Having equalization problems while diving due to a stuffy nose? Are your sinus problems keeping you out of the water? Almost every Scuba Diver has faced the dreaded cold or stuffy nose that has put them off the day’s diving or has resulted in an uncomfortable dive with equalization problems. While medication is one way to go, several divers swear by Nasal Irrigation or the ancient Yoga technique of Jala Nethi.
Jala Nethi is the Yoga Nasal cleaning technique to improve breathing by performing a sinus flush. Jala Nethi (also known as Jal Neethi) is a simple way of nasal irrigation or washing of the sinuses in a unique manner through a special pot called the neti pot which has a specially designed spout that can be used to irrigate the nostrils. Water is slightly warmed to body temperature and mixed with a tiny bit of salt, then using the special nethi pot which seals the nostril gently, the saline mixture is gently allowed to flow through the nasal passage and out the other nostril while the user leans forward over a sink to allow gravity to take the water through.
Nasal Irrigation or Jala Nethi rinses out the mucus and mucous lining in the nasal cavity, the warm water loosens and dissolves any buildup of mucous and flushes them out. The nethi pot, designed specifically to form a light seal around the nostril while pouring the water, actually creates a vacuum in the sinus passage as the water flows through and with the help of gravity causes suction that helps clear even the most impossible to drain mucus filled cavities in the sinuses. The Salt water pulls water out of tissues so it reduces inflammation and helps dissolve the mucus and loosen it.
Nasal Irrigation should be performed not more than two times a day and with the correct water temperature and salinity, as cold water constricts the nasal passages and too much salt will harm the delicate lining and sting. Scuba Divers should perform this technique in the morning just before going for the dive, and will feel the effect almost instantaneously and more often than not be able to equalize much more easily.
There are also several over-the-counter Nasal Rinse options available at your local pharmacy which range from tiny bottles with nostril spouts, sprays or even Nasal syringe-like plungers which essentially help achieve the same results as Jala Nethi. Some divers swear by the medical equivalents and find them more effective, and others prefer performing Jala Nethi to great results as a method without having to use antibiotics.
Photos from flickr by cesarastudillo, * debris *
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