Articles
Seasonal allergies: Nip them in the bud
Content
Reduce your exposure to allergy triggers
Take extra steps when pollen counts are high
Keep indoor air clean
Try an over-the-counter remedy
Rinse your sinuses
Interested in alternative treatments? Consider these
When home remedies aren't enough, see your doctor
Rinse your sinuses
Rinsing your nasal passages with saline solution (nasal irrigation) is a quick, inexpensive and effective way to relieve nasal congestion. Rinsing directly flushes out mucus and allergens from your nose.
Look for a squeeze bottle or a neti pot — a small container with a spout designed for nasal rinsing — at your pharmacy or health food store. Use water that's distilled, sterile, previously boiled and cooled, or filtered using a filter with an absolute pore size of 1 micron or smaller to make up the saline irrigation solution. Also be sure to rinse the irrigation device after each use with similarly distilled, sterile, previously boiled and cooled, or filtered water and leave open to air-dry.
