Nutty for neti pots

When Emma Harness' friends walk into her dorm room and find her pouring saltwater up her nose, they tend to become "concerned."

But the St. Olaf sophomore explains that her five-year nasal wash habit helps with allergies, colds and sinus problems. Then her friends inevitably ask, "Can you do that again?"

So she mixes salt with warm water in her neti pot, a ceramic pot designed for nasal rinsing. The 19-year-old tilts her head and places the spout in one nostril. The water flows up into her sinuses and then streams out the opposite nostril. Harness turns her head and repeats on the other side.

Never before has salt water up the nose been so popular.

Sales at the Himalayan Institute, a major U.S. neti pot manufacturer, have increased more than 400 percent in the past 10 years. And in the first eight months of 2007, they've seen a 100 percent increase over 2006, thanks in part to a plug from Dr. Oz on Oprah Winfrey's show early this year.

Local natural foods stores, including Mississippi Market in St. Paul and the Wedge and Whole Foods in Minneapolis, all report a steady rise in year-over-year neti pot sales.

"I've heard some pretty excellent feedback from [customers] that it's a nice alternative to taking a lot of medication," said Mindy Hauge of Whole Foods. After the Oprah show, "there were just multiple people a day coming in really wanting one, and now that it's getting to be the fall season, we still have at least one person a day."

Park Nicollet Clinic allergist Brenda Guyer, M.D., has been recommending the nasal wash to patients for about six years. "Neti pots are really effective," she said. "They help with a host of problems."

Now's the perfect time to give it a try; Guyer said Minnesota is at "peak misery" for allergies. Until the first few frosts, usually early in October, ragweed and pollen are out in full force during September. On top of that, viruses that lead to colds are at their height in September and October.

But be warned: The neti pot can feel strange at first as you figure out the right angle and tilt of the head. Over time, it should feel comfortable if you're doing it properly with the right water temperature and amount of noniodized salt.

"I've had so many successes with it," Guyer said. She's used a two-pronged approach for many patients by writing a prescription and suggesting a neti pot. During followup appointments, "it's not infrequent that they haven't taken the prescription but they're using the neti pot and say, 'That's the best thing you recommended.' "

Neti pots, which usually run $10 to $20, are available at some pharmacies, natural food stores, co-ops and online retailers (see www.netipot.org for an instructional video that won awards after its YouTube debut).

Harness' mom, Kathy Palmer, is another neti pot fan who has made fewer trips to the doctor and spent less on medicine since she started using it 15 years ago. At the time, she had developed allergies to her cats and frequent sinus infections. The neti pot was a daily routine.

"It really reduced the pressure I'd feel in my head with the sinus infection, and I think it shortened how long I would have them," the Minneapolis resident said. "It's nice if you don't have to go to the doctor, and it just feels healthier if you can do some things on your own."

Although nasal wash techniques have been around for thousands of years -- originally it was used in India by people practicing yoga and meditation so they could breathe easier -- an increasing desire to use natural healing methods is boosting the neti pot's prominence, said Marge Watkins, a spokeswoman for the Himalayan Institute.

"People are becoming more conscious, wanting to use less medication and less invasive treatments," she said. "Across the board, people are looking for ways they can improve their health more naturally."

Sarah Moran is a Minneapolis health writer.