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Nasal rinsers have become very popular items especially for allergy sufferers.
Oprah Winfrey even uses them.
But Louisiana health regulators are now warning people they can be deadly.
ABC4 News anchor Kim Fischer is live with what you need to know
before you rinse.
Yeah, you know I use these things too. This right here. This neti pot is one of
the more popular ways to clean out your nose.
Now if you use it correctly, it can actually moisturize your sinuses
and fight off infrection, but if you're doing it like this.
Well, you could actually be doing more harm than good.
This little blue pot looks like something that would brew tea.
But people on the streets of Salt lake City know better.
They clear out your sinuses.
You clean out your sinuses, but with hot water.
But these ladies had no idea that in the past few months
two people have died using one of these.
That is Horrifying.
That is pretty scarry.
Dr. Saurabh Shah, is an ear, nose, & throat doctor at LDS Hsopital.
He said several of his clients use a nasal flush daily.
It's becoming so popular here because it is effective.
And, so people use it especially in drier climates.
Shah says these don't become dangerous until you introduce human error.
When you're putting your own water in it.
Well, tap water is safe to drink, but it's not really safe to use in these.
According to Louisiana health regulators
two people there died after using tap water that was infected with the amiba
Naegleria Fowleri. The parasite pentrates the thin bone between your
sinuses and your brain causing an infection.
And then you get Meningitis, Meningo and Celphalitis, and basically
a brain infection that's lethal.
Whiel the amiba is very rare and not commonly found in tap water
Shah says other bactieria like E Coli and Dysentery are.
All can make you very ill.
So, it is best to use a sterilized water.
Either, you want to boil the water to get rid of all the bacterias and
amibas that can be in there
Or you want to use distilled water.
By taking a few extra steps you can continue the routine
That soothes your nose, without putting your life in danger.
And this is the typical way you see distilled water. So, if you don't exactly
want to keep a bunch of these around your house
Well, the doctor said there's also these. They are saline sprays.
Just one spray up each nostril does basically the same thing that
one of these neti pots do without all that mixing.
Reporting live in the studio Kim Fischer ABC4 News