zomg. Neti's 15 minutes.
Of all things, the humble Neti Pot was a headliner on Yahoo today. With a link to a story in the New York Times. Because it was featured on Oprah. Well, I'll be damned.

The NY Times story isn't too bad, though it's regrettable they chose to end by talking about some jackass who was doing performance art/comedy.

(some excerpts)

Originally part of a millennia-old Indian yogic tradition, the practice of nasal irrigation — jala neti — is performed with a small pot that looks like a cross between Aladdin’s lamp and your grandmother’s gravy boat.

Unfortunately true. I think exactly that when I contemplate it's shape.

Due to a confluence of influences, the neti pot is having what can only be termed a moment, sold in drugstores, health food stores, even at Wal-Mart and Walgreens.
[...]
Neither Whole Foods Market, where neti pots have been sold nationwide for almost a decade, nor the Himalayan Institute, one of the largest retail and wholesale distributors of neti pots in the United States, would disclose sales figures, but representatives of each company said that after the Oprah shows there were sharp spikes in demand.

Whole Foods I expected, but Wal-Mart and Walgreens? Again, I'll be damned. Good news for me though, since I need to find one.

Dr. Bradley Marple, the chairman of the rhinology and paranasal sinus committee for the American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery, said that nasal irrigation is a well-known remedy for various respiratory complaints. “Studies indicate that saline nasal irrigation is a highly effective, minimally invasive intervention for people suffering from nasal issues,” Dr. Marple said. “But it’s just not as sexy to talk about. People want to hear about surgery or antibiotics.”

Good to hear that perspective from someone in the "medical establishment."
- posted by k @ 11:24 AM