It pays to be nosy.

• Author: Solomon, Hana R.
• Position: MEDICINE & HEALTH - Nasal irrigation

THE NOSE is our gatekeeper, personal filter, and great defender. When a nose fails in some fashion, it affects the ears, sinuses, throat, appetite, and disposition. A dysfunctional nose can cause headaches, snoring, coughing, and asthma: the list goes on and on. As a pediatrician. I have consulted with innumerable patients whose noses were snotty, congested, itchy, drippy, plugged. dry, bloody, and overmedicated. My common-sense first response always has been: wash it first. A long time ago, we learned that, if we brush our teeth daily, we prevent cavities. So, now we brush. We know that all sorts of filters--whether for the car. clothes dryer, or home heisting and cooling system--work better if kept clean. Why not clean the body's filter?

For years. I shared a clinic with nay husband who is a family physician, so I have seen my share of adult issues in the nose. sinus, ears, and lungs. Let's face it: I developed into a "'snotty nose" expert. I studied, reviewed. discussed, and listened to my patients and found I often encouraged nose washing as a way to avoid or reduce the need for medications. I also reviewed published scientific literature regaling nasal irrigation, and I found enormous support for this simple idea.

More importantly, I asked every one of my patients to tell me about their experiences with nasal washing. Then I compared this feedback with the formal studies published in the medical literature. It turns out that those who wash their nose daily come to see me less often, use fewer medications, sleep better, snore less. and experience fewer asthma episodes.

Since the mid 1990s. there has been a slow-growing interest in the idea of nasal cleansing. Since the new millennium, this interest has exploded led, powered by the surge in the focus on prevention, alternatives, and an overall integrative approach to health. Well-known doctors have promoted the practice. Although antihistamines, decongestants, steroids, and antibiotics commonly are prescribe& physicians have added the adjunctive treatment of nasal irrigation for allergy sufferers, postoperative sinus surgery patients, and those who suffer from chronic sinusitis. Only recently has it been recommended formally as a mainstream preventative approach.

Nasal irrigation can be accomplished through a variety of methods--everything from sniffing salt water from the cupped hand to the use of infant suction bulbs. These methods are not really irrigation; they are moisturization...