Why can you fill your sinuses with ocean water but not tap water in a netty pot
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Oh, wait, I think you’re asking “why is it not considered dangerous to get seawater up your nose while swimming in the ocean, but it is dangerous to use tapwater in a neti pot” ?
Is that correct ?
In general, the risk of infection from either is very small. People do get infections in their upper sinuses from swimming in the ocean, lakes, rivers, or ponds where dangerous pathogens are present, same as they do get infections from using tapwater where dangerous pathogens are present to irrigate their upper sinuses.
The risk of infection is minimized by using sterile water in the neti pot. Distilled water goes through a boiling > steam > condensation cycle that makes it completely sterile, which is why distilled water is very strongly recommended.
Because tap water contains bacteria and amoeba. Being so close to the brain with little to separate them, the amoeba can attack the brain tissue and eat it. Resulting in yet another Redditor.
Using saline Wasted eliminates this possibility as the water becomes ionic with the addition of salt and kills bacteria and amoeba.
In addition to the other comments regarding infections – tap water also freaking burns.
>The main reason why water burns when it goes up your nose is because the salinity of the water does not match the salinity of the cells in your body. The salinity of freshwater is much lower than your body, so when water gets into your nose and into your sinuses, some of the cells that line the sinus and nasal cavities burst open and die because they rapidly suck in water – like overfilling a water balloon. Your body responds by rapidly secreting mucus to coat the remaining cells and protect them from the water.
This whole thing involves three steps: (1) osmosis of water into the nasal cells; (2) many cells burst (cell lysis), and (3) the responds by releasing mucus.
The proper recommended use of a neti pot is DISTILLED water (buy it that way, or boil/microwave it) that has been salinized.
This is simply done to help avoid irritation to the nasal passages. Think of it like a “water softener”, such as the ones attached to house plumbing that utilize salt in a similar way. The tissue in the sinuses are very sensitive. They like soft things, including water.
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