Can You Stave off a Cold? Waterpik’s new SinuSense Line

by Lori Cunningham

Fall is upon us — and so is flu season.  Is it possible to stave off a cold or the flu or are we doomed to some sort of sickness this

season?  The common cold is the most frequent infectious disease in humans^[3] with on average two to four infections a year in individual adults.  Children may have six to ten colds a year (and up to 12 colds a year for school children). 2

And if you get the flu, you’ll have lots of company. Each year from November to April, all across the United States, as many as 60 million people come down with the flu. 3.

If you suffer from year round allergies, are you destined to a larger heap of used Kleenex’s in your trash can this Fall?  40 million Americans suffer from allergies each year.  Many people need medication in order to “deal” with their allergies.  People with allergies suffer when pollens from flowers, trees, grass, animal dander, etc. enters their nose through normal breathing.  Once inside the nose and into the lungs, these pollens release histamines which cause swelling in their bronchi tubes as well as increase mucus in their nose.

So How Do You Defend Yourself Against Pollens and Colds?

Some people swear by healthy eating.  They say that healthy eating is the best defense you have against getting a cold.  Others tout over-the-counter medications like Airborne, Zicam, Cold-FX, and Cold-Eeze.  I was recently invited by Waterpik to see a presentation and have a discussion on their new SinuSense line.  The SinuSense line covers four different types of, well, neti pots.  One of the neti pots is battery-operated, which reads gadget to me, so I attended the presentation.

Neti pots are a type of  “nasal saline irrigation, a therapy that uses a salt and water solution to flush out the nasal cavity.”1  Neti pots have been heralded as a great way to minimize allergies or minimize an oncoming cold.  WebMD.com reports that,

“many patients with sinus symptoms from bacterial infections, allergies, and environmental irritants also have begun to regularly use the Neti pot or other nasal irrigation devices, claiming that these devices alleviate congestion, facial pain and pressure, and reduce the need for antibiotics and nasal sprays. Research backs up these claims, finding that nasal irrigation can be an effective way to relieve sinus symptoms when used along with standard sinus treatments.1

In some Eastern cultures, people clean their nose like this as often as they brush their teeth –  as a part of their  healthy routine.  The neti pot has only recently begun gaining attention as a viable health product in the United States during the last 10 years.

In my post about the new SmarTouch gloves, I mentioned the sudden cold and cloudy weather we’ve been having in sunny Southern California lately.  After a week’s respite of nearly 100 degree weather, we’re back to cold and rainy weather.  Four days ago I awoke with a scratchy throat.  Uh-oh… I knew a sore throat was on the way.

At the Waterpik SinuSense presentation they mentioned that you should begin using the neti pot at the first sign of a cold.  I tend to be hard core when I get sick.  I rarely escape by with a brief or nonchalant cold.  So I was ready to do anything to reduce this next intense cold attack.

I followed the brief instructions and mixed together the SinuSense saline solution with warm water.  I chose the Neti Bottle first because it has an upgraded control valve to help better control the flow of the water.  Also, it is recommended for ages 4 and up, so I figured if it was safe for a kid, it would be more gentle on me.

I was nervous that the water in my nostril would feel like water going up your nose when in the pool – a painful, unpleasant experience.  Although I did feel a tinge of that when inserting water in my nostril at first, it was not painful.  But I did have some trouble getting the water to go through my sinuses.  To be honest, it took me a while to figure it out.  Fortunately, my four year old son was watching and told me to press down on the black control valve that I forgot about.  Oh yeah.  Pressing the button water simply flowed into one nostril and emptied out through the other nostril.  Hey, it worked!

I repeated the same process with my other nostril.  It’s a bit of an awkward process – not one I’d do around my husband for sure.  After I was done, I gently blew my nose.  Hmmm.  That wasn’t so bad.  Two days later I graduated to the Water Pulsator, which automatically streams water through your nose with a press of the button.  Admittedly, this one made me a bit nervous, what it if pulsated water too fast or too strong?  Luckily, it all turned out fine, and in fact, I prefer the Water Pulsator because it takes less time to empty it’s 8oz. reservoir.

It is now four days later.  Each day I have awoken, I have felt a scratchiness in my throat.  However, with cleansing my nose twice a day, I have not had a runny nose, a stuffy nose, or other irritating symptoms, besides a little bit of post nasal drip.  I truly believe that using the Neti Bottle has helped me to greatly minimize this first Fall cold.  This minimization is no little thing because I often get colds.  In fact, I’ve suffered through 2 in the last 2 1/2 months alone.

For the little bit of unpleasantness and awkwardness I experienced in cleaning out my sinuses, it is WORTH it to avoid a major cold.  In fact, now that I’ve been using the Neti Bottle and Water Pulsator more often, I’m getting better and faster at it.

Pros:

• it truly cleans out your nose and sinuses, getting rid of any contaminants that might be residing there
• reduces the risk of cold and allergy symptoms
• once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to perform
• only takes a couple of minutes from start to finish
• healthier than nose sprays and drugs
• cheaper than allergy & cold drugs and sinus surgery
• different neti pots available dependent upon preference
• helps you to breath better and dry up excess mucus
• SinuSense provides better control of water flow over traditional neti pots
• SinuSense sells pre-packaged saline packs with aloe vera extract and eucalyptus oil  are beneficial for their moisturizing and antibacterial benefits

Cons:

• the experience is a bit awkward and unpleasant at first
• you need to ensure you keep your SinuSense bottles clean to avoid introducing new germs into your nose
• wasted water – you need to run your hot water for a while in order to obtain the right warm temperature
• buying SinuSenes’ Soothing Saline packs can add to your daily cost
• although most bottles are made for children 4 and up, it might be difficult to get your child to try it

A Mother’s Perspective

With regards to kids, I believe there is a tremendous opportunity to minimize their cold symptoms.  How wonderful it would be to feel more secure that your child is not wiping their nose on their hands and then playing with other kids.  The saline solution used in the neti pot greatly diminishes the production of mucus.

However, getting your child to use the neti pot is another matter.  My 7 year old daughter disappeared after I suggested she try it with me.  My 4 year old son, however, was more willing.  My son says he awakes daily with “one of his noses (nostrils) stuffed up,” as he says.  He tried using the neti bottle on two different occasions with me.  Unfortunately, we were not successful in getting the water to flow from one nostril to another.  He didn’t really like it too much.  So when he does face a cold, I’m not sure if he’ll be up to trying it again.

Nonetheless, for me, I am a believer.  At the first sign of a cold, I will have my neti pot filled up and ready.  Reducing my cold symptoms will…

1. minimize the length of the cold (which means I can get more done!)
2. decrease my ability to spread germs to other family members (means more time gained instead of tending to sick kids)

So you could be thinking, “OK, this sounds good, but how does this really work?”  Well, I could shoot a rough video of how I use the SinuSense to clean out my nose, but well, uh, I’m afraid it could be the next big viral video and I’d prefer to spend my 15 minutes of fame another way.  So instead, I found a video showing Dr. Oz using one – with help from a celebrity audience member!

As you can see from the video, Dr. Oz makes it look easy.  And it is easy after you get a little practice in.  For those of you worried about some water escaping down your throat, it does occasionally happen.  But you simply spit if out and you’re fine.  The salt solution does not irritate your throat or taste bad.

You can purchase the SinuSense line from mass retailers such as Wal-mart and Walgreens or directly through Waterpik.  The Neti Pot, Neti Bottle, and Squeeze Bottle all retail for $14.99.  The Water Pulsator retails for $39.99.  The bottles are PBA free, microwave safe, and dishwasher safe.

So, what do you think?  Do you have any questions for me about the product, process, or after effects?  Or, are you a neti pot disciple?  We’d love to hear your thoughts, please leave a comment below.

WIN IT!!!

Waterpik SinuSense has generously offered one of their SinuSense products to giveaway to one of our lucky readers!

TO ENTER:

1.     Leave a comment about  your impressions of or use of a neti pot.

2.     Follow  WellConnectdmom on Twitter.  Leave another comment here to tell us you are following us on Twitter.

3.     Become a fan of the WellConnectedMom.com by clicking on “Like” on the Well Connected Mom Facebook page.  Leave a comment to tell us you’re now a fan.  If you’re already a fan, leave a comment too for an extra entry!

4.     Receive another chance to win by asking your friends to “like” the WellConnectedMom.com on Facebook.  For every friend of yours that joins, you’ll receive another entry into the contest.  Be sure to send an e-mail to info@wellconnectedmom.com of each friend you referred who “likes” WellConnectedMom.com.

The more comments you leave, following the guidelines above, the better your chances of winning!

Contest ends on November 17th@ 10pm PST.  Contest open to all US residents. Good luck and thanks for spreading the word!