Nasal rinsing (NETI) technique eases sinusitis.

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Nasal rinsing (NETI) technique eases sinusitis

 

(I think sea salt and not table salt should be used in neti - Jagannath)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Nasal irrigation, a traditional

therapy that has been shown to help people with chronic sinus problems,

can be easily learned with a 30-minute group training session, a new

study shows.

 

Patients in the study also reported a sense of

"empowerment" because they could use and adjust the technique effectively on their

own rather than requiring multiple doctor visits and prescriptions, Dr.

David Rabago of the University of Wisconsin at Madison and colleagues

report.

 

Used for thousands of years in the Ayurvedic and Yogic

traditions, nasal irrigation involves rinsing the nasal cavity with a

saline solution to get rid of mucus that may contain allergens or infectious

agents.

 

Rabago and colleagues had previously reported that a

six-month trial of nasal irrigation known as NETI in patients with chronic

stuffy nose (rhinitis) and sinusitis reduced symptoms and medication use

and improved quality of life. In the current study, Rabago and his team

surveyed 28 patients who participated in the study about their

experience.

 

The patients found that barriers to learning the technique

included fear of having liquid in the nasal cavity, initial discomfort

and mild side effects, the need to learn how to perform nasal

irrigation effectively, and the need to set aside time for nasal irrigation,

Rabago and his team report in the Annals of Family Medicine.

 

However, participants said that the 30-minute group

sessions in which they learned to perform the technique - especially "coached

practice" -- helped them to overcome these misgivings.

 

They also reported incorporating nasal irrigation into

their existing daily hygiene routine, using warm water, and making

adjustments to the salt content and schedule to ease discomfort.

 

"This ability to manage their own treatment likely

contributed to the reported sense of empowerment and personal control of their

chronic symptoms, further enabling continued use," Rabago and his

colleagues write.

 

They also comment that they were surprised by the "passion

and drama" of many of the patients' reports of how using the technique

eased their symptoms and improved their quality of life.

 

Source: Annals of Family Medicine, July/August 2006