Anastasia13 Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 I did that last night and I just read that you are not supposed to do that. Would there be any terrible thing to watch for if I am already taking a couple days of antibiotic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 The chemicals in the water can dry out the mucus membranes. They will not kill if you have decent tap water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basilisa Marie Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Table salt and tap? what? Do you mean nasal irrigation, like a neti pot or bottle? I'll use a squeeze bottle sometimes, and it really helps, because sinus problems run in my family. People freak out over tap water because if there's a nasty thing in it, you're basically putting it on a highway to your brain. Sometimes people recommend boiling and cooling the water first, or using distilled water. We have a well and our water's pretty clean, so I don't bother. If you're on city water, I'd look into what they put in it first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotreDame Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Table salt and tap? what? Do you mean nasal irrigation, like a neti pot or bottle? I'll use a squeeze bottle sometimes, and it really helps, because sinus problems run in my family. People freak out over tap water because if there's a nasty thing in it, you're basically putting it on a highway to your brain. Sometimes people recommend boiling and cooling the water first, or using distilled water. We have a well and our water's pretty clean, so I don't bother. If you're on city water, I'd look into what they put in it first. ^^^ This and... The two dangers from neti pots are getting some sort of brain infection from the water and reinfection if you have a sinus infection. For the brain infection thing, that's usually from city water in the south. Easy solution is to use distilled water. More here. For reinfection of sinusitis, it's the result of your current infection hanging around on the neti-pot and reinfecting you. An easy solution is to microwave the empty pot for ~2 minutes to disinfect it. I can do that to my ceramic one w/o water, but if it's plastic you might want to tread more carefully. It doesn't matter if you currently have an infection, but if you are more congested it might be more difficult to drain. Try it before the shower and take your time in the shower moving your head around to get it all out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anastasia13 Posted January 12, 2014 Author Share Posted January 12, 2014 (edited) The chemicals in the water can dry out the mucus membranes. They will not kill if you have decent tap water. That sounds nice. I'm beginning to wonder how much of the tea I drank today is coming out my nose or going up my sinuses which have not been completely clear all day. It's after the fact, and I was literally on drugs at the time. Edited January 12, 2014 by Light and Truth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 To continue what ND was saying, I would not use tap water. I used to use tap water until I discovered the risk of amoebas infecting your sinuses and brain if they are living in the water. It's always best to boil water to distill it and kill germs. If you can't boil water (or don't want to), buy distilled water at the grocery store or use bottled water. Distilled is best because boiling kills all types of creatures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloysius Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Dr. Gregory House taught me that if you use tap water in a neti pot, you will die, so I always used distilled. Perhaps an over exaggerated lesson from television, but still, wouldn't want to get lupus it's never lupus, get a brain infection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anastasia13 Posted January 12, 2014 Author Share Posted January 12, 2014 To continue what ND was saying, I would not use tap water. I used to use tap water until I discovered the risk of amoebas infecting your sinuses and brain if they are living in the water. It's always best to boil water to distill it and kill germs. If you can't boil water (or don't want to), buy distilled water at the grocery store or use bottled water. Distilled is best because boiling kills all types of creatures. I'm not asking would you. I'm wondering if I just made my infection 2 times as bad and haven't noticed yet because of something dumb I did while I on (prescription) drugs in the middle of the night or am I likely to get some other disease and bleed out my sinuses or something. This is after the fact! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloysius Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 not to freak you out or anything... but http://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2012/08/27/how-not-to-die-using-a-neti-pot/ anyway the chances of getting such brain eating parasites from just one use with tap water is very small... it is very rare. so best advice: just don't do it again. if you're really worried perhaps you should go to a doctor and ask them about it, but it appears the risk is very minimal. I can't find anything out there about what to do if you did use tapwater... http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/03/rare-infection-prompts-neti-pot-warning/ http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm316375.htm anyway, like I said, I learned about this from Dr. Gregory House lol... but it is a real danger so you should not use unboiled tap water in a neti pot ever, but if you did happen to do it just once I don't think the risk of a worst case scenario is too high... :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotreDame Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 I'm not asking would you. I'm wondering if I just made my infection 2 times as bad and haven't noticed yet because of something dumb I did while I on (prescription) drugs in the middle of the night or am I likely to get some other disease and bleed out my sinuses or something. This is after the fact! Any infection you'd get from tap water would be unrelated to sinusitis - so you wouldn't have made your existing infection worse, no. But, if you are still infected/congested it will be more difficult for the water to drain, so I wouldn't just use the neti pot once. Now that you've done it once, I'd continue to flush out your sinuses in that manner, spending a little extra time getting all the water out afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 (edited) I'm not asking would you. I'm wondering if I just made my infection 2 times as bad and haven't noticed yet because of something dumb I did while I on (prescription) drugs in the middle of the night or am I likely to get some other disease and bleed out my sinuses or something. This is after the fact! No need to jump to the defensive. I am not a doctor but I'm just issuing some advice for the future. :blink: Edited January 12, 2014 by MaterMisericordiae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anastasia13 Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 No need to jump to the defensive. I am not a doctor but I'm just issuing some advice for the future. :blink: Yeah, it just wasn't the future I was asking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Yeah, it just wasn't the future I was asking about. I realize that but not many people know not to use tap water. Other people who read this may benefit from it if you don't. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anastasia13 Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 I realize that but not many people know not to use tap water. Other people who read this may benefit from it if you don't. ;) Ok, good point. I read also that they should use non-iodized salt. Not sure which kind table salt is, but I think it is iodized. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Ok, good point. I read also that they should use non-iodized salt. Not sure which kind table salt is, but I think it is iodized. Yes, that's correct on both counts. I have always heard that it is best to buy the buffered packets pre-measured in the drug store because they contain a bit of baking soda (so the saline doesn't sting). I've mixed it at home and always used kosher salt which is non-iodized. Sea salt is another option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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