Jala Neti with Boiled and Cooled Salt Water
A lota of lukewarm boiled-and-cooled saline used in a neti pot for a blocked nose. Never tap water, never when the nose is fully blocked or ears hurt, and learn it from a trained teacher first.
Important: this remedy is only a supportive home measure. Keep taking any medicine your doctor has prescribed, monitor your readings, and consult your doctor before adding anything new.
Safe only with the right water
Jala neti is a yogic practice of flushing the nose with lukewarm salt water from a small pot. Some people find it clears mucus and eases a blocked nose in a cold or in dusty weather. It is a rinse, not a treatment for infections or sinus disease. The water must be safe: tap water can carry germs that are dangerous in the nose.
Use water that has been boiled and cooled to lukewarm, or distilled water, with non-iodised salt in the right proportion. Clean the pot after each use. Skip it with a fully blocked nose, nosebleeds, a recent nose or ear surgery or ear pain, and in small children. Learn the method from a trained teacher first.
Ingredients
- 250 ml water, boiled and cooled to lukewarm, or distilled
- Quarter teaspoon non-iodised salt
- A clean neti pot
How to prepare
- Dissolve the salt completely in the lukewarm water.
- Fill the clean neti pot.
How to use
- Lean forward, tilt the head and let the water flow through one nostril and out the other, breathing through the mouth.
- Blow the nose gently afterwards and repeat on the other side.
Helpful habits
- Dry the pot after cleaning with hot water.
- Use fresh water every time.
Precautions
- Never use tap or untreated water.
- Skip it with a fully blocked nose, nosebleeds, ear pain, recent nose or ear surgery, and in small children.
- Learn from a trained teacher. Not a treatment for infection or sinus disease.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use tap water?
- No. Use boiled and cooled or distilled water only.
How often can I do it?
- Occasionally, when blocked, and not as a constant habit.
Is it safe for children?
- Not for small children.
