A SALTWATER BATH FOR THE NOSE

An ancient Indian yogi treatment for a stuffy nose from allergies, sinusitis, or other causes is now a hit on drugstore shelves and YouTube videos. Nasal saline irrigation—a saltwater rinse for the nasal passages—has proved to be a safe, cheap, and effective remedy for chronic nose and sinus inflammation.

A 2007 analysis that combined the results of eight randomized, controlled trials concluded that saline irrigation relieves symptoms when used alone or with medication. And a 2008 study published in the Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery randomly assigned 401 children with cold or flu to receive standard medication or medication plus a daily nasal wash of processed seawater.

Over the next three months, the saline group had fewer nasal and cold symptoms, used fewer medicines, and had fewer school absences. The study was funded by Goemar Laboratories, maker of the seawater rinse used in the study. "Saline irrigation won't reverse an infection, but it helps remove mucus from the nasal cavity," explains Andrew Lane, M.D., director of the Johns Hopkins Sinus Center. Lane points out that seawater has no advantage over any other saline solution. All the rinses may also clear out allergens and bacteria, and cause cilia—tiny hairs in the nose that push mucus along—to work more effectively.

There are two kinds of irrigation kits, made by different companies, which cost about $15 to $40. One pushes saline into the nostrils with pressure from a squeeze bottle, bulb syringe, or water pic. The other—a pot with a small spout—uses gravity to deliver the saline. "People claim success with both kinds," says Lane, "but gravity drainage is probably the mildest." Try it in the morning and at night, and clean the device daily.