(off topic) yoga allergy/cold cure

[Guest guest]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50269-2003Apr28.html

Tuesday, April 29, 2003; Page HE03

I rinse my nostrils with salt water

every morning. Sounds weird, but " nasal

irrigation " has been used for centuries to

gently cleanse the nose of dust, pollen and

other irritants, removing bacteria and excess

mucus in the process. It's called " neti " in

India, where it originated, and a neti pot makes

this surprisingly soothing wash easier than

flossing my teeth.

Why I Tried It Hounded by allergies and

chronic sinus infections for nearly a decade, I

decided to invest $16 in a neti pot after a

yoga-teaching friend mentioned the self-help

technique and my allergist deemed it safe.

(Health food stores carry a couple of styles,

including one that looks like a small genie

lamp and another like a small, spouted coffee mug --

which I prefer.)

What's Involved Mix a half-teaspoon of uniodized salt

with eight ounces of lukewarm water in the

neti pot. Bend at the waist over the bathroom sink.

Turn your head so that your left ear is facing the

basin. Put the spout just inside the right nostril and

tilt the pot to start the liquid flowing. Breathe

through your mouth as the water drains out your left

nostril.

Once the pot is empty, blow your nose into a tissue

without pinching your nostrils. When the nose

is clear, repeat the process with your head turned the

other direction. The entire routine takes about

three minutes.

Why I Keep Doing It Since I started using a neti pot,

my daily doses of Claritin have dropped to

less than a handful a year, while my semiannual need

for antibiotics has disappeared. For 27

months (and counting!) I have been free of sinus

infections and virtually all allergy symptoms (I

occasionally have runny eyes, but no congestion). I

had one 36-hour cold last winter. Several recent

studies show that regular nasal irrigation reduces the

frequency of sinusitis and the common cold --

but I didn't need a study to tell me that.

-- -Lee

© 2003 The Washington Post Company