Jul 10
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Do you know Nasal irrigation ?
Nasal irrigation or nasal lavage is the personal hygiene practice in which the nasal cavity is washed to flush out excess mucus and debris from the nose and sinuses. It has been practised in India for centuries as one of the disciplines of yoga. Some clinical tests have shown that this practice is safe and beneficial with no significant side effects. Nasal irrigation in a wider sense can also refer to the use of saline nasal spray or nebulizers to moisten the mucus membranes.
The saline solution irrigation promotes good nasal health, and patients with chronic sinusitis including symptoms of facial pain, headache, halitosis, cough, anterior rhinorrhea (watery discharge) and nasal congestion often find nasal irrigation to provide effective relief. In published studies, “daily hypertonic saline nasal irrigation improves sinus-related quality of life, decreases symptoms, and decreases medication use in patients with frequent sinusitis”,and irrigation is recommended as an “effective adjunctive treatment of chronic sinonasal symptoms”The simplest technique is to snort water from cupped hands. Spraying the solution into the nostrils is more convenient, but also less effective. The most effective methods ensure that the liquid enters through one nostril and then either runs out of the other nostril or goes through the nasal cavity to the back of the throat from where it may be spat out. The necessary pressure comes from gravity, from squeezing a plastic bottle or a syringe, or from an electrical pump
Warm salt water solution is commonly used, often with sodium bicarbonate as a buffering agent. Optional additives include xylitol which is claimed to draw water into the sinus regions and helps displace bacteria .The use of xylitol in products such as chewing gum is there to reduce bacterias’ ability to cling to surfaces, this is a supposed benefit in its use in nasal irrigation.
Benefits and uses
Nasal irrigation is used to treat a wide range of chronic sinus and nasal symptoms; for chronic rhinosinusitis it is an effective adjunctive therapy. According to patient self-reports it improves quality of life and reduces use of medication, including antibiotics. Long-term daily use, however, has been linked to increased frequency of acute rhinosinusitis through “potentially depleting the nose of its immune blanket of mucus”.It is also an effective measure against chronic sinus symptoms induced by work-place exposure to sawdust.Further evidence suggests that nasal irrigation causes relief for both hay-fever and the common cold. The use of nasal irrigation for the related conditions of asthma, nasal polyposis and rhinitis of pregnancy has not been assessed but the symptoms of these conditions are expected to be alleviated in a similar way.
Daily nasal irrigation with salt water solution (a mixture of 0.9% non-iodized sodium chloride and either purified or tap water warmed to around 98 degrees F, with or without inclusion of a buffering agent such as sodium bicarbonate) is recommended as both an adjunctive[9] and primary treatment[10] in such cases and is preferable to the use of antibiotics or corticosteroids except in the most serious cases of acute bacterial sinusitis which should be immediately referred to an otolaryngologist.[11] In several countries, over-the-counter medicines for coughs and colds are no longer sold for infants under the age of two.[12][13] Nasal irrigation is an alternative for relieving the symptoms of such young patients.[citation needed]
Flushing the nasal cavity with salt water is believed to promote mucociliary clearance by moisturizing the nasal cavity and by removing encrusted material, although there is no clear evidence to support this.[10] In proper proportion, nasal salt water solution with slight acidic ph functions as an anti-bacterial irrigant. The flow of salt water through the nasal passage flushes the dirt, airborne allergens (dust and pollen), pollutants and bacteria-filled mucus.
Salt water flushing also loosens and thins the mucus, making it easier to expel. Without this build up of mucus, the tiny cilia, or hairs in the nasal passage are able to function more efficiently, pushing excess mucus either to the back of the throat or to the nose to be expelled.
The procedure has been used safely for both adults and children, and has no documented serious adverse effects as long as no potential allergens (such as iodine) or contaminants (algae, etc.) are used in the sodium chloride, water, or buffering ingredients. Premanufactured dosages of salt water flushing solutions can be purchased, or the user can mix non-iodized ‘kosher’ salt, with or without a buffering agent such as sodium bicarbonate or baking soda (table salt frequently is iodized, while sea salt may contain algae or other contaminants). Proponents of nasal irrigation include many allergy and sinus sufferers, some of whom have claimed anecdotally to rely less on other medications and/or fewer doctor visits. Treatment guidelines in both Canada and the United States now advocate use of nasal irrigation for all causes of rhinosinusitis and for postoperative cleaning of the nasal cavity.