>> > Pure water or tap water inhaled up the nose will sting
>> > a little. Much better is to dissolve a little salt
>> > in it so it won't sting -- I do that frequently,
>> > and I'd estimate that the right amount is about
>> > 1/4 teaspoon per pint. The amount is not really
>> > critical.
>>
>> My doctor told me to do this, but I thought the sal****er
>> would sting. Warm tap water worked just fine for me.
>
>It's a very dilute solution, just enough to avoid
>the sting which freshwater will cause.
>
>> (It's also a lot easier, as there's no mixing. But I will
>> bear that in mind if I ever have another dreadful sinus
>> infection. I never get them any more since my allergies
>> are under control and I stay hydrated and well rested.)
>
>The effort required is almost nothing. I know what
>it looks like visually, so I just pour that much
>salt into the palm of my hand and then dump it into
>my Pyrex measuring cup. I then fill the cup with
>tap water, and by the time it is full all of salt
>has dissolved.
There are 3 kinds of nasal solutions with different concentrations of
salt, all used for different purposes.

Isotonic - Equal to natural body salt concentration. Used for
irrigation/cleansing.

Hypotonic - Less than natural body salt concentration. Used for when
you want to draw moisture into dehydrated nasal tissues.

Hypertonic - More than natural body salt concentration. Used for when
you want to draw moisture out of swollen nasal tissues.