From colds and the flu to allergies, our sinuses can take quite a beating. No matter if your nose is stuffed up or your sinuses are draining away like Niagara Falls, either situation is going to be uncomfortable.

One of the best ways to deal with such situations is to clean out your sinuses. This is particularly true for people who suffer from allergies, whether seasonal or year-round, as flushing out irritants can help reduce the amount of inflammatory histamine that your body produces.

Here we’ll discuss the benefits of using nasal rinses, how to make your own at home, and how to safely rinse your sinuses for healthier and more comfortable living.

Is It Really So Simple?

Now, you might be wondering if a practice as simple as rinsing out your sinuses can really improve your health. It might not be a cure-all, but the practice is definitely effective enough to create a true difference in overall health and comfort.

Those who deal with allergies may particularly benefit from sinus rinsing, as the process helps clear the nasal passages of various allergens. Not only is it important to remove foreign particles from your nasal passages in order to reduce further irritation, it’s also important in order to help avoid sinus infections.

When mucus builds up and traps allergens, bacteria, and other irritants, it creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria-fueled infections. Nasal rinsing helps to unblock the nasal passages and provide your sinuses the chance to drain, thus making it difficult for infections to set in.

Sinus problems can result in a lot of sneezing and nose blowing, things that tend to make nasal passages feel even more raw and irritated. Using a saline nasal rinse helps to reduce this irritation by providing moisture to dried-out areas and giving raw areas a bit of a boost towards healing.

Cleaning out your sinuses also helps with breathing, particularly breathing at night when trying to sleep. Sinus congestion is one of the biggest causes of restless nights, so rinsing them out can go a long way toward allowing you to get some decent sleep.

Making Your Own Saline Rinse:

You can find a variety of saline rinses and sprays at any drugstore or pharmacy section of major retailers, but it’s just as easy, and rather cheaper, to make your own saline rinse at home. All you will need in order to make your saline rinse is water, salt, and baking soda.

First and foremost, you need to use distilled water, or, if using water from your tap, water that has been boiled and allowed to cool. Using distilled or boiled water is important because, otherwise, you may introduce harmful bacteria to your sinuses.

Once you have your water prepared, you’ll need 1 cup, you’ll then add half a teaspoon each of salt and baking soda. Mix your solution well before using it, making sure that everything you use for the process is clean. Your solution should remain usable for about three days when kept at room temperature, so you could always make a little more and avoid having to make the solution on a daily basis.

Rinsing Your Nasal Passages:

Rinsing out your sinuses can be an odd sensation, but, as long as you go about it properly, that’s all it will be. The process itself is rather straightforward, after all. To start with, you’ll want to use your saline solution at room temperature or lukewarm for optimal comfort. You can use a squeeze bottle or a product like the Neti Pot for the process, but make sure you’re standing over a sink during the rinse.

You’ll want to make sure that you’re leaning over a sink so that the water can drain away without making a mess. When you’re over the sink, tilt your head to one side to allow the rinse to drain out of your nose.

When placing your rinsing object at your nostril, you need to aim it so that it’s pointing at the back of your head; i.e., into the nostril. Start by placing your rinsing device in the nostril that is at the top while leaning over, allowing gravity to bring the rinse through the initial nostril and out the bottom nostril. Let the water flow through at a slow, even pace while you breathe through your mouth.

After you have rinsed through one side of your nose for a few seconds, you will then need to tilt your head the other way and rinse through the other nostril; this will rinse out both sides of your sinuses. Once you’ve finished, gently exhale through your nose, and then gently blow your nose a few times.