Doctors urging people to use 'safe water' in neti pots, following fatal incident

A stark warning tonight for anyone who you uses popular home remedies to clear your sinuses. A Seattle woman is dead after getting a brain-eating amoeba from using something called a neti pot.

And health officials are saying plain tap water that was neither boiled nor sterile, caused the infection. But doctors tell us these cases are rare.

It's flu season and that means you might be turning to this valuable tool when you get congested, a neti pot. But health officials are urging people to make sure you're using it, the right way.

"You put warm water into it, you mix it with a saline solution, and then it's used to flush out any excess mucus or irritants that might be in your nasal passages," says Pharmacist with the Dakota Clinic Pharmacy, Molly Rachel.

Molly Rachel is a pharmacist. And she tells us, the first thing you need to do to make sure you're using a neti pot safely, is use safe water. And if tap water is your only option, Rachel says to boil it.

"Water that's either distilled, sterile, or has been boiled for 3-5 minutes," says Rachel.

"With any medication or treatment, if you do it incorrectly, you're going to expose yourself to potential risks," says Ears, nose and throat specialist, Dr. Brent Nichols.

Dr. Brent Nichols is an ear, nose, and throat specialist. And he tells us, nasal irrigation devices like neti pots are safe. But he says just like with most medical treatments, you need to follow the directions and listen to your doctor.

"I would not want people to be scared off from giving it a try. It actually has a really nice evidence-based support and certainly I see patients every day that can't believe the difference its made for their care," says Nichols.

But if the recent headlines have scared you off from using a neti pot, there are other options you can try.

Dr. Nichols also tells us, this isn't the first case where someone has gotten ill or died from using a neti pot incorrectly. In 2015, two people died in Louisiana from contracting brain infections after using a nasal irrigation device with tap water.