What Is a Neti Pot?

What is a neti pot? If you're new to the idea of nasal irrigation, this will be one of your very first questions. And it's a good one.

Even though neti pots are growing in widespread popularity, they're still not exactly commonplace. Below are answers to the most common nasal irrigation questions, including the most important for neti pot newbies – what are neti pots, anyway?

Photos and FAQs for Neti Pot Newbies

What is a neti pot? A little pot that holds saline solution, right up until the moment it goes into your nose.

What is a neti pot solution made of? Your basic netti solution consists of water and neti pot salt. Basically, this is a saline solution, designed to mimic the salt in our sweat and tears. A widely recommended recipe calls for a slightly heaping 1/4 teaspoon of neti pot salt with 8 ounces of lukewarm, pure nasal irrigation-friendly water.

How is a neti pot used? When using a neti pot, you put the neti spout into one nostril, tilt the neti pot until the water begins to flow "up" your nose, and experience nasal irrigation as this neti solution passes through your nasal cavities and then drains out the other nostril.

Why on Earth would people do such a thing? Oddly enough, people have been doing this for centuries, as part of a yoga purification ritual called jala-neti. But nowadays, most people use neti pots to flush their nasal cavities for sinus health.

What's Behind the Growing Popularity of Neti Pots? The resurgence of neti pots started a few years ago when Dr. Oz recommended and demonstrated one on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Since then, neti pots have been climbing steadily in popularity, partly because once people try using a neti pot, they often recommend the neti pot process to friends. And these days, doctors are recommending them too. Medically speaking, neti pots are used for combating allergies, clearing congestion when you have the sniffles, or just keeping your nasal passages nice and healthy.

But when you use a neti pot, don't you feel like you're drowning? Shockingly, no. If you use a neti pot correctly, you can (and should) breathe the whole time (through your mouth, not through your nose, obviously). In fact, even while the water is running through your nasal passages, you can not only breathe, but yodel, sing, and carry on entire conversations – assuming you can find someone willing to stick around long enough to have a conversation with.

Oddly enough, you can breathe, talk, and sing the whole time you're using a neti pot. But you might have a hard time holding on to your audience.

Isn't it dangerous to use a neti pot? The most dangerous thing about using a neti pot is the person using it. What this means is that most neti problems (or neti pot dangers) are the result of common neti newbie mistakes, rather than any danger posed by the actual process of nasal irrigation. Common mistakes include omitting the salt, using impure water, or the basic one of forgetting to breathe.

What are neti pots made of? You can find neti pots in plastic, ceramic, or even metal (especially stainless steel or copper). Each has their own benefits and drawbacks. In general, plastic is the cheapest, ceramic is the cutest, and metal is the biggest.

Where Can You Get a Neti Pot? Even though they're growing in popularity, they're not always easy to find. Neti pot shopping sources are limited, but not impossible. Usually, you can find netti pots in many pharmacies, health food stores, or even big box stores like Wal-Mart or Target. The only problem is that you might not find your first choice as far as style and material. In fact, most stores only have one netti pot to choose from. If you don't need immediate neti gratification, however, you can also order a neti pot on-line and have lots of neti pot choices, including these top neti pot sellers from Amazon.

What is a neti pot user like? Except for the creator of this Web site (who obviously has some sort of weird neti pot thing going on), neti pot users are fairly normal people. Netti pot users range from yoga practitioners to medical doctors to college-students looking to combat spring allergies or the winter flu. As the neti pot popularity grows, so do the wide range of people who use them.

Because neti pots, they're not just for weirdos anymore.

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Neti Potter Vs. Harry Potter. Sometimes, people who use neti pots are called neti potters. Thanks to the popularity of a certain boy wizard, this can cause a certain degree of confusion. To make sure you reach for the right thing when your nasal cavities need irrigating, let's review how neti potters are different than Harry Potters.