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| source : people.com |
Let’s get this out of the way: this isn’t one of those sensational headlines designed to scare you. It’s real. It happened. And it could’ve been prevented.
A 71-year-old woman from Texas tragically lost her life after using tap water to rinse her sinuses while staying at an RV campground. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the water wasn’t properly disinfected, and that’s what likely exposed her to a deadly brain-eating ameba called Naegleria fowleri.
As someone who has personally used a neti pot and saline rinse during allergy season, this story hit me hard. It’s a chilling reminder that even small, everyday wellness habits can have hidden risks if we’re not fully informed.
What Actually Happened?
The woman reportedly used a nasal irrigation device with water from the RV’s tap system, unboiled, non-sterilized water. Four days later, she started showing intense neurological symptoms: fever, headaches, confusion. Doctors suspected Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare but almost always fatal infection caused by Naegleria fowleri.
Despite aggressive treatment, she developed seizures and sadly passed away eight days after symptoms began.
What Is Naegleria fowleri, and Should We Be Worried?
This ameba lives in warm freshwater, think lakes, rivers, and yes, even untreated tap water in some cases. It enters the body through the nose, especially when people are swimming, diving, or using nasal rinses with contaminated water.
Now here’s the key thing: Naegleria fowleri infections are extremely rare. According to the CDC, there have only been 164 documented cases in the U.S. since 1962, but only four people survived.
So yes, it’s rare. But when it happens, it’s almost always fatal.
I Use a Neti Pot. Should I Be Freaking Out?
Not at all, as long as you use the right kind of water. This is where awareness saves lives.
According to the CDC (and most ENT specialists I’ve read up on), you should never use untreated tap water for nasal irrigation. Here’s what’s safe instead:
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Distilled or sterile water (bought in a sealed bottle)
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Water that’s been boiled for 1 full minute, then cooled
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Water filtered through a 1-micron filter designed to remove microorganisms
It’s such a simple switch, and yet it can mean the difference between a healthy sinus rinse and an unthinkable tragedy.
How Else Can You Reduce the Risk?
Even beyond nasal irrigation, there are other ways this ameba can get into your body, namely through swimming in freshwater. Here are a few CDC-backed precautions:
✅ Hold your nose or use a nose clip when diving or jumping into freshwater lakes and rivers.
✅ Avoid disturbing sediment in shallow, warm waters — that’s where the ameba thrives.
✅ Don’t submerge your head in hot springs or untreated warm water sources.
Why This Case Matters
It’s easy to write this off as a rare freak incident. But when I looked deeper, I found that more people are using nasal rinses now than ever, especially with rising seasonal allergies, pollution, and even post-COVID congestion routines.
That means education matters. This case might be rare, but the risk is real, and the prevention is simple.
Final Thought: Tiny Habit, Big Responsibility
When something as basic as rinsing your sinuses can open the door to a deadly infection, it’s worth asking: Are we doing the small things safely?
As someone who’s benefited from nasal rinses (seriously, they’ve saved me during allergy season), I’m not telling you to stop. I’m just saying, double check your water. Boil it. Use distilled. Keep it safe.
Because when it comes to brain-eating amebas, “better safe than sorry” isn’t just a saying, it’s a lifesaver.