- The CDC says neti pots could be a route of transmission for the invasive microorganism Acanthamoeba
- The amoeba can cause eye and skin infections – as well as a serious infection of the brain and spinal cord, granulomatous encephalitis – which is often fatal
- The CDC says that tap water is not sterile and should not be used for nasal irrigation
The use of neti pots and other types of nasal irrigation has been linked to infections with Acanthamoeba — an amoeba that can be found in unsterile water — according to the CDC.
Neti pots are commonly used to flush the nasal passages, helping to relieve allergy symptoms or clear mucus during a sinus infection. “Neti pots…allow you to pour a saline solution into your nostrils, like pouring tea from a teapot,” says the Cleveland Clinic.
The physiological solution goes up one nostril, through the nasal passages and out through the other nostril.
But as the CDC points out in its report, ten people infected with Acanthamoeba said they practiced nasal irrigation before they were infected with Acanthamoeba.
Three patients in the CDC report died from their infections.
Tap water flows from the tap.
Getty
Amoeba primarily causes two types of dangerous infections: Acanthamoeba keratitis and granulomatous encephalitis.
Acanthamoeba keratitis affects the eyes, causing pain, blurred vision and sensitivity to light.
Why your seasonal allergies are worse than ever this year
Granulomatous encephalitis is an infection of the brain and spinal cord, which the CDC says causes “headache, stiff neck, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings, loss of balance and body control, seizures and hallucinations.”
With granulomatous encephalitis, “death usually occurs,” the CDC says.
The CDC points out that in immunocompromised people, Acanthamoeba can also cause skin lesions.
“One patient developed symptoms after only 2 weeks of nasal irrigation, while others had been doing nasal irrigation for years.” the CDC says in its report.
Acanthamoeba is another type of amoeba associated with neti pots, as infections caused by Naegleria fowleri — commonly known as the brain-eating amoeba — have been attributed to using tap water for nasal irrigation.
Woman contracts rare and deadly brain-eating amoeba after using Neti Pot with tap water: Doctor
As the Mayo Clinic points out, you should “use only water labeled as distilled or sterilized” for nasal irrigation. If you’re using tap water, you should “boil it for a few minutes and then let it cool until it’s just a little warm, which is called lukewarm.”
The problem, the CDC says, is that most people don’t realize that tap water isn’t sterile.
“Tap water in the United States is treated to meet safe drinking standards; however, low levels of microorganisms remain in drinking water distribution systems, wells, and plumbing fixtures,” according to a report published in the National Library of Medicine, which said up to one-third of respondents “incorrectly answered that tap water was free of bacteria or present living beings.”
And “more than half of the … participants said that tap water could be used to flush the sinuses,” the report said.
“Education against the use of unboiled tap water for nasal irrigation may be effective in preventing invasive Acanthamoeba infections,” the CDC concluded in its report, “particularly among immunocompromised hosts.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education