Sinuses & flute playing

Don’t know about the neti pot, but you can get the SinuCleanse at Walgreens. It’s based on the neti pot, but it’s plastic instead of glass, which can be an advantage for some of us. :laughing: It also comes with pre-measured packets that dissolve in tap water (which I use half-strength). I paid $15 for it.

Dana

Yep, the SinuClean thing at any old pharmacy. If you want a “true” Neti Pot, I’m guessing you might see one at the health food store, but if not you can find them online by Googling.

All the Best,

Tom

Jennie, I will never look at you the same way! :wink: Please put me in the category of those that will likely never stick a pot in their nose.

:slight_smile: Erik

well i certainly felt like i was drowning the first couple of times i attempted to use it. in fact the water would run out my mouth and my nose at the same time and i would gag, spit and drool (more than i usually do). boy what fun.
but once i got calmed down and got used to the sensation of having water run in-and-out my nose, which was what i was fighting, it actually felt quite soothing.

fortunately, my sinus problems (chronic sinusitis/rhinitis with nasal polyps) are mostly behind me now and not all in my head. after a round of surgery and medications, i switched to some acupuncture, yoga and change in diet etc. that seemed to help the most.

i think i am now ready to play the nose flute.

I should add that I have strep throat layered with a cold/flu. I had time to play my flute yesterday but it didn’t even sound fun.

the neti pot pours through your nose a good 20+ seconds where a spray just goes up once.

when you have a “cold” they say not to use a neti pot, but when you’re just stuffed up, or have a sinus infection, yeah it might make it worse at first. kind of like putting disinfectant on a wound makes it hurt a lot. sometimes if you wait til it gets bad (instead of doing it regularly) the first time will completely clog you up. if you do it a couple hours later, and the next day, it will start to get better. if you’ve never used one before it can take 3-5 days to notice a difference. i would recommend once in the morning and evening, especially until you start to see a change.

oh yeah, forgot this. to avoid the whole gagging thing, say your abc’s while doing it, so it doesnt go down your throat. do it the first couple of times til you get the hang of it.

I’m curious what culture the neti pot comes from? I’ve never heard of it.

from india.

berti

a substitute for a neti pot would be a bulb syringe, usually found at the drugstore (actually designed for ear wax removal). because of its long stem it can be used to squirt water up the nose

Your friendly local pharmacist will give you a plastic syringe (minus the needle). These cost him about a nickel each. Put a 1/4 tsp. of salt in 4 oz. of warm water and squirt it up either nostril as you snort it, alternating from side to side till the water is gone.
Cheaper than a Neti pot, very portable, and puts the solution deep in.
I know about sinus infections. The sinuses hurt because there’s an infection in there. The warm salt water solution cleans the pus from your sinus cavities. The salt water cleans out the cavities and helps you recover from the infection.
I am trying not to let my flute get passed around in a session. Christy Barry is very leery about letting other people play his flute. I also have been avoiding trying other peoples flutes. I do not want to get sick this winter.
Kissing a stranger is something else…