Neti Pots?

[Redcatlady]

I use a Neti pot with water from a PUR pitcher filter that has been microwaved for less than a minute.  Is this enough to protect me from amoebas?  Or do I need to heat it longer?  I use saline packets with it, and wash it afterward (inside and the spout).  I also live in southwest Louisiana.  Please advise.  I've already asked this question a few minutes ago on Dr. Sanjay Gupta's CNN blog.

Redcatlady

[GS2991]

Uh is this for drinking water? I wouldn't worry. Heck I've drank raw creek water before I'm not worried much about stuff like that. But it takes 30 sec. in the nuker to kill of bugs when you want to bring in dirt during winter months so I guess a minute is good. How crispy do you want the little things?

[Melissa_W Moderator]

Check your local water source statistics (we get a report on bacteria, minerals/metals, etc. from the city where I live every year) and ask about any amoeba content.

Essentially, amoebic meningitis/encephalitis is extremely rare (approximately 130 cases in the US between 1937 and 2007).  Those very few people who have recently died of the infection - and hit the news - were using unfiltered tap water in areas known to have high amoebic content (and I believe one was even on well-water).  If it really is concerning to you, then use distilled water with the saline packets.

[Jefferson_Thom…]

If you're really worried, my advice would be to boil the water first (about two or three minutes in the microwave).  Just be sure to cool it down enough before you squirt it up your nose (can you imagine the pain of the burns if you don't?  Yikes!).

For those who don't know what we're talking about (I didn't until a year or two ago), a "neti pot" is a thing (frequently ceramic) that looks like a delicate teapot with a ridiculously-long spout.  You hold your head at a certain angle and pour clean water into your nose.  If you're holding your head correctly, the water will irrigate your nose and then run out the other nostril, allegedly washing away a layer of bacteria-infested crud, thus giving your immune system a fighting chance.

I've always thought that people who used such things were nuts, but my wife's girlfriend (who's prone to sinus infections) swears by hers.  I've never had the nerve to try it, but she's not stupid, so I'm willing to take her word for it.

Has anyone else had good (or bad) results with one?

Jeff