Saline nasal rinses | noseandsinus.md

Why rinse the nose?

A rinse washes the inside of your nose with warm salt water. There is no medicine in it, just salt and water. It is safe, cheap and works well.

Rinsing helps by:

Washing out mucus, crusts, dust and pollen
Reducing swelling, so you breathe more easily
Calming the lining over time
Cleaning the lining so any nose spray works better

It is safe in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, and for children old enough to manage it with an adult helping.

What you need

I recommend NeilMed Sinus Rinse, or a similar rinse kit, from any pharmacy or online. You need three things:

The bottle that comes in the kit (about 240 ml).
The saline sachets from the kit. These make a salt mix that does not sting.
Safe water: cooled boiled water, distilled, or bottled still water. Do not use straight tap water.

A Neti pot works in a similar way but uses gravity instead of pressure to move the saline.

You can use a nasal spray such as Sterimar™ or Becocleanse™, but this is low volume and doesn’t reach the whole of your nasal cavity. Fine for hayfever (allergic rhinitis) and better than not washing at all for anything else.

How to rinse, step by step

Fill the bottle to the line with cooled boiled or distilled water.
Add one sachet and shake until it dissolves.
Lean over the sink and look down at the basin. Open your mouth and breathe through it.
Put the nozzle in one nostril and tilt your head slightly to the other side.
Squeeze gently. The water runs in one nostril and out the other. Do not snort or swallow it.
Use half the bottle, then swap to the other nostril.
Blow your nose gently to clear the rest.
Rinse the bottle with safe water and let it air-dry.

It takes about a minute once you are used to it. You cannot over-rinse.

How often to rinse

How often you rinse depends on what you are treating, so use the guide below. One rule always applies: if you use a nose spray or drops, rinse first so the medicine reaches a clean lining. A gentle daily rinse you keep up beats an occasional thorough one, and you cannot over-rinse.

After nose or sinus surgery. Twice a day for the first six weeks, then once or twice a day for about three months.
Sinus trouble with polyps. Once or twice a day, ongoing, always before your steroid spray.
Hay fever and allergy. Once a day through the pollen season, and after being outdoors on high-pollen days.
Sinus infection or a heavy cold. Two to four times a day until it settles.
General upkeep. Once a day is plenty to keep the nose clear and comfortable.

Fixing common problems

It stings. The water is too cold or the sachet did not dissolve. Use warm water and a full sachet.
Water runs into your throat. Lean further forward and look down at the sink, mouth open.
One side will not flow. That nostril is blocked. Use your steroid spray first, or come back to clinic. The rinse still helps.
It feels like it goes into your ears. You are squeezing too hard, or swallowing mid-rinse. Squeeze gently, keep your mouth open, and do not swallow. The blocked feeling settles quickly.
It runs out of your nose hours later. Some solution pools in the sinuses and trickles out later. This is common after sinus surgery and is harmless. Blow gently, and avoid rinsing just before going out or lying down.
The bottle smells. Clean it after each use and replace it every three months.

Practical tips

Rinse in the shower if the sink is tight for space.
Take a travel bottle and sachets on holiday.
Let boiled water cool to lukewarm before you use it.
Using a steroid spray or drops too? Rinse first, wait five minutes, then use them.

Watch how it's done

A short guide to the whole rinse, demonstrated with a rinse bottle.

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This guide is general information and not a substitute for individual medical advice. Contact the practice if you have questions about your own care.