A few weeks ago I got my first ever sinus infection. I wanted someone to hit me in the back of the head with a 2x4 and put me out of my misery. Seriously.

So I finally did what I had been avoiding....the neti pot.

I knew in my heart of hearts that it was the right thing. Basically, it cleanses your sinus cavity with warm salt water. The icky part is that you have to run warm salt water into one nostril until it comes out the other. I was terrified that I would feel like I was drowning and either burst out giggling (cough, sputter) or have a panic attack.

Well, I'm happy to report that neither happened. It's not not anywhere NEAR as awful as I feared! I could breathe easily through my mouth the entire time. Uncomfortable but certainly not painful. And I'm willing to bet that I won't need antibiotics again for a sinus infection.

If you google "neti pot" you'll find lots of places that sell them online. I chose one by "Ancient Secrets" because it is food-grade ceramic and therefore can go in the dishwasher.

Hope this helps someone else out there!!

-Sally

P.S. The UW Madison has done extensive research on the effectiveness of neti. I live in Madison and my doctor's office highly recommended it.