Navage Nose Cleaner: Product Review

Since my last visit with my allergist, I've given up taking any antihistamines, since they don't seem to make a significant difference to my congestion.  She also said I probably needn't bother with the cortisone nasal spray, however, she said to continue rinsing out my sinuses with saline.

Normally I use Hydrasense, but they are crazy expensive.  I also find even the strong spray ones not very strong.  I have some serious blocked sinuses so I need something serious to unblock them!

So, of course, I was more than happy to try out a Navage Nose Cleaner when it was offered.  I had never heard of it before, so had no idea what to expect.  It is essentially a battery powered nasal irrigator with suction.  It squirts saline into one nostril and out the other into a sealed compartment, so as long as you do it properly, there is no mess.  It requires special salt pods that are purchased separately.

I was a bit intimidated when it arrived as it had some extensive instructions in order to get it operating and I hate reading instructions.  I don't know why, but I always prefer to just wing it with stuff.  Yeah, that doesn't always work out so well.  This time I decided to be sensible and educate myself properly before getting started.  Its simple to put together, but since I didn't realize it came with the 2 required Double AA batteries, I spent a while fumbling with the screwdriver they include, to get the battery pack open.  Once it was assembled, I filled the tank with filtered water from our fridge, popped in a salt pod, stuffed it in my nose and pressed the on button.  Unfortunately, I didn't pay careful enough attention to the instructions and tried to breathe through my nose, which led to me swallowing a whole lot of the salt water.  I tried again, careful to breathe through my mouth and it worked perfectly.  It only takes a few seconds and it fairly powerfully pushes the water in one side of your nose and out the other. Done!

I was having trouble with bad pressure in my sinuses and I definitely noticed a positive difference afterwards.  I'm impressed!

The machine itself is on sale right now for $29.95, and a 30 pack of salt pods are $9.95.  Assuming the machine lasts at least a few years, this is likely no more expensive than what Hydrasense costs to use.  So do I recommend it?  Yes, definitely, if you are looking for a drug-free way to treat congestion.

Disclosure: I was sent a Navage Nose Cleaner and package of salt pods at no charge, however, all opinions on this blog are my own.