Adding a nasal irrigator to my list of rare disease gadgets

It was another appointment in an appointment-packed January. My hopes weren’t particularly high, but no one will ever accuse me of being a less-than-perfect patient, so I braved the cold bite of the new year.

I was seeing an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist based out of my future alma mater, the University of Minnesota (UMN). I didn’t expect much — I’ve accepted that my sinuses will be a lifelong nemesis — but I was excited to see how the UMN handled things. For one thing, the pre-appointment paperwork even went so far as to have me rate the severity of my symptoms.

The appointment itself wasn’t groundbreaking. It was what came after that made a difference.

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Taking the plunge

The ENT sent me home with a neti pot, something I’d heard about several times but could never gather the courage to try. For the uninitiated, a neti pot “irrigates” your nostrils by flushing distilled water in one side and out the other.

He didn’t seem to think I had chronic sinusitis; if anything, the symptoms suggested a particularly stuffy nose. Nasal irrigation would hopefully alleviate some of my problems.

Funnily enough, my mom read about a suction-powered nasal irrigator earlier that morning and thought we should try one. The neti pot given to me by the ENT was manual and required you to tip your head down so the fluid drained — something I couldn’t do. We stopped at our local pharmacy on the way home, cringed at the price tag, and bought the suction-powered version on a whim.

The copy on the box was hilarious: “It’s all about the nose,” proclaimed a white man in a white doctor’s coat. “Nasal irrigation will be to the 21st century what oral hygiene was to the 20th!”

An actual game changer

Once the tank is full of distilled water, you place a suction tip in each nostril and let the irrigation do its thing. For such a small machine, it packs quite a punch. If you hold it too firmly against your face, the water will run down your throat and you’ll feel a little bit like you’re drowning. If you’re not careful about placing both tips correctly, the same thing will happen, with more water outside than in.

After a few tries, we got the hang of things. It feels wrong — all that liquid shooting up your nose like a jet stream at the water park. But the results are undeniable.

My nose ran for hours after my first irrigation. I felt clear in ways I couldn’t achieve with a cart full of decongestants. The second and third sessions were much the same, with the outbound chamber full of goodies (derogatory).

I haven’t gotten up the courage to try it a fourth time; it really is a lot. But I’m excited to see how it helps my sinuses with continued use.

I know I’ve written about a lot of gadgets over the past couple of months, but they’re all things I think can help in life with SMA. The irrigator in particular stands out to me. We’re already prone to respiratory infections, and like the box copy says, “The nose is your body’s air filter to help prevent germs from getting into the lungs. Nasal irrigation is the third pillar of everyday personal hygiene. Like washing your hands and brushing your teeth, cleaning your nose helps the body fight illness and stay healthy.”

Hilarious but true, isn’t it?

Note: SMA News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of SMA News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to spinal muscular atrophy.