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What Is Nasal Irrigation And Is It Effective?

ByDaniel Steinberg, M.D., Director, Allergy and Asthma Center of Massachusetts
October 07, 2008, 10:23 PM

— -- Question: What is nasal irrigation and is it effective?

Answer: Well nasal washes serve a variety of functions. When people think about what their nose does -- your nose essentially performs a variety of functions which you don't generally appreciate. In addition to sense of smell, your nose humidifies the air, warms the airs, filters the air which your lungs see, and also there's a series of immunological functions that go on in your nose that help prevent viral and bacterial and other forms of infection.

Saline irrigations can help with all of those functions, particularly hygiene for the nose and helping facilitate removal of infectious organisms and other irritants in the airway which then sets someone up for other nasal and sinus problems.

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