nick and Seahawk, there's a trick to it - try adjusting the angle of your head up down and adjust the seating of the ports in your nostrils. It'll take me a couple secs to get the position right where it flushes smoothly, Navage won't really flow if you don't have a good seal.