How to do a Sinus Rinse - demonstrated by Dr. Arthur Wu (rhinologist, sinus specialist)

Sinus Rinse Tutorial - how to make it and use it and why. Demonstrated by Dr. Arthur Wu (rhinologist, sinus specialist)
Mix the water and the salt packet in the Neil Med bottle.
High volume, low pressure rinse in both nostrils until the bottle is empty.
If you feel pressure or pain in your ears while rinsing, you might be squeezing the bottle too hard. Try barely squeezing the bottle to generate the low pressure rinse that is desired.
Our providers prefer the squeeze bottle rinse over the teapot because it is easier to use.
The bottle should be cleaned every day with a drop of dish soap and warm water. It can also be sterilized in the microwave. The bottle, cap and tube can be placed in the microwave for 60 seconds if using a microwave with a power of 800 watts or less. If wattage is higher than 800 watts, please reduce the time to 40 seconds. This will disinfect the bottle, cap and tube as recommended by NeilMed® as well as published in medical research journals.
For specific details re: the Neil Med:
shop.neilmed.com/Products/Sinu...
"Please wash your hands. Fill the clean bottle with the designated volume of either distilled, micro-filtered (through 0.2 micron filter), commercially bottled or previously boiled and cooled down water. Always rinse your nasal passages with NeilMed® Sinus Rinse™ packets only. Our packets contain a mixture of USP grade sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate. These ingredients are of the purest quality available to make the dry powder mixture. Rinsing your nasal passages with only plain water without our mixture will result in a severe burning sensation as the plain water is not physiologic for your nasal lining, even if it is appropriate for drinking. Additionally, for your safety, do not use tap or faucet water for dissolving the mixture unless it has been previously boiled for five minutes or more as boiling sterilizes the water. Other choices are distilled, micro-filtered (through 0.2 micron), commercially bottled or, as mentioned earlier, previously boiled water at lukewarm or body temperature. You can store boiled water in a clean container for seven days or more if refrigerated. Do not use non-chlorinated or non-ultra (0.2 micron) filtered well water unless it is boiled and then cooled to lukewarm or body temperature.
*You may warm the water in a microwave in increments of 5 to 10 seconds to avoid overheating the water, damaging the device or scalding your nasal passage.
Standing in front of a sink, bend forward to your comfort level and tilt your head down. Keeping your mouth open, without holding your breath, place the cap snugly against your nasal passage. SQUEEZE BOTTLE GENTLY until the solution starts draining from the OPPOSITE nasal passage. Some may drain from your mouth. For a proper rinse, keep squeezing the bottle GENTLY until at least 1/4 to 1/2 (60 mL to 120 mL or 2 to 4 fl oz) of the bottle is used. Do not swallow the solution.
Blow your nose very gently, without pinching nose completely to avoid pressure on eardrums. If tolerable, sniff in gently any residual solution remaining in the nasal passage once or twice, because this may clean out the posterior nasopharyngeal area, which is the area at the back of your nasal passage. At times, some solution will reach the back of your throat, so please spit it out. To help drain any residual solution, blow your nose gently while tilting your head forward and to the opposite side of the nasal passage you just rinsed."
Medical Disclaimer: All comments are generalizations and intended to be for educational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

[@frednowicki7355]

Thank you for sharing your expertise !

[@sandrawalkin9810]

An incidental finding in a recent MRI showed thickening of the sphenoid sinus mucosa.I do suffer year round with environmental allergies. I read that nasal rinsing in the nose to floor position does not reach the sphenoid sinus. Is it safe to rinse with nose to ceiling? Can you make a video demonstrating this method?

[@juliusignacio7194]

doc would like to seek your advice, I had been experiencing nasal pressure and also my cheeks. It's been a year I have been using a nasal spray as prescribed by my doctor, but it seems it just keeps on coming back. then my para nasal x-ray's impression is mild bilateral maxillary sinusitis with bilateral nasal congestion. Then I'm planning to see my ent doctor within the month as I have difficulty in sleeping when I sleep I feel more pressure of my nasal part. Thanks for your advice doc Liu.

[@MrTonyd1954]

Is the NAVAGE more effective then the plastic bottle method.

[@cafeconlechegrl]

Is the Navage safe?

[@tysongerhold7478]

I did it for the first time.....I’m a welder and holy smokes the black blobs and junk was nauseating but man I haven’t felt that good in years

[@ridhoammarharahap5540]

Wow.. If you managed to film that, holy smokes it would get you million views.

[@tysongerhold7478]

Next time I do I certainly will gentleman

[@lestercamacho]

same feeling for the 1st time u should do that often a video would be wonderful

[@Hannah-jk3dk]

I have done it five times now and there is nothing coming out the other end. God help me how do I do this

[@simon77047]

@@Hannah-jk3dk lol

[@starqueenlotus3755]

Can it push the water into middle ear? I have eustachian tube dysfunction . And 5 yrs I had patulous eustachian tube because of weight loss Can I safely do it? What If my ear gets clogged

[@brandiehumphrey55]

Can I use purified bottled water

[@rickwallace2091]

I was told to use distilled water. Does it really matter?

[@admdhc5583]

HEY after this nose washing, my nose is get stucked fully....how is this possible? It should free the nose tunel no?

[@dianeschaefer5035]

How do I use a nedi pot

[@dipakbishwakarma8566]

How I purchased sir

[@tincou7694]

Should you be blowing out from the nose while doing this?

[@junelam2579]

What exactly is Sinuzolax Miracle? How does this thing really work? I see a lot of people keep on speaking about this popular sinus infection treatment.

[@Hannah-jk3dk]

I have tried it and no water comes from the other side of my nose. I just tried it again and nothing. It goes in one side and nothing comes out the other side. I have covid and I have tries nd tried

[@scotty2hotty909]

Garlic oil ?

[@papifeo4625]

I just got nasl surgery, the doctor order me to do this twice a day, but I been using it up to 3- 5 times a day. Mucus and blood drainage, will too much flushing hurt me? Or my recovery?

[@kmichellem.1146]

Which type of nasal surgery did you have recently? My doctor recommended me for heat nasal surgery that uses heat to help me with congestion. I've been watching a few videos but noticed some people commenting on the risks with sinus surgery. I speak with my doctor on Monday to ask him of such risk. My only issue is nasal congestion for the last 4 months. Thank you

[@mcresent]

Hello. Thanks for the tips. I do this to my 8yr old who has bad seasonal allergies (He hates it).most of the times it goes to his mouth but sometimes it seems to be block and instead goes to his ears. Why is this? I tell him to blow his nose as hard as possible before hand so I’m not sure why this may occur.

[@GeneLiuMD]

It is all connected. There are little openings at the back of the nose (eustachian tubes) that connect to the ears. The back of the nose also connects to the throat. If the fluid goes to the ears, it usually means the pressure of the irrigation is too aggressive. A gentler flow usually prevents this. The rinse coming out the mouth is not a problem at all.

[@hanshasntshoweredsince8590]

Hello! Thank you for the video, I found it very useful! If you are not busy and have the time, would you mind reviewing my method? I used a little soap and then filled the bottle with tap-water, shook it for around 30 seconds, and then rinsed it a couple times with more tap-water and then I left it to air-dry on a paper-towel in the kitchen which is next to the living room where the heater is, so it's usually pretty warm. Is this adequate? I do not own a microwave. I also noticed that when using the NeilMed Sinus Rinse Bottle, the solution would not come back out the opposite nostril. I shot most of it up my right one because the left nostril was clogged. However, each time I used it, the solution would just drain back down the same nostril a little instead of the opposite nostril like intended. I leaned my head forward (maybe a little too far forward,) leaned a little towards the nostril where the solution was supposed to come out of, and then squirted gently. Do you think my nose was just too congested? A day after performing the unsuccessful sinus rinse, my nose started running heavily with thick, transparent mucus very frequently. My nose was running the whole day after the sinus rinse, but I would also like to mention that I had a garlic capsule and my nose really started running after that.

[@GeneLiuMD]

For the maintenance and cleaning, I can't really deviate from the manufacturer's guidelines for legal and professional reasons. There are multiple reasons why the irrigation may not go around to the other side, and this mostly depends on your anatomy. It certainly could be that it is too congested. It's also impossible for me to know what the reason is for the runny nose. It could be from the rinse and it could also be due to allergies, a cold, a sinus infection, some medication, some environmental exposure, etc... You would have to be seen in order to make an assessment and clinical judgement on the matter.

[@prewartomatoes]

SPQRK to get rid of the congestion, try taking ibuprofen or another anti-inflammatory. If you don’t want drugs, I put a warm compress over my nose until the congestion loosens it’s grip, then i use the neti pot. It’s not snot stuck up there, your nasal passages are closing to stop the infection from getting worse.

[@simon77047]

@@GeneLiuMD I think it was satire. lol

[@SuperOreo2011]

I have tried the nasal rinse a few times now. but for some reason it won’t come out the other nostril, on either side...anyone know why?

[@shool3992]

Maybe you didn't tilt your head forward while doing it? Also breathe gentle through your mouth or make a slight k sound so that the water doesn't enter your ear

[@Hannah-jk3dk]

Thats my problem too completely zero and I know my nose is not clean

[@Hannah-jk3dk]

@DekkyTheAwesome I tried the sound zero it just goes in one side. Let me try again for the third time today

[@Hannah-jk3dk]

@DekkyTheAwesome Tried it will the k side zero

[@Hannah-jk3dk]

@@shool3992 Did the tilt really frustrating cause nothing is happening ek

[@chaklam6]

Hi! Please answer back, but i've had blocked nose and pretty much mucus in my throat for the past year or so, I thought it was a seasonable/occasional thing since it went away in the summer, but it's getting more annoying recently. I've used the Sinus Spray like the way the video has instructed, but when i spray it into one nostril, the solution doesnt come back out in my other nostril, well maybe a bit of it does, but it feels blocked. I've also experienced some of it going down my throat instead of coming out the other nostril, can someone hELP please?

[@chaklam6]

How many times should i be using this a day by the way? On my first use, I feel slight relief but the blockage is still present?

[@GeneLiuMD]

Sounds like you might have some narrowing, swelling, blockage of sorts. You can certainly consider seeing someone for your issues.

[@ishita5974]

Hey no worries keep doing it.. It will come out of the other nostril I assure you.. First check which is your active nostril.. so what active nostril is that usually one nostril is exhaling more than the other.. the water should come out of the nostril which is active which is why you would want to put water through the other one.. Second bend forward while doing so.. and third is keep you mouth open and look in front.. not above not below.. hope this helps..

[@loewyfadul6043]

How many times you do this 3x a day or once a day...thanks.

[@Kat-hs2ij]

2

[@jessicah3450]

Post septoplasty my doctor said 3 times a day.

[@lestercamacho]

morning and before going to bed

[@marielamata2478]

Hello, I used this today for the first time but I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong or if I'm going to fast because my hears started to hurt as I was doing it.

[@GeneLiuMD]

This usually means that you are using too much pressure/force. It should be a low pressure, slow flow technique. In rare situations, some people just continue to get ear discomfort no matter how they do it..and this might not be a good idea for that small group if it keeps happening.

[@bhad]

Read my comment

[@starclark7076]

mariela mata I just tryed it tonight and my ears are hurting so bad what did u do or did it go away the next day I feel one ear plug

[@chauhan.narendra]

How many times in a week we can do nasal irrigation ?

[@Kat-hs2ij]

I do 14x

[@lestercamacho]

2x day

[@svetla86]

Can the water enter the maxillary sinuses and stay there? I tried this and the water didn't go out of the other nostril, the water just disappeared. I didn't have a surgery or so... Should I be warried about it? Where did the water went? Do you have some idea?

[@Mac18841]

Same scenario here. Hey,any update after trying this ?

[@josesantos-in2rb]

@@Mac18841 did you breath through mouth ?

[@Mac18841]

@@josesantos-in2rb yes I did. After trying this again ,it works out for me.

[@josesantos-in2rb]

@@Mac18841 then what happen next ?

[@ishita5974]

Okay this means your nose is lil blocked.. keep doing it from one nostril until it passes the other.. and then switch.. bend forward and make sure you're adding salt.. if it makes you feel dizzy or do have a lil headache then stay in child pose for 7-10 mins

[@crystalnewsome4673]

Please clarify that tap water isnt recommended, right? Distilled?

[@andreamikoda9657]

Never tap. Only distilled

[@louishernandez3104]

Does it matter if we put less salt? And is it bad if we use sink water?

[@melinas50]

must be boiled sink water cuz of bacterial, and nor normal salt either.

[@brandiehumphrey55]

@@melinas50 can I use any bottled water?

[@melinas50]

@@brandiehumphrey55 yes or boil tap water for more than 5 min!

[@julierojas3826]

Side of my head hurted for some secs is that normal?

[@ishita5974]

Yes it is.. after doing the rinse stay in child pose for 5-7 mins that would make you feel better immediately.. hope this helps

[@NANCYDREWCHANNEL]

@@ishita5974 what is child pose?

[@kimngoc92]

Can I buy a sea salt non-iodize can at walmart?

[@girly.mimi00]

Yes.

[@josesantos-in2rb]

Plain NSSS is okay to use ??

[@stephan6063]

Hi can I use Epsom salts?

[@ishita5974]

No

[@bearfriend1000]

Should you hold your breath while rinsing?

[@josesantos-in2rb]

@Crissy Tina you mean open mouth while rinsing the nose ?

[@Kat-hs2ij]

@@josesantos-in2rb yes, open your mouth.. maybe a little bit of water will go in your mouth but it's fine

[@josesantos-in2rb]

@@Kat-hs2ij to make it short , open the mouth and breath through mouth ?

[@Hannah-jk3dk]

@Crissy Tina I opened my mouth and nothing is coming from the other side. I tried six times now zero

[@josesantos-in2rb]

Hold our breath or do not breath right ?

[@ishita5974]

No dear.. breathe through your mouths.. keep your mouth open while doing it

[@josesantos-in2rb]

@@ishita5974 tysm. Its not harmful/dangerous right ?

[@ishita5974]

No it is not and if you have a headache then be in the child pose for 7-10 mins

[@hearthustle6281]

Is it possible to over wash your sinuses?

[@Kat-hs2ij]

I think if you put too much salt it can irritate

[@marikaflowers37]

After 3 weeks of pneumonia, throat infection (chronic laryngitis) loss of voice, then a couple of days later it went to my right ear which caused severe eardrum infection with liquid leaking out of it and now I have about 80% hearing loss, ( I can't blow my nose because of the huge static noise and plunk it makes and when the tv plays I hear a two-tone echo sound static in my ear, 3 days ago I've developed conjunctivitis and the ganglions of my neck started swelling up so much I could hardly swallow my own saliva... I needed medical attention, again... Now one thing she suggested I do is the Neil Med Sinus Rinse- I did but nothing is coming out... it's mostly going up to my head with a burning sensation (the same sensation when you get water up your nose when diving in the water) ... Should I continue, should I consult again, or should I stop... why isn't it coming out... when I look up my nostril on the left side I see only red, like blood red skin.. is this normal

[@mandyt1918]

I had that same issue the first time or two I used the rinse. It didn't come out and I ended up having a horrible headache and some dizziness. I swore I was never going to do it again. Then one day my sinuses were bothering so much that I decided to try the rinse again. It worked great that time. If I may offer you some advice based on my experiences I recommend starting off with a clean, sterilized bottle. Then using distilled water is probably the best however you could boil tap water and allow it to cool then use it. Another important factor I found is correctly leaning forward, keeping your head tilted, mouth open and relaxed. Don't tense up or try holding your breath. Squeeze the bottle gently but strong enough to push the solution into your sinuses and you should have better results. If you catch yourself tensing up or holding your breath you can block the flow and end up feeling pain, pressure or choked. I usually only use about 2 thirds of solution in the bottle. If I use too much my nasl passages end up feeling dry and get red like you described. Gently blow your nose when you finish. I find holding my finger against one nostril and blowing through the opposite nostrils with tissue under your nose and not covering your nose is more effective and less irritating to my sinuses than covering my nose and blowing hard. That mostly makes my nose swell and become blocked and stuffy. I hope this helps you in any way and you find some relief. I would love to find a way to end my daily struggle with my sinus issues and experience life being able to smell again and breathe comfortably through my nose. 👃❤

[@jessicah3450]

So I can't use my Waterpik up there? Just kidding, but the stuff on the Internet can be crazy.

[@billstrike4274]

You guys skipped over cleaning and sterilizing the bottle. Tch, tch, Doctors . . .

[@GeneLiuMD]

The video is mainly to demonstrate how to use the bottle - not to provide every piece of information related to the product. The maintenance and cleaning recommendations from the manufacturer come in the box of the sinus rinse kit and can be easily found and followed.

[@EvangelistRBColbert]

@ Bill-Cleaning directions are in the box and on the bottle!