★★★★★
I've been taking prescription allergy medicine for nearly 9 years. Even with two doses per day, year round, I suffer from terrible hayfever each spring and all through the harvest in the fall. They spike when air pollution gets bad in the summer time. Also, it turned out that I was allergic to my two cats. Unable to give them up, I've been suffering bravely with runny nose, itchy sinus, plugged nostrils, lots of mucus and nose blowing for 3 years by being careful to keep them off my bed and washing my hands after petting them.
I read about neti online and picked up a neti pot and a box of non-iodized table salt at my health food store. The first few times it was a bit awkward and once or twice one of my sinus was so plugged the water could not pass through. But I kept at it because I noticed I could breath better through my nose about 10-15 minutes after the rinse. I could actually breath in through my nose and feel the air at the back of my throat as it passed into my lungs! I didn't even know you could feel that!
Since then I have been using 1/4 tsp. salt in one full neti pot of luke warm water for each nostril (so two full pots in all) twice per day. The results have astonized me! I started out doing it once per day after brushing my teeth in the morning, but found myself WANTING to do it before bed so I could breath better during the night. Some of the results I've noticed: quieter breathing (no wheezing), almost NO need to blow my nose during the day (from the girl who used to go through a box of tissues every three days!), breathing through my nose while sleeping (NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE!), husband says less snoring, better breath and focus during yoga practice, and (the best of all) I am taking a half dose of my regular allergy medicine with the BEST RESULTS of my life! Halving my medication saves me about $700 per year!
I knew this neti thing really worked when: - I had a terrible headache for about 4 hours. As soon as I got home I washed my face and used the neti before laying down for a nap. INSTANTLY my headache was gone. I didn't even take the nap I was so amazed! - Woke up one morning with runny eyes, completely stuffed nose, and phlem in my throat. I actually choked as I brushed my teeth because there was so much mucus in the back of my throat. I then used the neti as part of my usual routine. The water would barely pass through my left nostril and kept going down my throat even though the tilt was right so I just kept spitting out the water as I rinsed. HUGE chunks of phlem came out of my mouth. Then the water finally started to run out my nostil and more phlem. About 10 minutes later I could breath totally normally through my nose. My eyes even seemed to feel better. - There are wildfires burning in Oregon right now, which would normally make me MISERABLE with allergies. In the past, I've taken my double allergy dose along with OTC medicines just to make it through the day when forest fires get bad. Despite the fact that I can SEE smoke smog in the air above Portland, I haven't had any other allergy symptoms. AMAZING!
I love my neti so much, I feel dirty if I don't use it after brushing my teeth! I takes less than 3 minutes each day now that I'm good at it and I see less and less mucus as time goes on. It might seem odd at first but TRY IT. My $14 neti pot was the best money I ever spent!
