Is There an Advantage to Battery Powered Sinus Rinse?

complete rinse nasal rinsing product box packaging on sink with towel

By Stephen Chandler, MD |06 April 2021|


If you read my last blog then you know that the practice of nasal rinsing (jala neti) is an ancient one. Almost 5,000 years old, neti was a process of self purification for meditation as well as a daily regimen for hygiene. Today our use of nasal rinsing is much the same, some use it for yoga, some for hygiene, and some for the medical benefits. But has the process changed at all? Has the method been updated? 

Well yes and no. Until recently the answer would have been a resounding “no”. Even with the mass production of the Neti Pot in the late 20th century, the technology went unchanged since the 5th millennium BC. So where are we now? There’s been a flurry of new products to hit the market recently, ranging from $ to $$$. The most recent “advancement” has been the development of battery powered systems, but I’m here to tell you that not only are these devices expensive, they can actually create more problems than they profess to treat.

Battery powered nasal rinsing devices, are purported as premium products; but while attempting to overcome the problems associated with gravity fed or squeeze bottle systems they actually do so using a rather unorthodox approach, and for bump in price. This is because the device functions by creating a vacuum, or negative pressure, in the nose. This negative pressure “artificially” sucks up the soft palate and seals off the nose from the throat. Unfortunately, negative pressure can have some undesirable effects and, if sustained, may become harmful to the ears and sinus cavity lining. There is scientific evidence that sinus squeeze is a consequence of barotrauma to the sinus lining. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500034/

The vacuum created is like the ear fullness sensation experienced by SCUBA divers when the change of increasing depth pressure pushes against the eardrum, similar to the ear fullness you get when taking off in an airplane or climbing a mountain. The same fullness sensation that you feel is also experienced by the sinus cavity lining. A vacuum applied to the nose is something not normally experienced in nature. 

Enter Complete Rinse, at the intersection of price and convenience. Complete Rinse is powered by YOUR BREATH which closes the palate naturally, isolates the nose from the throat and keeps the rinse out of there– no gagging! And because you can adjust your own breath pressure, the effect of ear fullness can be avoided. Our system is less than half the price of battery powered systems and respects normal physiology while giving you an edge over antiquated products such as the Neti Pot. 

In Conclusion: Is There An Advantage to Battery Powered Rinsing?

The short answer is no, and the long answer is also no. The Complete Rinse system is easier to use, more comfortable, less expensive, respects normal physiology and can be used as a delivery device for various pharmaceuticals. Use Complete Rinse and feel better at  half the price! 

Dr. Stephen Chandler is a practicing Otolaryngologist in Montgomery, Alabama and owner of Sandler Scientific, LLC, makers of CompleteRinse®. To schedule a visit with Dr. Chandler call 334-834-7221 Learn more at https://www.jacksonclinicent.org/. Complete Rinse is available on Amazon and at www.completerinse.com.