For the past month or more, I've been suffering from sinus headaches. I've taken more than my share of sinus medications, all of which give a VERY minimal relief to me. (and I mean VERY VERY minimal!)
A friend of mine told me about something called a "Netty Pot" which is a little kettle that you fill with a saline solution - which you then stick up your nose and pour the solution UP into your nose. Yeah. I had the same reaction that you just had when you read this... ICK!! NO way was I going to pour water UP MY NOSE!
I always hated when I got water in my nose when I was swimming... why would I now do it on purpose?!
Okay... after several days of a particularly bad headache, I caved and purchased one of these horrible little things. I carefully read the instructions, mixed their little solution with warm water... stuck the nozzle right up my nose, tilted my head and began pouring.
OMG!
You know that feeling... when you jump into the pool and don't breathe out... or you accidentally breathe in... the water in your nose awful feeling... I suffered through it...
after just a moment, it didn't annoy me as much...
then it started just feeling weird (and weird I can handle!)...
then it was actually kinda cool... cuz when you pour the saline solution in one nostril, it runs through your sinuses and then comes OUT the other nostril.
By the time the little pot was empty - I was almost happy to start again with the other nostril...
of course, that's when the sneezing began.
okay, you've just poured over a cup of water into your nose... some of it is still running out... picture me, saline solution dripping out of my nose, sneezing like a crazy person, rushing around trying to find my tissues. Of course, they were nowhere to be found. I ended up just using toilet paper to blow my nose. WOW there was still a LOT of water still up there! ( Note to self: find tissues before using netty pot. )
Okay... after going through it the second time with the other nostril (all of it, even the running around looking for tissue part! Yeah, I'm a dope)... I can assure that it actually worked.
I've had a sinus headache for so long that I almost forgot what it felt like to NOT have one... right now, about an hour after using that silly little netty pot, my headache is completely gone.
I highly recommend this little horrifying thing to anyone who has troubles with their sinuses.
so... go buy one. If only for the experience of putting water up your nose ON PURPOSE.
Below is a recipe for the saline solution that you use in the netty pot. You can always buy the little packets that came with your netty pot, but they are quite expensive for what they really are... especially when it's very simple to make your own.
The Saline Solution Recipe:
**Carefully clean and rinse a 1-quart glass jar. Fill the clean jar with distilled water.
**Add 2 or 3 heaping teaspoons of "pickling/canning" salt. DO NOT use table salt, which has unwanted additives, nor sea salt. You can ask for pickling/canning salt at the grocery store.
**Add 1 rounded teaspoon of baking soda (pure bicarbonate).
**Stir or shake before each use. Store at roome temperature.
After a week, pour out any mixture that is left over, run the jar through the dishwasher and make a new recipe.
If the mixture seems too strong, use less salt - - try 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of salt. For children it is best to start with a weaker salt solution. Then gradually increase to using 2 to 3 heaping teaspoons of salt, or whatever the child will accept.
Warm in microwave to body temperature for nose wash - take a few seconds only. make sure it is not too hot!
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Tuesday, March 3, 2009
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