Lifestyle
Jala Neti — a Supreme Measure to Counter Pandemics
For COVID and beyond
In the past, I have written some commentaries about Jala neti in medical journals. As this technique has tremendous public health value, I have decided to narrate its significance for our medium audience.
Jala-Neti and its value
Jala neti is a nasal irrigation practice rooted in Yoga and has been around for centuries. The yogic texts portray it as a Shatkarma Kriya — meaning one of the six cleansing practices.
In Jala neti, salt water is passed from one nostril into another using a specialized pot. The person doing this assumes a forward and sideward bend to enable the irrigation process, and the nostrils are thoroughly rinsed. Jala neti has shown exceptional value in managing upper respiratory conditions like sinusitis, allergies, and viral infections like Influenza.
In the context of a viral infection, Jala neti can have two effects. The salt in it can have direct killing action on the viruses, and the irrigation process can clear the nasal passage and eliminate mucous that anchors the virus. As a result, Jala neti reduces the viral load in secretions — a critical determinant of disease severity and community spread. Recent evidence also pointed out its value for covid. Data shows saline irrigation can reduce symptoms and quicken recovery in covid patients.
Jala neti works well for non-hospitalized patients with mild symptoms. Using boiled water and a thoroughly cleaned pot is highly encouraged, and a daily dose of up to 2 times is enough for full impact.
Ease of use, low cost, and tolerance make Jala neti a valuable measure with positive implications for health care. From my perspective, both from the scientific and experiential fronts, this method can serve as a preventive measure during pandemics — for home-based prophylaxis.
Evidence vs. Intuition
Sadly, during the early phase of the pandemic, saline was included among the myths on the World Health Organisation website. Saline being listed in the myths made me feel awful because it showed a high distinction against viral, bacterial and fungal infections. I was surprised how elite organizations hadn't given careful thought before making such an announcement. While busting health myths is essential (due to rapidly spreading misinformation), saline irrigation certainly qualifies as a constructive measure.
To carry this message forward, I wrote these points in my publications, and surprisingly — after a few months — the myth was retracted from the WHO website. I was delighted to see this development. But, the tragedy is — by then, many deaths happened due to covid — which could have been prevented — at least to some extent with measures like Jala-neti.
I know the WHO was waiting for solid evidence to come in. But, amid a viral pandemic, they must make decisions more intuitively, not solely based on scientific data. Since numerous published reports were already available that supported the use of Jala-neti for viral infections, they could have used this data to extrapolate. As more data became available about its use in covid, the WHO decided to remove it. If only the health organizations had acted early on, it might have led to excellent primary prevention.
Fortunately, a few yoga practitioners posted Jala-neti videos on YouTube, which made enthusiasts follow this approach.
My message to all
In this age of newer viruses and viral strains, it is sensible to rely on alternative measures like Jala neti.
It is no-cost, simple, and reliable.
Benefits of Jala-neti certainly outweigh the risks involved.
Jala neti can yield great results for mild viral infections.
Embrace all systems of medicine and get the best from each.
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