A patient I cared for some time ago, four-year old Brianna, had ongoing ear and sinus problems and would often require multiple medications to control her allergy symptoms. I introduced Brianna to washing her nose by encouraging her to fill the bottle with warm water and just play with it during her daily bath. This [...]
History of Nasal Washing is an excerpt from Dr. Hana's book, Clearing The Air One Nose at a Time. Please contact us if you would like to read more of Dr. Hana's book! Nasal washing or nasal irrigation is an ancient Ayurvedic technique known as Jala neti, which literally means "nasal cleansing" in Sanskrit (a [...]
The first time anyone considers cleaning their personal filter, the overall message is: Read the instructions in full before using Start with isotonic Ensure a good seal with bottle tip and nostril Confirm bottle is in the correct position by double-checking the water lines Flush gently, listening to your body Forcefully breathe out thru both [...]
Washing the body’s external filter, the nose, can be easily incorporated into a hygiene routine. Many options are available today for those who are serious about regular nasal washing. When choosing a neti pot, consider these three major types of actual nose cleaners: Gravity based systems, like the neti, allow the flow of fluid to [...]
No one would dispute the miracles of modern medicine, with the advancement of antibiotics and minimally invasive surgery. Overuse and abuse of antibiotics are known to encourage bacterial resistance and the development of "superbugs" which are not as affected by medications. Data supports American doctors write for antibiotics as a first-line too often; some studies [...]
It is no surprise that with the assault of toxins, including pollution, chemicals, infectious particles and many more irritants, our nostrils are under enormous stress. Add allergens during this season and we are experiencing ‘toxic overload’. Allergies affect 1 in 6 Americans and disrupt every breathe we take. Inability to breathe through a clean nose [...]
The video above is a section of The Chari Clinic Podcast, click here for the full video. I have always practiced medicine with a basic premise: my patients and I are a team. I acknowledge their values, preferences, and experiences so that I can understand their needs. I then share what I know, both book and clinical [...]
Secreted by special cells, mucus is the substance that you know as “snot,” “boogers,” or “goobers” - terms that our children delight in saying. Nasal discharge, nasal drainage, rhinitis, sputum and phlegm are also terms used to describe this stuff. But let’s clear up the difference between mucus and mucous. Mucus is the stuff we [...]
There are many nasal irritants in our world: smoke (fires and cigarettes), allergens, pollution, infectious particles (virus, bacteria, fungus) and excessive mucus. Amazing things happen immediately after one is exposed to irritants. First, those rolls of tissues (turbinates) swell. Increased mucus production occurs. The mucus gets thicker and stickier. The filtering hairs (cilia) become clogged. As a [...]
Remember the little hairs (cilia) that blanket the inside of the nose and the sinuses? These are tiny projections that move in a wave-like pattern to transport mucus and all filtered material from the nose. Most mucus and debris is swallowed, spit out, or physically removed by blowing the nose. I like to think of [...]
