nasal washes

does anyone have any experience of these nasal washes? Do they help with catarrh? Which type do you use? neti pot, neil med squeeze bottles etc.,

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I used to use nasal washes on and off as i got repeated sinusitis especially when younger. It was just nebules of saline that got squeezed with my head up side down (or as much so as i could het it anyway) and it definately helped to clear sinuses.and catarhh. Later i used nasonex or becotide nasal spray but have had to stop in the last year due to apparition of nasal ulcers and perfotation of the septum (though this is not entirely due to use of sprays etc...)

I hope you feel netter soon. All the best.

Rose xxx

[angievere]

My son was advised to use NeilMed Sinus Rinse for his rhinitis. I got it from Boots and the whole pack included a plastic bottle (rather than a neti pot). It didnt actually help him much because his nasal passages were so swollen the solution couldnt flush through. But my husband uses it all the time and swears by it.

A friend has just started using it for sinus problems and says it's helped a lot. She brought a neti pot. But we think the bottle is better because you can squeeze it (gently) to get the solution through whilst the neti pot relies on gravity.

Initially I brought it from Boots but we now get it from Amazon.

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Have tried most forms this year since sinusitis +++ They can help clear out a bit but if ongoing worth going back to your docs. For me, turned out I had a structural problem (deviated septum to the left and odd shaped bone filling in from the right ethmoid air cell) causing sinusitis so had ENT surgery. The neilmed bottle is good with high volume of rinse but pricey. Does help to blow your nose after with head upside to help clear maxillary sinuses (in your cheeks) and stop any sudden dripping later. I had Sterimar spray from ENT post surgery. You can also make up your own and use a 10ml syringe. There has been posts on here in the past too.

[angievere]

Following on from TJ's post, my son also tried Sterimar spray, but it didnt help. Like TJ he has a deviated septum but ENT consultant said he cant be operated on until he's 16. He was prescribed Avamys (after I read about it on here) and that has helped a lot, to the point his rhinitis has almost cleared up.

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The neilmed was recommended to me, I thought it couldn't do any harm so gave it a go. I didn't really stick with it though as I didn't like it and it didn't seem to do much, so I'm probably not the best judge! I suspect it's something that has to be used regularly to get an effect from.

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I currently use a Neilmed one almost daily but prefer my old Sinucleanse Squeeze (not so easy to find in the UK).

I have stopped taking Nasonex & Flixonase nasules since using a sinus rinse regularly, partly because I perceived no noticeable benefit from the nasal steroids and partly because I didn't want to be spraying 2 sets of steroids into myself twice daily - but primarily because I find it helps maintain much clearer nasal passages (and mine tend to get inflamed/blocked very easily).

I find regular use is the key: like all things, you can become complacent that your symptoms are easing and so stop - then it all comes back.

When I have a cold, I am careful about using it with to much pressure because very swollen nasal passages can cause the saline to head towards your ears which can be very painful.

It can be enormously helpful to clear out all the mucus that accumulates so quickly during a cold - while what flies out of your nose and goes down the plughole can look pretty unpleasant, I'd much prefer it wasn't inside my nose!

I would suggest you consult your GP before using one - mine was supportive of my choice and has been interested that I now have fewer sinus infections than I used to. It can help with post nasal drip - but obviously we're all different and it appears that my experience has been much a more positive one than other people's.

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nasal washes

thanks everyone for your helpful comments - think i will invest in a neilmed squeeze bottle.

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I use the neilmed bottle and find it helps in the winter but don't bother with the saline mix they sell, regular table salt will do.