ISO: Tips for making nasal rinse easier.

[swampnurse]

My son's pulmonologist wants him to try a nasal rinse once a day. I will start tomorrow! I think I might give it a shot too since I would like to ditch my allergy meds and maybe it would make it easier for him if i do it too.

My son is 5.5 y/o and generally cooperative. He already uses a nasal spray every day but the doctor warned me that this would probably be much worse.

Just wondering if anyone has any tips to make this easier for him (and me).

Thanks!

[neeleymartin]

not sure about this but is a neti pot the only way to do a rinse? if so, check youtube. they have videos of people using the pot. he may be more apt to try it/cooperate if he sees one in action. participants in the vids that i have seen love it. i have never tried. not sure that helps any, but hope it does.

here are a bunch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWDeUVtTLoA

[belovedgandp]

Experiment on yourself first to help describe the process to him. The two best things I can say are to lean very far over the sink to prevent the rinse from going down your throat (you want it up in the nasal cavities and out the opposite nostril). Second, keep your mouth open and focus on continuing to breathe while doing this.

My DS1 is just over 6. He had some awful seasonal allergies this spring. He let me do the nasal rinse thing on him for about a week when things were really bad. He would stand on the tub edge and lean over the sink while I squeeze the bottle in his nose. Have a wash cloth handy and do it slow at the beginning. The first time we only made it through about 1/4 of a bottle and about 1/2 that was straight into the sink, but then we got better. He never figure out the breathing thing so it was in short bursts.

I have had great success with nasal rinsing. It really makes a difference in my allergy symptoms.

[oneplustwo]

Look into the pediatric Neilmed kit:

http://www.amazon.com/Neilmeds-Sinus-Pediatric-Complete-Saline/dp/B000A0S5LG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1272507401&sr=8-1

It's a squeeze bottle sized for kids, and so much easier to use than the netipot. It works the same as a netipot, but you don't have to worry about tilting your head just right or holding the pot just so, etc. We have lots of allergies in our family, so lots of experience with nasal rinses. I use a netipot, but DD has been using the Neilmed bottle since she was 6 years old. The netipot was a complete failure with her, but she took right to the Neilmed. I got her original kit and additional pre-mixed packets on Amazon with FSSS, but apparently all that's available right now come from third party sellers.

[swampnurse]

Thanks so much everybody! We'll both give it a whirl tomorrow after we pick up the pedi bottle at the drugstore!