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Safety By a Nose Despite two recent deaths, Neti pots are not to be feared… if used properly! 
Neti pots may look harmless, but as two recent Neti-related deaths have proved, they’re no laughing matter. In December, the State of Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals issued a warning about improper use of the pot, which is used to treat colds and sinus infections by flushing water through one nostril and out the other, after two people died from a deadly amoeba in their tap water. That amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, traveled through the sinuses to the brain, where it infected the victims with a neurological disease called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which causes rapid deterioration of the brain and quick death. But Neti pot devotees needn’t fear. Death by Neti isn’t common and, in these cases, came about from the neglect of printed directions and suggestions from the manufacturer. “The warning labels say to use distilled water, or to boil the water, before use,” says Dr. Raoult Ratard, state epidemiologist for the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. Dr. Ketan C. Mehta, founder and CEO of NeilMed Pharmaceuticals, a leading Neti pot manufacturer, issued a statement shortly after the second reported death. “From the beginning, NeilMed’s directions of use have always stressed the importance of using clean and previously boiled, distilled or filtered water through a 0.2 micron filter for nasal irrigation,” said Mehta in the statement. He went on to note that because it’s impossible to determine the true environmental source of drinking tap water, it should be avoided at all costs. Sinus irrigation is still one of the most popular homeopathic remedies to the common cold, and proper use can tame chronic sinus fatigue and provide relief for the seriously congested. Neti pots are a modern answer to the classic procedure, one that can be traced back to ancient Hindu practices. Because of the enthusiastic love for Neti pots, Dr. Ratard says he doesn’t think the popularity will decrease in the wake of these casualties. “The majority of people are going to ignore it,” he says. “Our job is to put the information out there, and then people can use it or not.” As long as a clean water source is used, Neti pots should maintain their credibility as the king of nasal irrigation. Just remember, as Dr. Ratard puts it: “Drinking water is safe to drink, but not to push up your nose.” |
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