answer:Well, you are not the only person in the world irrigating his sinuses! I use a neti pot at times, but usually only when I am congested. I have mild pollen and grass allergies, so I use it in certain times of the year, but not everyday and not all year round. I also use it if I have a cold. I speculate that your forcing it in “deeper” to your sinuses is probably dislodging more, including things in the back of your throat near your mouth. (I would bet a piece of rice got in there when you had a mishap, similar to milk coming out your nose while laughing at lunch in grade school!) You are not doing any long term damage, since you are boiling the water and mixing ina saline solution, so you aren’t infecting your self.