NeilMed Sinus Rinse Saline Nasal Rinse, Premixed Packets, 50 ct.
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Customer Reviews of NeilMed Sinus Rinse Saline Nasal Rinse, Premixed Packets, 50 ct.
Customer Review: Effective relief for a myriad of upper respiratory problems!
Summary: 5 Stars
My ENT handed me one of these units after a visit a few years ago, but I didn't immediately latch onto it. Since I dug it out and started using it, I've found that twice-daily use WILL keep me infection-free.
I like this system! The low pressure of the squeeze bottle gives a little turbulence but is not harsh, and the volume of irrigant is adequate to effectively clean the nose. I now recommend it to almost any patient who comes in with an upper respiratory problem.
For chronic sinusitis, irrigation washes out bacteria and inflammatory mediators, and loosens hardened secretions. People with allergies can use it to rinse out pollen and other particles. Those who are exposed to dusts and other irritants can now rinse them out. I even found that during a recent bad cold, this was the only thing that reduced my nasal misery!
During the winter, when humidity is low, irrigation becomes absolutely critical to moisturize the nose and keep secretions flowing.
A few tips to aid use:
- First, it is fine to use the tap water in most of the US. People with un-chlorinated well water probably DO want to boil it before use, but the rest of us can just turn on the tap.
- Secondly, the temperature of water you want to use is a little cooler than what you would want to use to bathe or shower, and warmer than lukewarm.
- The stronger the salt solution, the more water it will pull out of your nasal tissues, and the more it will reduce swelling, though it may burn. You can play with the concentration by using more or less water, or an extra salt packet, or the hypertonic packets.
-I make my own salt mix: combine 2 parts of canning salt (you want to avoid not the iodine, but the anti-caking agents in table salt) with one part of baking soda in an airtight container, then use about 1/2 teaspoon per bottle (more to make a stronger solution). However, only those with a high tolerance for adventure should use this mix when traveling, lest TSA get excited about that white powder! It's good to keep some packets on hand for traveling.
- Irrigation not only helps your nose get better, it helps you monitor how your nose is doing. If you are getting globs of pus out of your nose, you have a sinus infection (sinusitis). Twice-daily irrigation will usually start the infection clearing, and you will see that the pure pus gives way to large volumes of pus-tinged mucus, then decreasing amounts of clear mucus.
- You may get random drips out of your nose after irrigation, so it is good to have a couple of tissues in your pocket in case they hit!
Nasal irrigation IS the best way to control chronic sinusitis. It will reduce populations of bacteria AND fungi, and you don't have to worry about antibiotic resistance OR yeast infections or diarrhea, or increased blood pressure as you see with decongestants. It is less expensive than nasal steroids.
AND, it is safe to use in pregnancy, or with kids. My nurse's son LOVES his irrigator and it has taken care of his chronic sinusitis - no more bad little-boy breath! Even my fuss-bucket 8-year-old loves to gross his father by showing off the disgusting stuff he has gotten out of his nose.
In summary, this is definitely worth a try if you have nasal problems. Use it twice a day for at least two weeks to really get an idea of how it works. IF you are seeing changes in the quality of your nasal secretions, bear with it; you will be glad you did.
Customer Review: I've got my nose back!
Summary: 5 Stars
I suffered from chronic rhinosinusitis for years. Terrible stuffiness and drainage. I saw several doctors who treated me with various antihistamines, sprays, moisturizers, and even immunotherapy injections. One told me I had to get rid our our two cats. Finally saw a doctor who took me off everything except Nasonex. Then he told me to begin a sinus wash. He gave me a SinusRinse Starter Pack.
The first couple of times I used it I thought it was horrible and I suspected I would discontinue the use of the product. And then a strange thing happened... I began to breath better than I had in years. Air flowed through my nasal passages freely. I smelled things I hadn't smelled in years. The drainage began to decrease. I became more comfortable with the process and soon purchased the extra-large (16oz) Sinus Rinse bottle. Today I use 16oz (two cups) in each nostril twice a day (total 8 cups/day) and I literally cannot believe the difference the sinus rinsing process makes. To those who are turned off by the process the first time you try it, I would say that you get used to the process fairly quickly and while I would not describe it as particularly pleasant, it is not nearly as unpleasant now as the first couple of times I went through the process. And the benefits FAR outweigh any small bit of unpleasantness. The easiest place to perform this is in the shower.
The first week, a lot of mucus was flushed out but since I began using the large bottle and rinsing twice a day, very little excess mucus is in there to be rinsed out. I warm my bottle in the microwave (Careful! You want the water comfortable warm, NEVER hot. ALWAYS TEST the temperature with your finger BEFORE you rinse your nose.)
My doctor recommended NOT purchasing the pre-measured salt packets. It is much cheaper to simply purchase a box of PLAIN salt (i.e non-iodized). I keep a Tupperware container of plain salt in the bathroom with 1/2 teaspoon measure in the container. However, the pre-measured packets sold by SinseRinse are very convenient if you travel or want to keep a rinse bottle at work.
Do take the time to read the handy, one-page instruction sheet that comes with the product.
Final tip: There are pockets in your sinus passages where water collects after rinsing (formerly these pockets contained lots of mucus, dust and allegens). Approx. 10 minutes after your rinse, take several tissues and bend over holding your head upside down. Slowly stand up and these pockets will drain. If you don't remember to do this, you may embarass yourself later in the day if you need to bend over.
Neilmed Sinus Rinse, 1 kit
Customer Review: The most disgusting thing you'll ever love...
Summary: 5 Stars
A few months ago I got one of the worst sinus infections of my chronic sinusitis sufferer life... It was so bad that my top/left row of teeth hurt like they were being crushed in, no joke.
Since I've gone the antibiotics route so many times before, I feared going that route one more time would end up fueling some sort of mutant bacteria that would eventually jump out of my nostrils and beat my dog up or something... What did my poor little pooch ever do to them??? :(
As I laid in bed, curled up in a ball whimpering, my wife, not able to bear the thought of her husband turning into yet another infantile big baby, decided to take matters into her own hands. She drove off to the pharmacy and returned with a box that looked like a cubed infomercial... Short of asking the camera guy if he was still following, it pretty much had every other base covered. Sham Wow!
Anyway, I was a bit skeptic but in too much pain to really care what the consequences were (which, at this point, I thought would mostly involve my wife's own amusement at my expense)... So, I read the instructions on the outside of the box, the inside of the box, the instruction booklet, the bottle... By the time you're done reading this thing from every flap on the box you'll have a Dr's degree on rinsing your sinuses. Diploma still pending, I filled the thing up with warm water and mixed it in with the provided solution...
I wasted no time... Went straight for the kill. I about passed out when I witnessed what followed... The first words out of my mouth (as soon as all the salty and gooey water finished dripping off of it) were "SWEETIE, COME TAKE A LOOK!"
I never knew such grotesque (spelling?) matter could come out of the human body... At least from that end. I quickly switched to the other nostril and repeated the process... By now I had acquired a strange (and perhaps sick) sense of enjoyment.
The most amazing part (and probably what you're most likely to be interested in) was the almost immediate relief I felt. That is, until my wife had to ruin the moment by saying "Good... Now you can go back to work!"
I continued to use it for a few more days (twice a day) and my sinus infection was completely gone with no antibiotics. And, best of all, my dog gets to live another day! =-D
Customer Review: Allergy sufferers: Give this one a try
Summary: 5 Stars
My doctor at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center allergy/asthma clinic gave me this last week to use twice a day as part of my treatment regime. I'm allergic to pollen, trees, dust and animals, and I've been congested every Feb.-Oct. since moving to Tennessee.
The other meds I was given will take a week to kick in, but I am IMMEDIATELY benefiting from the sinus rinse. My nasal passages are clear for the first time in months and months. I love that they're clear naturally, without another pill. I hear this prevents sinus infections, but as far as I'm concerned this is just a side benefit. The sinus rinse clears my nasal passages and also washes away pollen and dander so it won't irritate me all night as I sleep.
Cleaning out your nostrils every night may not be consistent with your hipster image, and the idea of squirting water into one's nose is uncomfortable for anyone. Please believe me when I say that, if you're congested, the benefits outweigh both of these. I've had a pool-water-up-the-nose phobia since I was a little kid and was dreading this, but it's not bad at all. I wish I'd given it a try months ago.
UPDATE: 1.5 years later
This is still the best asthma/allergy aid I've ever tried. We're in serious pollen season here in Tennessee, and I feel better than I've ever felt in the spring. Over the winter, this was also EXTREMELY helpful when I caught a bad sinus infection that became complicated by my allergies. During that time, I used what the NeilMed instructions call a "hypertonic" solution -- two mix packets instead of one. Again, I have very serious allergies, and this has been so helpful for me. I love no longer being "that person" at the office who is constantly sniffling and sneezing. I know the idea of this is initially a little creepy, but I recommend it -- I wish I had started using it long before I did.
Customer Review: There is nothing better on the market
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been using the Neilmed for about six years and have found a few things helpful
1. I keep a bottle along with a pound of non-iodized salt and a one quart plastic container in each bathroom.
I mix a full teaspoon with each quart of warm water which will fill the 8 oz bottle four times. I'm on a maintenance regimen of once a day, but if I get symptoms I will use it twice a day. The 16 oz bottle doesn't give enough pressure for me.
2. I find that if I lean way over when doing it, it is less inclined tho cause the "headache" and it won't run down the back of the throat which can cause an upset stomach especially if one has a sinus infection.
3. When traveling, I keep a gallon of distilled water in the hot car, it usually makes the water warm enough to rinse comfortably.
4. I f one lives where there is a chlorinated water supply there won't be mold in the water, you will breath in more mold spores just taking a walk then you will from your water. I clean it by soaking in a mild clorox bath once a week, rinsing well and letting dry throughly before using again.
5. Always rinse after taking a walk or I will wake up with a headache the next day.
Along with using the Neilmed I have found a few other must do's that keep me comfortable and relatively symptom free year round.
1. Never drive with the car windows down.
2. Wash bedding every week in hot water.
3. Only use a Rainbow Vacuum cleaner.
4. No cloth curtains in house and windows closed at night where I am sleeping.
Even though had been doing these things before, the Neilmed has taken me to a whole higher level of comfort and I have not used antibiotics or any other allergy prescription in six years.