The Neti Pot

Dr. Memhet Oz appears on the Oprah show frequently to answer bizarre and sometimes embarrassing questions for viewers. He has repeatedly given glowing endorsements for the ancient practice of cleansing the nasal cavity using a device called a neti pot.

The actual name of the pot, jala neti, is a Sanskrit term referring to an ancient yogic cleansing technique. It literally means “water cleansing.” We know that yoga originated somewhere between 4,000 to 8,000 years ago. So, it can be estimated that the practice of nasal cleansing began somewhere during that span. The pots can be made of ceramic, glass metal or plastic.

The technique is odd to many who are unfamiliar with the practice, but it is beginning to find recognition by Western medicine. Dr. Oz has certainly increased that awareness by making such a high-profile approval.

The use of neti pots is extremely common in India (where it began) and South East Asia, and is as common as often as brushing one’s teeth. The procedure of using a neti pot has been categorized as an “alternative” medicine along with chiropractic and massage therapy, acupuncture, homeopathy and other herbal remedies. The current and preferred term is now “complementary” medicine.

The Word Health Organization estimates that 65% to 80% of the world’s entire population relies on these types of “complementary” medicine as their main source of health care. That estimate would equal 3 billion people.

Oz explained that washing out your sinuses with plain tap water can be irritating. If the water is too cold, you might feel as though you’re drowning in a pool. He says that warm water with a quarter teaspoon of salt is ideal.

“You never want to wash [human] tissue without having saltwater in them,” said Oz. “Your own cells like it more.”

Amy, the willing audience participant, battles regular sinusitis. Dr. Oz explained the appropriate way to bend forward, over a bowl. You then pull your head up slightly and turn it to the side.

The neti pot is inserted into the nostril that is higher. For instance, if you tilt your head to the left, you place the neti pot in your left nostril. You need to let the long spout of the pot form a secure seal inside your nose. By slowly tilting the pot, the warm water enters one nostril and then exits in a steady stream from the other nostril.

It does look quite odd. Yet Dr. Oz explained that such a simple treatment can be much more effective than medication.

“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 said.

Dr. Oz indicated that the last step is to blow your nose, so that any excess water leaves the nose. Amy didn’t skip a beat, and blew her nose for viewers everywhere. While it’s not the genie-in-a-bottle that most would suspect, Amy seemed delighted with her new discovery.

“I thought it would feel like drowning, but it feels good,” she said.

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