Customer Reviews

Himalayan Institute Ceramic Neti Pot

5 star:		(180)
4 star:		(44)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

The neti pot is one of those things that I always knew I *needed* and would love once I got one and started using it.

But I still dragged my heels about getting one.

When we were out in a store one day, we saw one and my 17 year old son told me to get it. As always, I didn't feel like spending the $20 right then. There always seems to be *other* things I'd rather spend $20 on. And there we were, each ordering a gourmet coffee at $4 each. ::shame::

My son *firmly* said, for the second time, "Mom ~ GET IT!"

So I did.

And still, it just sat there. On the counter. All clean and ready to go, but picking it up and using it was another matter entirely.

And then one day, I just did it. I had been having allergy attacks, from being in the enclosed house with the woodstove burning all of the time. I couldn't believe I was sneezing so much!

So I picked up the pot, prepared the water and the salt, and did it.

It was so funny ~ I came out of the bathroom with my eyes all red and watery, with my throat all itchy feeling, my head all dizzy. My sons were like, "Yeah! That worked REALLY well!" <>

But once you get over the *trauma* of the first time using it (it's like going underwater and getting water up your nose, but after you do it the first time, you know what to expect...), it's amazing.

I usually do it in the morning now before I do my yoga and I feel great all day. From that *first* day I used it, those allergy symptoms I wrote about were GONE. I still am sneezy once in awhile, but just from normal irritants. I'm going to start doing it once in the morning and once in the evening.

It is amazing to be able to BREATHE and to have CLEAR feeling sinuses!!

If you are even *thinking* of getting this for yourself, just DO it. You won't be sorry. Everyone I know who has one is in love with it. It's easy ~ don't worry about getting all the special *washes* or *salts*. It works with regular salt or sea salt.

You'll be so happy you got it and used it when you're not getting those colds and sinus infections anymore.

Be advised that I am not a medical doctor, despite the fact that my username begins with doc. I first tried using a Neti pot several years ago when I was suffering from really bad sinus congestion. The best prescripton decongestants were not helping me much, if any, over the course of several weeks but I got refills anyway and kept on suffering. A friend told me her mom had used a Neti pot for clearing her sinuses, and she said it worked better than anything else she had tried. So I got myself one, and have been using it ever since. I don't use it every day, but only when I feel like allergies are starting to bother me (some use it on a more regular basis than me, but since I don't know firsthand how helpful that is, I'll leave it to other reviewers to discuss). There is a decent description of how it is used in the product info above, so I won't go into that. It a little bit uncomfortable (or just plain feels weird at first), like when you get water up your nose while swimming, but the relief it gives has been well worth it in my opinion. Also the thought of warm saline going into one nostril and coming out the other can seem pretty gross to many people, but it's not too difficult to get used to. Overall I've found the process to be quick and easy, and it has relieved my symptoms very well. The bottom line is that it has helped me clear nasal congestion at times when nothing else seemed to be helping much, and I have been extremely impressed with the relief I have experienced after using it. Of course people still need to see their doctor for bad congestion and allergies, and if you are using a Neti pot I would let your doctor know that too (maybe bring the box to show them what you're talking about).

This is ideal for clearing blocked nasal passages. Just fill this little pot with water and 1/4 teaspoon of non-iodized salt. Tilt your head to one side while the spout is inserted in one nostril. You will be amazed at how freely the nasal blockage flows!

Repeat the process on the other side. Do this at least twice a day and you will start to feel the difference! I first became aware of this ancient Himalayan health agent on May 22, 2007 when Dr. Oz introduced it on the Oprah! show. I went out and bought mine that same day and already it has made such a good difference for me. I highly recommend it!

Used with a saline solution and neti nasal wash this little contraption really improves you feeling of well-being when your sinuses are irritated. The use of this does not offer a cure directly, but it does easy congestion and clear the sinuses, which helps getting rid of virus-bearing phlegm. Ear-throat-nose doctors do recommend nasal rinses with saline solution since it also soothes the inflamed mucous membranes.

I've had chronic sinusitis for the last 8 years and have tried everything from Claritin to Flonase and numerous types of antibitoics and sprays. All are non-effective or work only at the beginning. Enduring bad side effects are killing me. Finally peti pot is my rescuer. I am glad that Oprah has shown this to her audience!

I have purchased three Neti pots: both of the ones here--the Himalayan Institute ceramic and plastic--and the Ancient Secrets ceramic pot. I gave away this ceramic one, but kept the plastic one for travel. The Ancient Secrets is my preferred pot. If they ever make a plastic one, I will get it also and get rid of my Himalayan Institute plastic one!

Why I don't like this specific pot:
- it does not form a good "seal" around my nostril
- water does not flow smoothly through my sinuses
- water is always coming out of the top and dripping down the outside of the pot and therefore down my face

The Ancient Secrets pot has none of these problems! It seals well, flows smoothly, and does not come out of the top. Definitely get it instead.

I might have rated this pot higher, perhaps even a two or three, had I not used the Ancient Secrets one and found it to be so much better! The price on both seems too high, but I have yet to see a reasonably priced Neti pot!

Last but not least, there is no need to buy any special salts. Plain table salt works fine (get the NON-IODIZED variety) as does Kosher salt (it should be non-iodized but has a larger grain so you need to use about twice as much). Think about it: you are most likely going to be using tap water rather than heating up filtered water, so do you really need some overpriced "pure", "medical grade" salt? Save your money!!!

You can pay $100 or so for the electric pumps or just over half that for a Waterpik with a Grossan attachment. But, read the reviews. They have serious quality and support problems and I've tried both and the Neti pot works just fine. It takes a couple of uses to get the hang of it, and you may feel like an idiot the first time bent over the sink learning to suppress the drowning reflex making privacy helpful at first, but I've used it for more than three years and it's as routine as brushing my teeth.

I have serious allergies and severe sleep apnea and am on CPAP so clear sinuses are really important to me. When I started using the Neti pot, I was able to get off of OTC nasal inhalers which have side effects that can be hard to pin down but can cause insomnia and dependency. (I was a thirty year abuser.)

You don't need the special saline packets though they are kind of handy. University of Michigan Med suggests using 1/4 tsp of kosher or pickling salt with an equal amount of baking soda in 8 oz. of warm tap water. I like the water just slightly warmer than body temp. Iodized salt and even some "natural" salts can burn. Some, but not all, sea salts work fine alone. Using a saline solution that is comfortable helps a lot.

Try this before investing in one of the "high-tech" products and see if it doesn't meet your needs just as well. I'll never stop using it.

How my life could have been better if I had discovered years ago that there is a safe and not too awfully unpleasant (once you get used to it) way to flush out your sinuses and rid yourself of most if not all of that nasty pollen that gets in there and causes so much trouble in the Spring.

My wife got one of these, and I've tried it and can tell you it works. Mucous build up in the nose and sinuses leads to infection and a host of other problems. So, flush them away before they begin with this brilliantly simple and cheap device!

The concept is brilliant, and it really does cleanse the nasal cavity and improve breathing. However, for those of us with particularly small nostrils, and, probably children, it doesn't fit well. I was not able to insert it very far into my nostrils to create a proper seal, so it sometimes slipped out. I will purchase another one that is designed for smaller noses.

This is a fabulous pot and very easy to use. My son and I have chronic sinusitis and the summer has been much more enjoyable since we both started using these pots. We snore a lot less and I don't have nearly as many sinus headaches as I used to have.



You fill the pot with warm water and a tsp. of non-iodized salt. Then breathe out of your mouth while you place the tip of the pot into one nostril, tilt your head and the pot, and let the water run through one nostril and out the other. Then switch sides. I use one half of the total amount of water in each nostril.



My 11 year old was able to do it on the first try. He mixes his own salt water and administers it into his nostrils by himself. He watches himself in the mirror and thinks that it's really cool. I never have to remind him to do it before he goes to bed.



I would highly recommend this Neti Pot to anyone with sinus issues.