If your sinus rinse runs into your mouth, pause the flow before adjusting your position. A small change in how you lean over the sink can help guide the rinse out of your nose.
Key takeaways
- Your nose connects to your throat, so rinse solution can travel backward.
- Follow your device’s head-position instructions; powered irrigators and neti pots may use different positions.
- Pause if you need to cough, swallow or reposition the tip.
Why does a sinus rinse go down your throat?
Your nasal passages connect to the upper part of your throat, so rinse solution can reach your mouth instead of draining through the other nostril. Head position affects where it flows. Check your device’s directions and pause to reset your position if the rinse keeps going backward.
The passage behind your nose opens into your throat. The goal during a nasal rinse is to guide the saline through your nasal passages and into the sink, where it carries loosened mucus and debris away.
With SinuPulse Elite, you can pause the stream from the handle before changing position.
Adjust your position and flow
Start with the position shown in your device’s instructions, then adjust the flow for comfort. For SinuPulse Elite, the user guide gives these nasal-rinsing steps:
- Set the stream over the sink. Hold the standard sinus tip upright, away from your face. Start at the lowest setting and adjust until the stream rises about one inch above the tip. Pause the stream before bringing the tip to your nose.
- Lean forward and look toward the drain. Place the nasal tip gently against one nostril. Rest your tongue against the roof of your mouth to help direct drainage out of your nose.
- Begin the rinse and adjust for comfort. The solution should enter one nostril and leave through the other. Use the handle’s pause button if you need to stop the flow or reposition.
- Switch sides with the flow off. Rinse the other nostril, then gently blow your nose without blocking the nasal passages completely.
A neti pot uses gravity and is generally held with your head tilted sideways and your mouth open for breathing. Powered irrigators may use a different head position, so follow the directions for your model.
Prepare saline with distilled, sterile or previously boiled and cooled water, using the powder and water amounts in the saline directions. Untreated tap water can carry germs that cause infection when introduced into your nose, even when it’s safe to drink. Keep the solution lukewarm, and clean and dry your irrigator as directed after use.
What if the rinse still won’t flow comfortably?
If repositioning doesn’t help and the rinse keeps making you cough or runs into your mouth, stop the session and ask your clinician to check your technique. Turn the flow off before swallowing or clearing your throat.
A completely blocked nostril, ear infection or ear pressure is a reason to pause nasal irrigation, not increase the force. These conditions can make nasal irrigation unsuitable; ask your clinician before resuming, and contact them if ear pressure develops during use.
If you’re choosing a home irrigator and want to adjust the stream yourself, explore the SinuPulse Elite nasal irrigation system. Its flow-control dial lets you set a comfortable stream before you bring the tip to your nose.
