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 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.