Health Gazelle: Saline Solution

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Saline Solution

This is a recipe given to me by both the allergist that finally got me a cutting-edge diagnosis of "atypical CF" and the pulmonologist/CF specialist who treated me in California. They each had their own copy of this treatment, which makes me think it is in the public domain.

The Benefits

When you irrigate with buffered hypertonic saline, it acts as a solvent and washes crusts and other debris from you nose.
The high salt concentration pulls fluid out of swollen membranes and shrinks them. This decongests the nose and improves air flow. This helps open sinus passages.
Studies show that hypertonic saline mixed into an alkaline solution with bicarbonate improves the important function of the nasal membrane.

The Recipe

Thoroughly cleanse a one quart GLASS jar, and fill with tap or bottled water. Boiling the water is not necessary.*
Add 2 to 3 heaping teaspoons of "pickling/canning" salt. DO NOT use table salt as it contains many undesirable additives.
Add 1 teaspoon of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (pure bicarbonate).
Stir or shake before each use and store at room temperature. Discard after one week.

If the solution seems too strong, decrease the amount of salt added to 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons. With children, it is often best to start with the weaker solution and advance to 2 to 3 teaspoons (or whatever the child will accept).

The Instructions

Plan to irrigate your nose with buffered hypertonic saline 2-3 times per day. Use a bulb/ear syringe, or a large medical syringe (30cc), or a water-pik. Pour some of the solution into a clean bowl. DO NOT put your used syringe back into the quart jar because that will contaminate your solution. Many people prefer to warm the solution slightly in a microwave. Be sure the solution is NOT HOT. Stand over the sink (some people do this in the shower) and squirt the solution into each side of your nose, aiming the stream towards the back of your head, NOT the top of your head. This allows you to spit some of the saltwater out of your mouth. It will not harm you if you swallow a little.

For younger children: you may want to place the solution into a spray container such as "ocean spray" or "nasal steroid" container and squirt many times into each side of the nose. DO NOT FORCE your child to lay down. It is easier to do in a sitting position.

If you use a nasal steroid, such as Vancenase, Beconase or Nasacort, you should always use buffered hypertonic saline solution first, THEN use your nasal steroid spray. The nasal steroid is much more effective when sprayed onto clean nasal membranes and the steroid medicine will reach deeper into the nose.

Most people experience a mild burning sensation the first few times they use buffered hypertonic saline solution, but this usually goes away in a few days.

*Research contradicts the advice that "boiling is not necessary":

In this online article, Dr. King recommends daily home sinus irrigation to remove the crust that builds up on the surface of the nasal mucosa, but she stresses the importance of using only boiled water or sterile saline solution. "I have even seen 8 or 10 non-CF patients who had developed Pseudomonas in their sinuses due to the use of non-sterile solutions. Tap water can be contaminated with Pseudomonas. People who are irrigating their sinuses either need to use sterile saline or they need to boil water, wait for it to cool, and then use it."

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