Benefits of Nasal Irrigation

The most compelling reason to irrigate the nose is simply that breathing in through the nose, as nature intended, is so much easier afterward. Isotonic saline solutions are used daily, and cleaning the nose this way becomes as important as cleaning the teeth. But nasal irrigations, especially with hypertonic solutions, can also provide symptom relief for those with specific medical problems with their nose or sinuses. Hypertonic solutions are often used to treat conditions such as rhinitis, allergic rhinitis including hay fever, ageing rhinitis, atrophic rhinitis, infective rhinitis, rhinitis medicamentosa, acute sinusitis, chronic sinusitis, nasal congestion, post-nasal drip, septal perforation, and contact with air-borne irritants.

The symptoms of these conditions, nasal secretions post-nasal drip, cough, headaches, nasal congestion sinus headaches, frontal pain and pressure, and encrusted mucus can all be resolved by nasal irrigation. In turn, this can lead to improved sleep and decreased stress levels.

Nasal irrigation is believed to increase the effectiveness of nasal sprays as mucus is cleared away increasing the penetration of the spray. Regular nasal irrigation can reduce reliance on conventional medications used to treat blocked nose, infection, insomnia, and stress. These medicines often have unwanted side effects.