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Nasal shower: why rinse our nose with salt water?
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Your nasal mucosa can become inflamed or damaged due to a cold, allergy, sinusitis or nasal surgery. Nasal sprays can become addictive if you use them for too long. It is therefore better to rinse your nose with salt water. This is completely harmless, even if you do it for a long period of time. And it is a very effective way to clean your nose.
Also read: How long does a cold last and how do you get rid of it faster?
Benefits of rinsing your nose with salt water
With nasal polyps, a respiratory allergy, a cold, hyper-reactive mucous membranes and chronic inflammation in the nose (sinuses) (sinusitis), the mucous membranes are disrupted and retain the mucus, crusts or pus in the nose for longer. The result is that it starts to accumulate. Bacteria can survive more easily in this mucus, crusts or pus and cause infections.
Rinsing your nose with salted water can help to:
Clean the nose Remove excess mucus, crusts and pus Keep the mucous membranes moist Reduce the risk of a serious infection Promote recovery from an infection If you have a cold, a nasal rinse can help you breathe more freely Remove all the dirt in case of allergies and hay fever mucus – a breeding ground for bacteria – away from your cavities. You will find physiological (sterilized) water in the pharmacy, but it is actually just water with salt in it. So you can make it yourself.
Also read: Blowing or picking up your nose if you have a runny nose?
Make your own physiological water
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You can easily make a saline solution for a nasal douche yourself: add one level teaspoon of salt to 200 ml (about one cup) of lukewarm tap water. That is 9 grams of salt per liter of water. Preferably use iodine-free salt, because iodine can irritate sensitive or inflamed nasal mucosa.
Water at body temperature (37°) is most pleasant for a nasal douche. Shake the solution well. You can store the saltwater solution for two days.
Also read: Inhaling steam or ‘vaping’: how do you do it and does it work?
How do you rinse your nose with salt water?
Rinsing is done leaning forward over a sink.
To apply the physiological water, you can use a plastic syringe or a rinse bottle. Spray the liquid alternately into both nostrils. The water runs out through the other nostril. Repeat the process until the nose is clear again.
It is important that the rinse water passes through the nose with some force, so that crusts and/or excess mucus and pus are loosened. This also allows you to reach the higher paranasal sinuses.
Pay attention to the correct position when rinsing. By bringing your chin to your chest, the rinse water reaches high into the nose.
If possible, rinse at least twice a day.
Also read: How to rinse a baby’s nose with physiological water?
Sources:
Last updated: October 2023
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2023-10-26 22:03:37
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