Ailment: Rhinitis, allergic. Hay fever

Remedy: Nasal salt wash

Make a mild saline solution by dissolving 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt in 1/2 cup of lukewarm water. Lie down, or tip your head back, and put 3 - 4 drops of the solution into each nostril with a dropper. Do this every few hours. Some people use bulb syringes, squirt bottles or neti pots.

The most effective way to get a solution right into the sinuses is to stand and bend forward, so the back of your head is parallel to the floor. Use a small spray to put a squirt into each nostril. This method is so effective that it is best to first try one of the other methods above, to see if you have a pain-reaction to the solution. When you are used to it, you can double the strength of the solution (to 1 teaspoon sea salt in 1/2 cup water).

Comment posted by Irrigator of Huntington, NY, USA on 16 August 2021 at 13:25       5308

YES
I use a nasal irrigator daily, sometimes twice, and it works well for me. I use a litre of tepid 103F slightly hypertonic saline solution made from sea salt.

Comment posted by Deb from Philly of Austin, TX, USA on 8 January 2015 at 7:0       3139

YES
If you have rhinitis that is bothersome to you, and you haven't tried this remedy yet...what are you waiting for? It may not sound pleasant, and I myself avoided it for many years, even after it cured my mother of chronic sinusitis. It sounds unpleasant and may be unpleasant the first time you try it, but don't stop there! I did stop there until this past year when my allergies became completely unbearable. I bit the bullet a year ago and used a neti-pot with sea salt solution. I felt 75% better after 15 minutes had passed and 85% better after 1 hour. I now use the neti-pot when my nose/sinuses are really bad. I keep nasal salt wash with me in my purse at all times and use it multiple times per day as needed to keep my sinuses and nose clear. No more cloudy thinking, runny nose, stopped up sinuses, or sore throat from post-nasal drip.

Comment posted by David Niven Miller of Perth, WA, Australia on 14 April 2010 at 10:15       41

YES
This is a gentle and natural remedy. If you get the salt concentration in the wash right, it is painless when you get it into your nose and sinus passages. If you have a sinus problem along with the drip, the best way to get the solution into the sinuses is to use a small spray bottle. Bend over so that you are looking at the floor, and then spray into each nostril. Repeat every hour or as often as required.