Can i use filtered water for neti pot

At first, the woman was diagnosed with a simple sinus infection. But when a course of antibiotics didn't improve her symptoms, doctors recommend that she try saline nasal irrigation — an at-home remedy in which a saline solution is poured into the nose to clean mucus or allergens out of the sinuses. It can be performed with a handful of different devices, but the best known is probably the teapot-shaped neti pot.

Experts recommend using sterile saline or water for nasal irrigation, but the woman instead used tap water that had been filtered using an at-home water purifier, the report said. A month later, she developed a quarter-sized rash on her nose that didn't go away despite several dermatologist visits.

Then, a year after she starting using the neti pot, she had a seizure, and scans revealed a lesion in her brain. After two surgeries and some testing, doctors finally determined that her brain has been infected by amoebas. Despite aggressive treatment, the woman died. Balamuthia mandrillaris is an amoeba that can cause fatal infections. It wasn't until after her death that testing revealed the precise amoeba responsible for the infection: Balamuthia mandrillaris.

It's an organism that can cause serious brain and spinal cord infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC. It's been found in dust and soil around the world and may also exist in water. It was first discovered by scientists in and since then, about cases of Balamuthia infection have been diagnosed worldwide. Right now, little is known about how people contract Balamuthia infections, the CDC website adds.

The authors suspected that the woman's nasal irrigation provided a "route of entry" for the amoeba to get into her body. Filter: Use a filter designed to remove common germs. If these words are present it means the filter can remove Naegleria.

See more information about reading filter labels. Some manufacturers of nasal rinsing devices recommend using 0. Follow the manufacturer recommendations if 0. Disinfect if no boiled or distilled water and no filter available. Stir the mixture well. Let it stand for 30 minutes or longer before you use it. Store the disinfected water in clean, sanitized, covered containers. If the water is cloudy, murky, colored, or very cold: Filter water through a clean cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter OR Allow any sediment to settle to the bottom of your container, then carefully pour the clear water from the top into a clean container with as little disturbance of the sediment layer as possible.

Calcium hypochlorite fact sheet. Science behind the recommendations. It calculates the dose needed to achieve a CT of 56 and then multiplies by the safety factor of five to account for other particles or organic material in the water that could use up the chlorine: If Naegleria fowleri amebae are present in tap water, nasal rising with tap water likely increases the risk of transmission compared to drinking the water.

References Chang SL. Resistance of pathogenic Naegleria to some common physical and chemical agents. Tiewcharoen S, Junnu V. Factors affecting the viability of pathogenic Naegleria species isolated from Thai patients. J Trop Med Parasitol. De Jonckheere J, van de Voorde H. Differences in destruction of cysts of pathogenic and nonpathogenic Naegleria and Acanthamoeba by chlorine. Use distilled, filtered, bottled or boiled water at room temperature — never tap water.

Tap water may not have been filtered or treated like distilled or bottled has and may cause infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC recommend taking at least one of the following actions to lower your risk for infection:.

If you just had sinus surgery and you used a cold solution, you could develop bony growths in your nasal passages called paranasal sinus exostoses PSE.

Sindwani and his research team have discovered that these growths can develop in the sinuses of people who have undergone surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis , or inflammation in the lining of the sinuses.

PSE look like small polyps or cysts, but they are actually bone. Rinse the irrigation device after each use with safe water and leave the device open to air dry completely.

Get a new one every few months, especially if you use it regularly. For the most part, neti pots are safe to use as long as you properly follow directions, especially with the saline solution and keeping your neti pot properly cleaned. Use only the saline packets that are typically included with your neti pot or sold separately for neti pot use. Using too much of the saline mix can lead to irritation of the nasal passage. Be careful about overuse, too, because that can lead to irritation of the nasal passage.

If your issues continue after a few days, contact your healthcare provider. Intimidated but curious about neti pots?