During the summer, when local reservoirs grow stagnant, certain brain parasites become more active. While they’re extremely rare, the last couple of summers have seen a few deaths and illnesses caused by them. Infection happens when a rush of water enters the nose—something that can happen playing in a lake, or using local tap water to do a sinus rinse.
So here’s a friendly reminder: only used purified water (or something else entirely, like MesoSilver,) to do a sinus rinse. Besides lake parasites like Naegleria fowleri, there are other impurities in many local tap water sources that don’t get 100% filtered out (you can find a report on tap water from your local government—some mail them, others have them available at government buildings including rec centers. Most include a check for known local parasites).
Despite the fact that most tap water is considered safe enough to drink, putting it into your nose is another issue entirely. (Side note: lead can contaminate drinking water after it leaves the purification plant, especially if you have old plumbing). The safest thing to do is used purified water or an alternative like MesoSilver. (A reverse osmosis water purifier for the home costs less than $100 to set up).
Why do a sinus rinse? Different people have different reasons:
-Relief from Allergy symptoms, especially before bed.
-Relief from chronic or sudden Sinus Infection symptoms
-As a regular health practice (it keep sinuses clear, making breathing easier and speaking/singing more clear).
The overlapping reason is that a sinus rinse relieves sinus pressure. Buildup that causes sinus pressure can have different causes, but doing a sinus rinse, especially regularly, helps to clear it out.
Why do you do a sinus rinse, and what do you use?
