How Often Can I Use A Neti Pot?

Rinsing Routine

The most frequently asked question to us here at Baraka is: how often should I rinse? The answer, although simple, may not be easy for most people:

Listen to your body

In a culture that trusts science over the wisdom of the body, most people have not developed an ability to do this. We want a set of instructions and we keep to these instructions even when it isn’t benefitting us. In time, we give up saying something didn’t work or in the worst cases have caused ourselves harm.

Nasal rinsing may be a simple way to begin listening to your body. To give you an example: I have an aunt that lives in Ohio. She first began nasal rinsing in the summer months which can be humid. She rinsed every day and had great success as it helped her with her allergies. She continued this same routine into the Fall and Winter. Winters in Ohio can be very dry due to heaters and frigid temperatures. She began to notice that her nose felt irritated. She even got a nose bleed. Because salt is drying, she needed to reduce how often she rinsed. Then on New Year’s she got sick. She called me saddened as she felt she couldn’t rinse much to clear her cold. I told her now that she had excess mucous, the salt would be perfect.

Not only can climate effect how our bodies respond to nasal rinsing but so can our body constitutions. Some people are naturally moist; oily skin and retain excess fluid. They might more easily tolerate daily rinsing. Other people are dry; dry skin, dry hair and easily dehydrate. They might dry out their nasal passage easily and should watch for signs of this when they rinse. Some people are a combination of the two.

Your body will tell you exactly what it needs if you listen. At first you may be impatient. We all have busy lives and just want to resolve what ever ails us. However, it is becoming more apparent that one-size-fits-all as a medical model is failing. More than ever, we need to tune into our bodies. We need to know what works and what doesn’t. Expecting anything else puts us in harms way. How many of us have learned this lesson the hard way?