Fundamental functions: Ear, nose and throat

I confess that occasionally even doctors get squeamish. Or perhaps more honestly, this doctor does. My personal list has gotten pretty short, but one of the things that still makes me squirm is something I nevertheless frequently recommend to my patients.
 So what is this mysterious and rather ominous medical recommendation? Nasal saline irrigation.
The practice of rinsing the nose out with liquid probably originated centuries ago in India, and it remains part of spiritual ritual as well as traditional medicine around the world. However, it isn’t something I learned about in medical school. Western medical research into it began in earnest perhaps 25 to 30 years ago.
How does this rather torturous sounding practice help? It physically removes germs, allergen and irritant particles, it loosens thick mucous, and it helps the cilia — the tiny hairs lining our airways— clean things out.