You might want to read this if you've been rinsing your nose with neti pots

As we transition away from winter and into spring, allergy-ridden people will wake up to congested noses, runny eyes and persistent sneezing. For the many who are plagued by heavy allergies, this onset is as inconvenient as it is annoying.

Not to mention, allergies and flu season does not bode well.

One of our favorite go-to products is the neti pot, which helps relieve congestion and sinus infections. If you didn't know, the neti pot looks like a teacup. Users fill the pot with saline solution and water, and over a sink, flush out their nasal passages. The solution goes in one nostril and out the other.

However, it seems users should be very cautious when using a neti pot. The CDC has reported cases of "Naegleria fowleri" -- a brain eating amoeba -- because many people are choosing to "irrigate their sinuses" with tap water.

Tap water is usually safe to drink because bacteria and amoeba can be killed by stomach acid . However, " these organisms can stay alive in nasal passages and cause potentially serious infections," reports the FDA. Sometimes, these infections can be fatal.

In light of these findings, the FDA is calling for safer practice with the neti pot. That means using distilled, sterile or boiled water, as well as properly cleaning the product.

Scroll through to see surprising sources of vitamin C:

More in lifestyle
Covering a toilet seat in paper is not as safe as you think
5 weird signs that you're dehydrated
Strawberries are contaminated with pesticides, poisonous gases -- even after it's picked and washed

Advertisement