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You've been ready for Spring since mid-January, but now that it's here you remember what comes with the return of warm weather: Itchy eyes, a scratchy throat, and a nose that won't stop running. Better than frostbite, but still. More bad news: April and May are usually the worst months for springtime allergies. More residents in the Northeast have been suffering incresingly sever allergies in recent years.
A new study shows that 60% of people with allergies have only limited success treating their symptoms with over-the-counter and prescription drugs. So it makes sense that sufferers are turning to alternative methods of relief - or, in the case of the Neti Pot, an ancient method of relief.
Also jokingly referred to as a "nose bidet," the Neti Pot (which sort of resembles a ceramic genie bottle) has been used for thousands of years to irrigate the sinuses with warm salt water. It's a little tricky to get the hang of the technique, which involves tilting one's head over a sink and pouring water in one nostril and out the other. Do it the wrong way (you probably will the first time) and you feel like you're drowning in a shallow sea. But making friends with the Neti Pot can have huge benefits. Even Oprah's guru Dr. Oz is a fan.
"The [ear, nose and throat] doctors who are specialists in this area will often say this is a better treatment than a lot of the other drugs that we try to offer folks, because it mechanically cleans out the problem," he says.
Rowayton resident Jennifer Thompson says her husband swears by his Neti Pot.
"My husband, though, gets allergies more than he used to," she says. "He uses the Neti Pot to head off trouble before some sort of infection sets in. He works at it almost daily, to keep on top of it. It really helps."
If you're curious (and congested), Neti Pots are available everywhere from CVS to Whole Foods and usually run only about $15 - no side effects!
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