How to properly rinse your nose with a syringe. Nasal rinse solution: effective recipes

Sinusitis (maxillary sinusitis) is an inflammation that occurs in the maxillary paranasal sinus. Its development is mainly caused by infection - viruses or bacteria enter the maxillary sinus through the blood, the nasal cavity or through pathological processes in the periapical areas of the upper teeth.

Diagnosis of inflammation is carried out through a medical examination and collection of an anamnesis of the disease. One of the main symptoms indicating the presence of sinusitis is a nagging pain that occurs when the head is tilted forward.

It is better to start therapy in the early stages of the disease, since the inflammatory process can spread to the ears and throat and provoke the development of recurrent tonsillitis, pharyngitis and otitis media. For treatment, broad-spectrum antibiotics, vasoconstrictors, antihistamines (if sinusitis is caused by allergies), and nasal rinses performed at home may be prescribed. The effectiveness of the therapy used is determined by the reduction of the inflammatory process, the removal of edema and the restoration of the drainage function of the opening connecting the maxillary sinus with the middle nasal meatus.

In case of untimely treatment of inflammation, if it is still possible to avoid a sinus puncture, the patient is hospitalized, and the nasal cavity is washed by an otolaryngologist (ENT).

How to properly rinse your nose for sinusitis

It is recommended to start rinsing the nasal cavity as soon as possible after the first signs of inflammation appear and diagnosis is made. It is better to check with your doctor about how many times a day to carry out the procedure. Thanks to rinsing, serous-purulent exudate is removed from the paranasal sinuses, inflammation is relieved and nasal breathing is restored.

By strictly following the doctor’s instructions, you can avoid the negative consequences of maxillary sinusitis. To carry out the procedure at home, you need to purchase medications prescribed by your doctor and prepare special solutions. Also, depending on the purpose, you may need: a large syringe, a syringe, a nasal shower or a kettle for rinsing the nose (Dolphin). In the absence of auxiliary equipment, you can suck the solution from your palm with your nostrils.

As solutions for rinsing the nose for sinusitis at home, decoctions of medicinal herbs, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic drugs, saline and alkaline solutions, and antibiotics can be used. For the procedure, you cannot use too hot or cold a product; its ideal temperature varies from 38 to 40 ° C.

The simplest and most effective way to rinse the nasal cavity is flow-through. It is carried out using a syringe (a syringe without a needle, a nasal shower or a kettle) in the following sequence. The prepared solution is drawn into a large soft syringe.

The patient bends over a sink (basin or bathtub), turns his head to the side so that the less blocked nostril is on top, since the procedure begins with it. The tip of the syringe is inserted smoothly and deeply into the upper nostril. By gently pressing the syringe, the liquid is gradually introduced into one nasal passage so that it flows out of the other. To avoid the solution getting into the throat, it is recommended to make drawn-out vowel sounds.

The procedure is repeated from the second nostril. At the end of the manipulation, the patient blows out each nasal passage in turn so that the remnants of the purulent-mucous exudate and rinsing solution come out of the sinuses and passages.

To eliminate the symptoms of inflammation, it is recommended to use aloe juice (in the form of drops). The extract of this plant is included in some medicines used to treat sinusitis.

After washing, it is recommended to remain in a lying position for 40–50 minutes, resting your head on a high (additional) pillow. This precaution is necessary to prevent residual solution from entering the cavity of the Eustachian tube, which can lead to the development of otitis media.

Please note that solutions with medications or sea salt should be prepared immediately before the procedure. It is not recommended to reuse prepared products.

To achieve a therapeutic effect, the procedure must be repeated 2-3 times a day, and its duration should be 5-15 minutes.

Nasal rinses for sinusitis

Antiseptics

Most often, antiseptic solutions are prescribed for rinsing the nose with maxillary sinusitis.

Furacilin can be used to prevent and treat inflammation. It is active against many gram-negative and gram-positive microorganisms, including staphylococci and streptococci, which most often cause inflammation of the paranasal sinuses.

There are several dosage forms of the drug - alcohol solution, tablets and sterile solution. To rinse the nose with Furacilin for sinusitis, use a sterile solution or tablets, since the use of the alcohol form can lead to serious burns of the nasal mucosa.

Chlorhexidine can also be prescribed for rinsing, although its instructions for use do not indicate that the medicine can be used in such cases. For the procedure, a ready-made solution of 0.05% concentration is used.

Therapy for maxillary sinusitis involves an integrated approach, therefore, along with medications, herbal decoctions can be used.

In the complex therapy of sinusitis, hydrogen peroxide (Hydrogen Peroxide) can be used, but only as prescribed by a doctor and in the indicated dosages (to avoid burns of the nasal mucosa). For instillation or rinsing of the nasal passages, use a 3% solution diluted in boiled water or saline 4-5 times a day.

For instillation of the nasal passages in adults, 10–12 drops of hydrogen peroxide are mixed with 1 tbsp. spoon of water (30–35 ml). Next, 5-6 drops of the resulting solution are instilled into each nostril. After the procedure, the sinuses must be cleaned of accumulated mucus. In children, the doctor adjusts the dosage depending on the severity of symptoms and the age of the child.

To rinse the nose, 30–35 ml of hydrogen peroxide is mixed with 130–150 ml of warm water.

Saline solutions

Rinsing the nasal passages with salt water, according to reviews, is the most common method of treating sinusitis at home. The saline solution saturates the mucous membrane with sodium and chloride ions, which are responsible for regulating cell function and fluid distribution in tissues. The minerals contained in the salt activate the ciliated epithelium and increase local immunity. Salt helps dissolve and remove mucopurulent exudate from the sinus cavity and reduces inflammation.

The saline solution can be purchased ready-made or prepared independently. To do this, dissolve 1 teaspoon of table or sea salt in 0.5 liters of boiled water at 36–38 °C. The nasal passages are washed with this product 2-3 times a day.

Baking soda can also be used to prepare the solution, which helps relieve swelling of the nasal mucosa. To do this, ½ teaspoon of salt is mixed with the same amount of soda and dissolved in 200 ml of boiled water. With the prepared product you can both rinse your nasal passages (3-5 times a day) and gargle.

Herbal decoctions

Therapy for maxillary sinusitis involves an integrated approach, therefore, along with medications, herbal decoctions can be used. The selection of herbs, their dosage and duration of therapy should be determined by the doctor, since herbal medicine has a number of contraindications and, if used incorrectly, can harm the patient.

It is believed that

Multicomponent herbal formulations can also be used. For this, separate decoctions are prepared from chamomile (10 g), St. John's wort (15 g) and marsh grass (10 g). When finished, these decoctions are mixed immediately before the procedure.

For treatment, broad-spectrum antibiotics, vasoconstrictors, antihistamines (if sinusitis is caused by allergies), and nasal rinses performed at home may be prescribed.

For sinusitis, herbal infusions are also used for inhalation. Method of preparing the solution: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of peppermint is mixed with the same amount of lemon balm and 2 tbsp. spoons of plantain; the resulting mixture is poured with 0.5 liters of boiling water and infused for 20–30 minutes, after which it is brought to a boil. Immediately before the procedure, add eucalyptus essential oil (2 drops) to the infusion. The duration of inhalation should not exceed 5 minutes.

To eliminate the symptoms of inflammation, it is recommended to use aloe juice (in the form of drops). The extract of this plant is included in some medicines used to treat sinusitis. 5 drops of juice from the leaves of an adult plant are instilled into each nasal passage 3 times a day.

It is important to consider that traditional medicine cannot be the main means for treating acute forms of maxillary sinusitis. In cases of elevated body temperature, nasal rinsing and inhalation with herbal decoctions are contraindicated.

Video

We offer you to watch a video on the topic of the article.

There are several types of nasal tract diseases that can be treated with nasal irrigation. Not all products and recipes are suitable for use. During the period of colds, a huge amount of mucus is released to fight microflora, which is why our nose is stuffy and we have to wash it out. Nasal congestion is a byproduct of the defense mechanism, but it can be corrected with medications or using folk remedies. Nasal rinsing quickly clears the upper respiratory tract of excess mucus, preventing unnecessary accumulation of waste.

If you do not help your body get rid of clots in the nose, you can get quite serious complications, for example, sinusitis. Mucus, stagnating, turns into a nutrient medium for microflora.

This is how simple congestion can cause a serious infectious disease that is very difficult to treat. But do not worry if at the first sign of illness you begin a course of recovery with medications. In such cases, complications usually do not occur, and rinsing is practically not required.

However, some cases still require the use of a solution to clean the nasal passages.

Application of rinsing, special cases

When allergies, susceptibility to drug components and problems with blood vessels jeopardize the advisability of using drops and sprays, there is only one reliable remedy - rinsing the nose with liquid. Several procedures a day will help you quickly forget about nasal congestion. But the procedure must be repeated regularly for several days for full effect.

To treat the initial stages of some sinusitis, the best remedy is regular rinsing of the nasal passages. Repeating the procedure quickly improves the outflow of mucus and restores the respiratory function of the nose.

Almost all products that can be used to clean the nasal passages can be prepared at home without any problems.

Here are the solutions you can use:

Herbal infusions, for example, chamomile
Tea mixtures (also suitable for children)
Homemade or sea salt solution. You can also add soda
Beetroot juice mixed with honey (not recommended for children)
Purified sea water
Special medical preparations for solutions

Each product has a specific range of applications:

Herbal infusions are extremely useful for dilating blood vessels and restoring the functionality of the mucous membrane, but can cause allergies
Green tea is also used for rinsing and is great for children
Salt with soda is the most standard option, there are no contraindications, it can be used by both adults and children. Helps quickly, although the effect is not very long lasting
Saline solution is not exactly a folk remedy, but it is reliable. It can be purchased at a pharmacy. This is an ideal option for small children, even infants. It is often used together with a small pinch of sea salt.

How to rinse the nose for adults

For treatment, you can use any of the above options. You will need warm boiled water, a syringe or a bulb. Those who are strong in spirit can inhale the solution from one nostril. For this you can also use a straw or a “cuckoo”.

We will need this set:

clean dishes
boiled water
any solution previously filtered through cheesecloth

Preparation of saline solution:

Take half a teaspoon of salt per glass of water, mix until smooth. At home, this is one of the most affordable options for the type of saline solution
We draw water from a bowl into a syringe, insert its tip into the nostril, bend over and press on it. It is better to do the procedure in the bathroom or over the washbasin.
The fluid should come out of the other nostril. If the congestion is strong, then it will simply pour back out the same way. Repeat until the nose is free of excess mucus

The solution with sea salt is made in the same way. A package of sea salt can be purchased at any pharmacy. There are also herbal decoctions for washing. It is better to consult your doctor first about herbal mixtures.

How to rinse children's noses

Children may begin to experience nasal congestion in early childhood as a consequence of prolonged bad weather or illness. For children, using vasoconstrictor drops is very harmful and risky, so the only way to treat a runny nose is to carefully clean the nasal passages. Since the baby's nose is small, you have to use a pipette. This treatment is quite effective and harmless.

Of course, it is difficult to treat children with this method, although it is very useful for maintaining general health. Water in the nose creates a very unpleasant sensation, so prepare in advance for the fact that rinsing will be met with protest. However, there is no other way to treat congestion; we take a small syringe or a bulb and go to rinse the child’s nose. For very young children you will have to use a pipette.

We do everything in a similar way as in the previous example. For a saline solution, change the concentration - 1 incomplete spoon of salt per 1 liter of liquid. Tea – 0.5 teaspoon per 1 glass, stir, boil, leave for 20 minutes.

We take the liquid into a pipette, bury it in the nose, and let it blow your nose. Repeat until satisfactory effect. At home, this is the safest way to quickly relieve nasal congestion in children aged 2 to 6 years. This way you can treat chronic rhinitis, sinusitis and sinusitis in children.

To cure a runny nose, you will have to repeat the procedure at least 2 times a day: once in the morning, once in the evening, but it is advisable to do three approaches. You can call this treatment ineffective, since the result is not immediately visible, but in many cases this is almost the only safe option for the child.

What can be treated by washing?

Traditional healers, using various tinctures, recommend treating everything related to a stuffy nose. This is an extremely wrong approach, because treatment also has limitations. Of course, you can rinse your nose as a preventative measure, but a saline solution will suffice for this. You should not use folk remedies for this.

Washing can cure:

The initial stage of sinusitis
Initial stage of frontal sinusitis
Runny nose due to infection
Allergic reactions

For each case, you need to use separate mixture options. For example, treatment of sinusitis and runny nose with influenza is possible with the same remedy.

For frontal sinusitis, it is better to use a simple, proven remedy - water with salt and soda. This solution quickly removes clots, softens the mucous membrane and does not cause any harm to the nasal microflora.
If you have allergies, you should limit yourself to saline solution, pure or mineral water without gas.

Washing can treat not only the initial stages of some diseases, but also prevent their occurrence. Rinsing should be done daily, 2 to 4 times a day, depending on the case. This will allow you to quickly and effectively get rid of excess mucus and relieve nasal congestion during periods of exacerbation of various diseases.

Good afternoon

Autumn has already begun. True, in our southern regions it is still very warm, such pleasant warm days. But in the evenings and nights it is already cool.

With the beginning of autumn, unfortunately, cases of colds become more and more frequent. And I want to tell you about the best, in my opinion, remedy for a runny nose - nasal rinsing and how to properly rinse your nose at home using salt water.

This is the only way I always treat a runny nose in literally two days without using any drops. As a result of washing, so much mucus comes out! The nose and paranasal (maxillary, frontal) sinuses are cleansed. It becomes very easy to breathe, it seems that even your head has cleared up.

How to rinse your nose with salt water at home

Let's figure out what you can use to rinse your nose. These can be special saline solutions, but it is best to rinse your nose with salt dissolved in water.

You can use either sea salt or regular table salt. Sea salt is perhaps the best remedy, but it is not a prerequisite. Table salt also works great. In general, it can cure many diseases.

What cleaning equipment should I use?

People also rinse their noses using syringes, douches, bottles, and special teapots with a narrow spout. Some people suck salt water from their palms. But I don’t agree with this method at all; it seems to me that complete rinsing cannot be achieved this way.

Nowadays pharmacies sell special devices for washing. But I do it the old fashioned way, just like I once read in a book.

Many years ago I purchased a book by A.N. Zubkova and A.P. Ochapovsky "Hatha - yoga for beginners." I never joined this lifestyle system, but I remembered the lesson on rinsing the nose, printed in it, for the rest of my life.

For the nasal rinsing procedure at home, I use the most ordinary teapot. No special vessel is needed, and the teapot spout can be of any thickness. In order not to damage the nasal mucosa, I put a regular rubber pacifier on the spout of the kettle, which is used for feeding children. Such pacifiers are always sold in pharmacies, and maybe you can find them at home if you have small children.

I use scissors to cut out a small hole with a diameter of 3-5 mm on the nipple.

Naturally, the kettle and pacifier must be clean.

How to properly rinse your nose with water and salt

Now let’s learn more about how to properly rinse your nose with salt water.

How often can you rinse your nose with salt water when you have a runny nose?

You can rinse your nose in the morning and/or evening before bed, but no more than 2 times a day.

When treating a runny nose and other problems, we perform the procedure for as many days as necessary for complete recovery, even throughout life.

For prevention during flu epidemics and other viral diseases, when people around you are sick, it is advisable to rinse your nose at least once a day.

And even if you are in perfect health, you should rinse your nose once a week, as yogis advise.

Video on how to rinse your nose with salt water

I would also like to suggest watching a video on how to rinse your nose at home.

True, the man there says that this procedure is very unpleasant. I don’t agree with him, there’s nothing wrong with that, you just need to slowly choose the correct position of your head. If it doesn’t work right away, don’t despair, try again, then get used to it.

I still chose a video that wasn’t very successful, but I just couldn’t find another one on this topic, but I wanted to show the very procedure of rinsing the nose and exhaling after it. I consider it unsuccessful in the sense that it is recommended to use a kettle with a narrow spout (I advise anyone to put a pacifier on it), and some very complicated way of determining the amount of salt. In addition, this man also manages to talk while washing!

Why rinse your nose with salt water?

I always rinse my nose with a saline solution to prevent the flu.

By the way, there is another very effective remedy against the flu that I have tested -. I've been using it for several years now and don't get sick with the flu at all.

But the authors of the book claim that rinsing the nose with salt water is useful for acute and chronic pharyngitis, sinusitis, the initial form of glaucoma, insomnia, drowsiness and poor memory. Rinsing your nose stimulates the development of intelligence and even prevents premature hair loss! It has a strong effect on the entire body, especially on the head.

Nasal rinsing normalizes nasal breathing, so it is very valuable for the health of the whole body.

Rinsing the nose with salt water: contraindications and limitations

The nasal rinsing procedure cannot be used:

for frequent nosebleeds
for otitis media
if the nose is completely blocked, that is, both nostrils.
In this case, to make your nose breathe, I advise you to tap your fingers on the bridge of your nose from above, left and right alternately for half a minute, lightly at first, harder the second time. It helps me.

Anna Shust, especially for the portal “Moms of the Big City”:

Nadezhda Emelyanova- pediatrician, pediatric neurologist, homeopathic doctor. She has additional specializations: “Non-drug methods of treatment and reflexology”, “Neuropathy”, “Classical and clinical homeopathy”. Experience as a pediatrician - 17 years. , dedicated to the most important issues for parents: children's health and gentle methods of treatment.

In my medical practice, I actually encounter every day the phenomenon of otitis media caused by nasal rinsing. Parents think that they are treating the child, but in fact, with their own hands, under the guidance of pediatricians and, what is especially sad and unacceptable, ENT doctors, they create an additional serious problem for the child. In general, I would like to talk more broadly - about common active local therapy in the nasal cavity: vasoconstrictor, antibacterial, antiseptic drops - all kinds of liquids are dripped into the nose of children from birth. How safe is it? Is it possible to raise a healthy child without nasal drops? What is world practice in this area of medicine?

What is, for example, “irrigation therapy”? Methodologically and ideologically, these are echoes of the so-called “cleansing therapy”, which was practiced earlier, 100, 200, 300 years ago, and echoes of the later emerging infectious disease paradigm, when doctors perceive a disease (in this case, a runny nose) exclusively as an infectious process, attributing it to microbes and viruses have an inappropriately significant place, much more significant than the macroorganism itself and its self-regulation systems. Based on these considerations, nasal rinsing is an important component in treatment. We will wash the germs, kill the viruses, remove the mucus, and health will come. Is it so?

An excursion into the history of medicine is always interesting, which sometimes helps to understand and critically comprehend some practices in modern medicine. Cleansing therapy was extremely popular in past centuries and was based on the postulates of ancient healers about illness as a violation of the ratio and quality of fluids filling the body, about the contamination of these fluids. The heyday and decline of cleansing therapy occurred in the 16th–19th centuries, when bloodletting and enema (as options for cleansing therapy) were very popular, especially in the upper strata of society - foreign and ours. A textbook example and illustration is the treatment of King Louis ΧΙΙΙ of France, who received 47 bloodlettings a year, 215 emetics and 312 enemas from his physician. That is, the monarch received one enema per day for a year as prescribed by the doctor.

Today, such treatment methods seem absurd, but once upon a time they seemed advanced to doctors and were practiced everywhere, just like today’s nasal rinses or vasoconstrictor drops.

- And yet, why is it harmful to rinse the nose and instill drops? And how should parents react to snot?

Let's figure it out. Why might you need to rinse your nose at all? The basis of this procedure is the thesis that there is something dirty and wrong, unclean in the nose. Some negative properties are attributed to snot and a runny nose and people strive to get rid of them as quickly as possible, dry or moisten the nasal mucosa, and also relieve swelling with drops - to defeat a runny nose.

In fact, it is a unique protective mucus, a biological fluid with a unique composition. This is a whole army of leukocytes and lymphocytes (both dead and still very much alive), which protect the nasopharynx from the invasion of infection, nonspecific local protective factors that have bactericidal properties, complex proteins (mucins), salt, water, and so on. Snot is exactly what helps us get rid of infection and build immunity.

The nasal mucosa is arranged in an interesting and extremely complex manner. The vascular network in the nasal cavity, according to researchers, exceeds in complexity the same vascular network in the liver (the Chinese nicknamed the liver “Elder Queen” for its function and participation in blood circulation), and instilling vasoconstrictor drops in this regard is medieval barbarism, the same like a half-forgotten bloodletting. The use of such drops disrupts blood circulation in the mucous membrane for several months, and this side effect is well studied and described, and the vasoconstrictor drops themselves have not been proven effective and are not at all safe; their use in foreign pediatrics is limited.

On the Internet and in medical publications around the world, you can find a number of cases where, after instilling drops into the nose, a child experiences collapse or even coma; adults have described strokes after using such drops.

The nasal mucosa itself is delicate; work is in full swing in its submucosal layer: lymphocytes and leukocytes brought by blood fight bacteria and viruses. In the submucosal layer in the microlymph nodes, detachments of these warrior cells are dispersed, ready, at a signal, to rush to the aid of those already fighting.

Protective mucus, consisting of complex proteins, covers the ciliated epithelium in two layers - sol below, gel on top, very fluid. It flows at such a tremendous speed that a virus or bacteria, even if they really want to join the cell and begin to destroy it, cannot do this easily while the mucous membrane is covered with protective mucus.

Therefore, first look at a runny nose from a different angle: what is snot? How should parents react to them? Snot are our friends! React positively! That is, physiologically, we have in the body cleansing the nose by itself. There is absolutely no point in adding anything else from the outside to this cleansing.

- It’s clear with vasoconstrictors, but how can ordinary salt water for rinsing damage?

The fact is that when using these seemingly harmless drugs, in reality the effect that is opposite to that expected is obtained. Instead of cure, we often get worsening of the disease and its transition to otitis media. And this is along with proven ineffectiveness: it has been proven that saline solutions do not reduce the duration of a runny nose and do not in any way affect its intensity compared to placebo.

- What can cause otitis media when rinsing the nose?

The anatomical and physiological features of the children's skull are such that children have a short and wide auditory tube, some also inclined towards the ear. If you liquefy and blur the mucus in the nose, then this mucus begins to flow more intensely towards the ear, where a direct path is open for it. This provokes otitis media. You can’t even blow your nose too vigorously (and you need to explain this to children), because liquid mucus flows straight into the ear cavity when the pressure increases. A huge number of otitis media in modern children are caused by nasal rinsing.

What happens next? Doctors begin to treat inflammation of the middle ear with antibiotics. This, by the way, is also the wrong tactic! For example, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends watchful waiting (that is, a hands-off approach) for catarrhal otitis media because most catarrhal otitis media resolve without antibiotics or any treatment at all.

The opposite is also true. When my patients don’t put anything in their children’s noses and don’t rinse their noses, we practically don’t see otitis media in children! However, there is an exception to this rule - these are children with overgrown adenoid tissue, which sometimes blocks the mouth of the auditory tube, disrupts ventilation and provokes pain in the ear. But even in this case, it is not the child’s nose that needs to be treated, but the whole child, because adenoid hypertrophy is a special case of hypertrophy of the lymph nodes of the whole body, a consequence of the hard work of the immune system; in this case, it is the entire body that needs to be treated, and not the nose separately.

To summarize what we are talking about, the simplest and most effective advice for preserving the health of the child, which could be given to young parents who have not yet “healed” children, would sound like this: never touch the child’s nose with any manipulation , neither with nozzle suction, nor with rinsing, nor with anything else. It is important for parents of children with chronic ENT pathologies to realize that local therapy aimed at fighting germs and mucus is a dead end. Here I will advise treating the child as a whole, gradually moving away from nasal drops and local procedures.

- Do you use nasal drops for runny noses in your children?

Of course not. I never prescribe it to child patients, and I discourage mothers from doing it. Imagine, throughout your entire childhood - not once any drops in your nose!

- How in this case do you recommend coping with a runny nose during acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections? A sick child has a stream of snot and it’s hard to breathe. How to alleviate the condition?

Firstly, you still need to be patient a little: nasal congestion associated with swelling of the mucous membrane cannot last forever: a maximum of two to three days - and the regulation of vascular tone will occur in a natural and physiological way. Secondly, during illness (if there is no very high temperature) - steam your feet in hot water for 10–15 minutes before going to bed. During this procedure, snot will flow in streams, this is very good; during the procedure, the flow rate of nasal secretion changes. You can do cold and warm inhalations, humidify and cool the air in the room, and often bathe a child with a runny nose and cough. Thirdly, according to indications, if necessary, take phytotherapeutic and homeopathic drugs that gently and gently help to overcome an acute crisis in the regulation of immunity. It is also good to use home physical therapy if possible. And wait!

Every morning after waking up, we necessarily perform hygiene and water procedures, which are the key to our health, beauty and good mood. We put ourselves in order, take a shower, brush our teeth, ears, and use a whole arsenal of cosmetics for this. And then he goes to a new day...

But we often forget to do something very important. We don't pay much attention to our nose. Most often, out of ignorance, due to a banal lack of awareness that the nasal cavities need to be washed, rinsed and cleaned according to the rules in order to avoid frequent colds and maintain your health. In this article we want to explain to everyone and prove that it is wrong to refuse the mandatory procedure of water nasal hygiene, because otherwise we seriously harm our health in a difficult environmental situation.

Nasal breathing: features, meaning and functions

Let's first evaluate how important free nasal breathing is for us. Many people don’t even know that our nose not only performs the function of breathing, but also warms, moisturizes and purifies the air entering our body. In addition, it provides our sense of smell. And how difficult it is for a person if nasal breathing is disrupted. Everyone knows the feeling of discomfort when it is difficult to breathe through the nose. To ensure breathing, you have to compensate for the respiratory process with the help of your mouth.

But the oral cavity is not able to clear the air of microparticles that can settle in the lower respiratory tract, and prolonged breathing through the mouth will sooner or later lead to inflammatory processes in the pharynx and larynx. In the future, laryngitis and pharyngitis, or even bronchitis, may develop. And it’s all due to congestion in the nasal cavities and the inability to breathe through the nose.

So how does the process of purifying air in the nasal cavity occur? As you know, it is divided by a partition into two equal parts. In turn, in each of them there are three nasal conchae, formed by bony protrusions, under which three passages lie. They contain openings leading to the paranasal sinuses. All these formations in the nasal cavity are lined with a mucous membrane of a special structure.

The air in the nasal cavity has to travel in a winding arc towards the nasopharynx, and due to this complex trajectory, it has to come into contact with a large surface area of the nasal cavity. This feature allows you to more thoroughly clean the air from microparticles of dust, bacteria, allergens, viruses, warm it and humidify it.

The process of air purification is carried out by small bristly hairs and mucus produced by special cells. The hairs trap larger particles in the air flow, and small particles stick to the mucus and are expelled out. Nasal mucus generally has a very interesting structure; it contains antibodies, mucin and lysozyme. They are able to effectively fight microorganisms due to their ability to exhibit bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects against pathological microorganisms.

And the more and more pronounced the bacterial aggression, the more the nasal cavity has to work to produce mucus, which after its service must be regularly removed, because not only the microorganisms themselves accumulate in it, but also the toxic products of their vital activity or decay.

If nasal breathing is not difficult and free, then with the help of the same mucus, lymph, which seeps into the nasal cavity through the epithelium, and even tear fluid, the air entering the lungs is constantly moistened. The abundantly developed vascular network of capillaries in the mucous membrane is capable of effectively heating the inhaled air. Purified, warm and humidified air will not force our lungs to work with tension.

In a healthy person, the mucous film lining the nasal surface is renewed with a new one every 10-20 minutes. Cell cilia carry the used film into the digestive tract. But this whole process goes smoothly only in a healthy body, when the nasal cavity performs all its functions of purifying a considerable volume of air - approximately 100 thousand liters per day!

But what if the mucous film, due to external influences or bacterial aggression, becomes thin, liquid or, conversely, thick and difficult to remove? In such situations, complete blockage of the nasal sinuses occurs, which creates an obstacle to the free passage of air and mucus. This is when the need arises for nasal rinsing, the purpose of which is to deeply cleanse the nasal passages.

>>We recommend: if you are interested in effective methods of getting rid of chronic runny nose, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, bronchitis and persistent colds, then be sure to check out this site page after reading this article. The information is based on the author’s personal experience and has helped many people, we hope it will help you too. Now let's return to the article.<<

The benefits of nasal rinsing that you didn't know about

It would be wrong to assume that rinsing the nasal cavities should be carried out only when pathological processes appear and difficulty breathing due to inflammatory processes. Even a completely healthy person, adults and children, would benefit from clearing the nasal passages from time to time to maintain the healthy functioning of the respiratory system.

One can only regret that few people now resort to this effective method of personal hygiene. We are used to washing our faces every day, brushing our teeth, monitoring the condition of our skin, and cleaning our ears. We don’t use homemade nasal rinses. Moreover, many have no idea how to do it!

But first, let us bring to your attention all the advantages and useful features of nasal rinsing at home. How and why this procedure is performed during inpatient treatment of diseases of the nasal cavity, we will omit for now. So the benefits are as follows:

prevention of the development of allergic reactions, because Not only dust microparticles are removed, but allergens are removed;
prevention of inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system, because removal of dust and mucus either prevents the development of the inflammatory reaction or significantly reduces its manifestations;
strengthening local immunity by strengthening capillaries and improving the functioning of the cells lining the nasal cavities;
easier breathing, increased tone, which will be felt by everyone who can breathe easily and freely.

By the way, yogis are sure, and there is a huge amount of truth in their words, that cleansing the nasal cavities calms a person and leads to cleansing... of the mind. And Muslims, the majority of whom live in hot regions where deserts predominate, practically do not suffer from respiratory diseases, for example, pharyngitis, sinusitis, sinusitis, etc. And all this is only because before prayer they perform the obligatory ablution process, which includes the procedure of washing and cleansing the mouth and nasopharynx.

Why is breathing through the nose dangerous?

The inability to breathe fully (nasal congestion) is a very painful feeling. And it is especially difficult for children who experience a lot of suffering due to the fact that they cannot breathe freely through their noses. After all, their lymphoid tissue is highly developed, and its swelling and proliferation causes many problems. In addition to physical discomfort, if difficulty in nasal breathing persists, over time the following may occur:

disturbance of appetite and sleep;
decreased activity, attentiveness, and ability to learn;
delayed growth and development;
disruption of the functioning of the brain and nervous system;
bronchial asthma and other allergic diseases;
chronic diseases of the respiratory system;
decreased vision;
formation of malocclusion;
enlargement and growth of adenoid tissue;
speech defects and disorders.

You should not hope that the disease will not occur or will go away on its own. And don’t listen to stories that a runny nose, even if treated or not treated, still goes away within a week. It is not true! You can get rid of it in a few days. Otherwise, there are many examples when rhinitis becomes chronic and lasts for weeks and even months. This prospect is unlikely to make anyone happy.

Which solution should I choose for rinsing my nose?

Most likely, you no longer need convincing; you understand that rinsing the nose for both children and adults is a very favorable and useful procedure. But you don’t know where to start and how to carry out this treatment and prophylactic procedure. We come to your aid to explain all the subtleties and nuances of this process.

Let's start with what solutions and products can be used to rinse the nose. The choice is quite large. Ordinary drinking water, sea water, saline solutions, tinctures and decoctions of medicinal herbs, herbal teas, mineral water, soda-salt solutions, beet juice with honey, solutions of medicinal preparations, etc. can be used. Each of them is used according to indications, depending on the situation and the need to achieve the goal.

And if you are a beginner and want to start cleaning your turbinates with solutions for the first time, then first consult with your doctor to make sure that you can use this procedure, and find out which rinsing solution is preferable for you to use. Now let’s look at the types and methods of preparing solutions for nasal rinsing, their purpose and conditions of use.

1. Water is a universal helper

The most popular solution for rinsing the nasal cavities, of course, will be plain water. The main thing is that it is heated and not hard in composition. If you live in an area where drinking water is very hard due to the high content of various salts in it, then it is enough to boil the water, which will make it softer, and cool it. Soft water, unlike hard water, does not dry out the mucous membranes. But it is better to use plain water only for preventive and hygienic purposes. Moreover, ordinary water can cause a burning sensation in the nose during the procedure, so it is recommended to use it with salt, more on this in the next paragraph.

The use of any non-carbonated mineral water will be useful. If you purchased highly carbonated water, first open the bottle and allow all the gas bubbles to escape from the water for some time. Remember, chilled water cannot be used for rinsing!

2. Sea water and salt solutions

Sea water has healing properties; it has a beneficial effect on the nasopharynx, relieving us of many diseases, even those that have become chronic. Therefore, if it is possible to use real clean sea water to rinse the nose, then it is better to immediately take advantage of this opportunity. At home, it would be a good idea to purchase sea salt in advance at the pharmacy, which is always on sale, and use it to rinse the nasal passages as needed.

Procedures using sea salt will help destroy pathogenic microorganisms and suppress their reproduction processes, because sea water is essentially an antiseptic. Rinsing the nasal sinuses with salt will help effectively remove purulent and mucous secretions, traffic jams, accumulations of dust saturated with allergens, and restore physiological breathing.

By the way, even babies can have their noses washed with salt. After all, the use of familiar and popular medications that have a strong vasoconstrictor effect is often prohibited for children. And salt showers for their noses will be a real godsend for the prevention and treatment of upper respiratory tract diseases.

It is only important to make the solution correctly, observing all the proportions of salt and water, and then it will never give side effects or lead to the development of allergic reactions. To prepare the solution, add a maximum of one level teaspoon of sea salt to two glasses of boiled water (this corresponds to 7 grams of salt) and stir until completely dissolved.

As a base, you can use heated, unboiled, but pre-filtered water.

In some recipes you can find suggestions to use 2 teaspoons of sea salt per glass of water. Be very careful here, because in this case you will get a hyper-concentrated salt solution, and rinsing with it will lead to severe drying of the nasal mucosa. Hypertonic solution is recommended only for those who work in very dusty areas. It can be quite successfully used for gargling, rinsing the nose for inflammatory diseases, acute and chronic sinusitis. Only the dosage of sea salt per liter of boiled water is only 15 grams or two level teaspoons.

To maintain a more accurate dosage for preparing a saline solution, you need to remember that 2 grams of salt should be dissolved in 200 ml of boiled water. Why is this particular concentration the most acceptable? Yes, all because the concentration of salt in the blood plasma is 0.9%, no more and no less. The same concentration is used to prepare physiological solutions for intravenous administration of drugs. This concentration of saline solution will be most suitable for rinsing the nose.

As for children, the dosage of salt for them should be reduced. It is enough to dissolve a third to a quarter of a teaspoon in a glass of water, and the result will be a saline solution for rinsing the nose of children!

Yogis recommend using a saline solution prepared in a ratio of 1 teaspoon of salt per 500 ml of water. We agree with their recommendations and say that rinsing the nose with salt water is a reliable and very popular remedy for relieving congestion and difficulty breathing. This has been proven by many years and centuries of practice.

You cannot ignore the soda-salt solution, which has strong bactericidal properties. To prepare it, you need to dissolve half a teaspoon of soda and salt in a glass of heated boiled or purified water. This solution is considered medicinal; it can be used no more than twice a week, preferably only during illness, and not as a preventive measure or hygienic procedures.

3. Folk remedies, herbs, infusions

Infusions, decoctions and teas made from herbs, which are used for preventive purposes, have become very popular. Herbs such as chamomile, sage, calendula, string, oak bark, St. John's wort and eucalyptus, which have antiseptic properties, are suitable for rinsing the nose. In their absence, ordinary black and green teas will be very useful. But the concentration of antibacterial substances in herbal decoctions is very small, so they will have to be used much more often than solutions with medications, i.e. approximately once every two hours, if it is necessary to defeat inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract. It’s very easy to brew and keep herbal tea warm; just use a thermos. For rinsing only, the solution should have a temperature of 40-42°C.

As a remedy, a folk method is used using beet juice and honey. To treat diseases of the upper respiratory tract, you need to use a diluted solution. To do this, you need to dissolve two tablespoons of natural honey in a glass of beet juice. And then dilute this solution with boiled warm water one to one. After rinsing with this solution, you will need to blow your nose harder, free your nose from all accumulations of mucus and remnants of the healing liquid. And only after a few hours it will be possible to rinse your nose again with clean water.