What is the shelf life of saline packets?
Is there iodine in the saline packets?
Can I mix my own saline solution?
When is the best time of day for nasal flushing / irrigation?
How much solution enters my sinuses?
I have allergies. Does nasal rinsing help?
Will nasal rinsing / irrigation help post-nasal drip?
I use allergy medications. Can I still do nasal rinsing?
I am on a low-sodium diet. Is it safe for me to do nasal rinsing?
May I use the product while I am pregnant?
Is the nasal rinsing safe for children?
Is nasal rinsing safe for people with ear tubes?
I have a sinus infection on one side. Will nasal rinsing spread the infection?
Can nasal rinsing be used in place of antibiotics for my sinus infection?
The solution will not pass from one nostril to the other.
My sinuses are filled with even more mucus than when I started.
I became dizzy after nasal rinsing.
My nose burns when nasal rinsing.
My nose bled after nasal rinsing.
Fluid occasionally drips from my nose hours after use.
My nose feels after nasal rinsing.
I feel like I have water in my ears.
I experience sharp pain in my ears when nasal rinsing.
I experience a “popping” or “sloshing” sound in my ears.
How did water get in my ears?
Can nasal rinsing cause an inner ear infection?
Solution drains through my throat when I irrigate.
Where are your products manufactured?
Our products are manufactured either in Germany or the United States with the exception of the Grossan Hydropulse which is manufactured to a very high standard in Singapore. Additionally, our products are FDA compliant, tested for medical use, and have achieved numerous standards (varies by product type). Any plastic used contains no lead and is of a high standard and can be used in the kitchen or bathroom. The saline mixtures are pharmaceutical grade and contains no additives or chemicals.
What is the shelf life of the saline packets?
Three years. The month and year of expiration is reflected on the individual packets and the outside of the box directly under the “Drug Facts” section. Due to the high demand, all of our saline has been purchased long before it approaches expiration.
Is there iodine in the salt?
No.
Can I mix my own saline solution?
Certainly. Your mixture will not be pharmaceutical grade and will contain some chemicals and additives. Yet, if you would like to make your own, please give us a call and our agents will be happy to share our “recipe” with you.
When is the best time of day for nasal rinsing / irrigation?
Many people use it both first thing in the morning when they brush their teeth and again at night when preparing for bed. There is no medical benefit to any particular time of day and is simply a personal preference. It is safe to use the system up to 4 times each day if you have a sinus infection or upper respiratory issues. Once or twice a day is typically sufficient for daily maintenance.
How much solution enters my sinuses?
The sinuses open into the nose via very small openings (1-2 millimeters). Work has been done that shows the solution gets through these openings into the sinuses themselves. However, depending on each individual person’s anatomy, the amount of the solution entering the sinuses will vary. Also, the more congested your nose is on a given day will potentially decrease the amount of solution getting through to the sinuses. The more regularly you do nasal rinsing, however, the healthier the lining of the nose will become. As it becomes less swollen, the amount of solution making it into your sinuses should increase.
I have allergies. Will nasal rinsing help?
Yes. Regular use of saline nasal washes during the allergy season has been shown to decrease the amount of allergic chemicals in the nose and reduce the amount of IgE in the bloodstream of both children and adults with nasal allergies. This is accomplished by washing the allergens out of the nose with the saline solution before the body mounts its response. It makes sense, then, to use the system right after exposure to a known allergen (for instance, after mowing the lawn for someone who is allergic to grass or being exposed to an animal) should decrease nasal allergy symptoms.
Will nasal rinsing help post-nasal drip?
Yes. The nose and sinuses produce about a quart of mucus every day. Normally the mucus is thin and watery. It drains out the sinuses into the nose and then runs down the back of the throat where it mixes with saliva and is swallowed. When mucus is healthy and thin, we don’t sense that quart of mucus draining down the back of our throats. However, if mucus becomes thick, the sensation of “post-nasal drainage” occurs. Instead of flowing easily, the thick sticky mucus remains in the back of the nose and throat, where it may cause discomfort, congestion, cough (particularly when lying down) and bad breath. Nasal rinsing thins the mucus in the nose and sinuses which keeps the mucus flowing easily through its usual pathway out of the sinuses, into the nose and down the throat. For many people, this relieves the sensation of post-nasal drainage.
I use allergy medications. Can I still do nasal rinsing?
If you use antihistamines, nasal washing is encouraged to counter-act the mucus-thickening effects that every antihistamine medication causes. While helpful for allergy symptoms, antihistamines can actually worsen sinus function by thickening the mucus and interfering with its clearance out of the nose and sinuses. Nasal washing will thin your mucus again and lead to a healthier nose. Additionally, if you use antihistamines, nasal washing will not interfere with the effects. Additionally, nasal washing just prior to use of a nasal steroid spray removes thick mucus from the nasal passages and improves contact of these medications with the nasal lining. In any case, nasal rising once or many times daily can be a very helpful adjunct to many allergic individuals, whether they have seasonal or year-round allergy symptoms. The gentle nasal wash and drug-free solution provides proven relief without any harmful interactions with other allergy therapies.
I am on a low-sodium diet. Is it safe to do nasal rinsing?
Sure. As long as you are only irrigating your nose, you will not absorb significant sodium. If you are SWALLOWING a lot of the solution, it could provide a significant source of sodium. To prevent swallowing, make sure your palate is closed by breathing through your mouth while pouring the solution. Another trick is to repeat a hard “k” sound (repeat “ka ka ka ka”) while administering the solution. Either of these measures will close the throat, preventing solution from entering it and being swallowed.
May I use the product while I am pregnant?
Yes. The solution passes through your sinuses and is not absorbed. If salt intake is a concern, you will want to ensure that you do not swallow the solution by breathing through your mouth when pouring the solution. You may also repeat a hard “k” sound (“ka ka ka ka”) to “manually” close the back of your throat as you pour the solution to avoid any dripping down the back of your throat and being swallowed.
Is nasal rinsing safe for children?
Absolutely. In fact, some ENT's that recommend nasal rinsing are Ear Nose and Throat Pediatricians. It is difficult to teach a small child to use the neti pot so we are introducing the SinuCleanse® Kids Mist™. The solution is pre-mixed and dispensed in a measured mist. SinuCleanse® Kids Mist™ can be administered to infants and toddlers, and also used by older children who are resistant to the neti pot of squeeze bottle.
Is nasal rinsing safe to use by people with ear tubes?
Yes. It is also safe to use the system with any other ear problems including broken ear drums, ear infections or deafness. Please make sure you blow your nose gently after rinsing to avoid liquid being forced through the Eustachian tubes and into the ear canal.
I have a sinus infection on one side. Will nasal rinsing spread the infection?
No. We cannot predict whether the infection will spread on its own, but likely not. You can safely irrigate both sides.
Can nasal rinsing be used in place of antibiotics for my sinus infection?
We recommend that you consult your doctor or medical professional when deciding whether to use antibiotics for any purpose such as dealing with a sinus infection. Each year, millions of antibiotic prescriptions are written for symptoms of upper respiratory infections. Although antibiotics can be lifesaving when used appropriately, many upper respiratory symptoms can be treated as effectively without the potential dangers of antibiotic use. Nasal rinsing is an effective, all-natural, drug-free way to cleanse the nose and help control sinus and nasal symptoms. It promotes and maintains sinonasal health without affecting the rest of your body and without the worry of any long term problems related to its use.
The solution will not pass from one nostril to the other.
If your nose is very congested, you may want to try using an OTC nasal spray containing oxymetazoline five minutes prior to rinsing. The spray will reduce swelling allowing more room for the solution to enter the sinuses. (Use the nasal spray exactly as directed by the manufacturer and do not exceed 3 times a day for more than 3 consecutive days). Hopefully, if you irrigate faithfully, within 3 days the stuffiness will improve enough so that you can wash without using the spray. If this does not help, you may have a deviated septum and will not benefit from the system. Please return the product to your retailer for a full refund or call us and we will arrange for you to be refunded.
My sinuses are filled with even more mucus than when I started.
Good! Rather than being trapped in the sinus cavities, the mucus has become thin enough to successfully drain out. Although not terribly pleasant, this is actually positive and necessary to your road to recovery. If you can stand it, we recommend continuing nasal rinsing. Be careful about water temperature because if it is too cold or too warm, it will cause a headache. It is fine to use only ½ packet of dry ingredients at each wash. If your symptoms continue to worsen instead of improve, you should discontinue use and, of course, consult your regular health care provider.
I became dizzy after nasal rinsing.
It could be something as simple as your posture. Try to recall the position you were in when you used the system and get into that position WITHOUT rinsing. If you become dizzy again then you have your answer. If not, another possibility is that the fluid entered the tube that connects your middle ear to the back of your throat. This tube is called the Eustachain tube. Putting warm or cool water into our ears stimulates something called a caloric response and we can get dizzy. The saline solution generally cannot get up through the Eustachian tube but when it does people complain of feeling a fullness in their ears rather than dizziness. If, however, your inner ear is particularly sensitive, the temperature of the saline can stimulate this caloric response. Keeping the temperature of the solution right around body temperature (98.6 degrees) will minimize this response.
My nose burns when I rinse my nose.
Make sure that the saline mixture is completely dissolved before rinsing. If that does not solve the problem, decrease the amount of dry product to ½ packet and increase over time. Also, it may help to apply some petroleum jelly to the inside of your nose after each use.
My nose bled after nasal rinsing.
The function of the nose is to warm and humidify the air we breathe, so that by the time it reaches the back of the nose, the air should be 98.6 degrees Farenheit and 100% humidity. To accomplish this, the inside of the nose has numerous irregular surfaces that slow down airflow, making it turbulent to allow time for the warming and humidification.
The lining of the nose is richly supplied with blood vessels that interconnect in the front part of the divider between the two nostrils, called the nasal septum. The front part of the nasal septum is also the part of the nose most exposed to dry inhaled air and to manipulation from anything poked into the nose. This can lead to very fragile tissue covering these blood vessels. Nasal washing with saline solution helps control hard dry crusts that can build up in the nasal passageways. It helps keeps the lining of the nose healthy and functioning properly.
A nose that already has fragile blood vessels, however, can have the tissue injured even by the gentle insertion of the tip of the neti pot into the nose. If this happens to you, pinch your nose together at the tip for 10 minutes and the bleeding should stop on its own. If it does not, or if the bleeding recurs after initially stopping, you should seek medical attention because this is symptomatic of a posterior nose bleed which is the result of other health conditions.
Fluid occasionally drips from my nose hours after use.
When performing a nasal wash, the solution flows throughout the nooks and crevices of the nasal and sinus cavities. Most of the solution drains out or is blown out of the nose immediately after the wash. Sometimes, however, some of the saline solution remains in the nose. This may drain out, generally quite suddenly, up to several hours after the nasal wash is done. It feels very warm, tastes salty, and generally just comes out of one nostril. This experience often follows a change in head position, such as leaning forward or tilting the head. This is a normal occurrence after using a nasal wash and no cause for concern. Some people who frequently experience this drainage find it more convenient to wash their nose at bedtime rather than in the morning.
My nose feels “full” after nasal rinsing.
It is not uncommon for it to take some time to get used to the feeling of nasal irrigation. The inside of the nose is delicate and sensitive to changes in temperature, humidity, etc. When we pour salt water over the lining, it initially feels more “boggy” and congested in the nose. This is caused partially by actual swelling of the nasal lining and partially by residual saline solution in the nose. The feeling can last for up to 30 minutes although it is minimal in most people. In general, the more often you rinse your nose, the less the effect you will experience.
I feel like I have water in my ears.
It is possible for water to be forced through the Eustachian tubes. The water will drain as the tubes readjust themselves and no harm is done. In the future, be careful to blow your nose very gently to avoid forcing water through the Eustachian tubes. If water continues to enter your ears even though you are being very gentle, it is possible that the openings to your Eustachian tubes are larger than usual. In this case, it may be necessary for you to discontinue use of the system and seek a refund.
I experience sharp pain in my ears when nasal rinsing.
Pain in the ears can be experienced when water is forced through the Eustachian tubes into the nasopharynx. Blow GENTLY to avoid forcing water into the Eustachian tubes. If you continue to experience pain even after being careful to blow gently, it is possible that you are one of the people who have unusually large openings of the Eustachian tubes. In that case, it is best to discontinue use of the product.
I experience a “popping” or “sloshing” sound in my ears.
It is possible that water was forced through your Eustachian tubes and entered the middle ear. The middle ear is related to the nose and sinuses. The middle ear space is lined with a mucosa that is always producing fluid. The fluid is supposed to drain from the middle ear via the Eustachian tubes which drains to the back of the nose. If the Eustachian tube does not work properly, fluid can build in the middle ear space. Middle ears with some air and some fluid in place can cause “popping” symptoms as the bubbles move around. You should discontinue use and consult your health care provider if the symptoms do not alleviate.
How did water get in my ears?
When you wash your nose, the saline passes through your nasopharynx while moving from one nostril to the other. This means it passes over the openings to the Eustachian tubes. When you blow your nose after a nasal wash, it is possible to blow some of the saline up your Eustachian tube, particularly if you flow forcefully.Can nasal rinsing cause an inner ear infection?
No. Inner ear infections are caused by viruses. An infections within the inner ear, the location of the hearing and balance apparatus, exhibit symptoms of dizziness or vertigo that may be associated with nausea or vomiting. Hearing can also be significantly decreased. Nasal washing cannot cause an inner ear infection. Even if water enters the Eustachian tubes (which can be uncomfortable or even painful), the water will drain as the Eustachian tubes equalize. If the tube is closed for several days, fluid can build in the middle ear space but not the inner ear.
Solution drains through my throat when I irrigate.
This is not uncommon but it is certainly unpleasant. We are all built a little differently and it sounds like the opening to the throat is not completely closed. Breathing through your mouth or making a hard “k” sound while pouring the solution will “manually” close the throat and prevent solution from entering the throat and you will find the problem is solved.
