Sinus sufferers! Tis the season!

[VAG_Tech]

I recently picked up a killer head cold. I was at work today grinding it out and my service advisor told me she saw a thing on Oprah called a neti pot where you cleanse the sinus with the help of a small tea pot kinda thing and saline solution. After doing some research on Youtube I decided to look for one. I found one at Shopper's drug mart. I just finished using it and I feel like a million bucks! I can actually breath out of both nostrils and my head feels clear and refreshed. I was skeptical at first but it was the best $20 I have spent in a looong time..

Check this out!

[VWSM]

Re: Sinus sufferers! Tis the season!

watching opera??
to much time

[VAG_Tech]

Re: Sinus sufferers! Tis the season!

I wasn't watching Oprah... I'd rather watch paint dry.

[R_Ethug]

Re: Sinus sufferers! Tis the season!

cool!

[GoNzO]

Re: Sinus sufferers! Tis the season!

Okay from a medical professional and a serious sinus sufferer I can give a few tips.

I have tried everything. Serious.

-3 or 4 different perscription sinus sprays. They did nothing but made my nose bleed after the loading phase. They usually take 4-10 days to start working. The sinus pressure dropped when my nose stopped bleeding. Didnt work for me. I later realised the the blood was moistening the dried crap causing the problem.

-allergy testing. Not fun. Worse is the weekly injections. Spent 18 months doing these to myself. Beside the inflamation and allergic response every dose I got, it would take 2-3 days for the swelling to go down. Might have worked some but a hassel.

-I have tried every allergy medication under the sun. When I travel I look for new types. Some have worked. Most havent. The ones that do work are diphenhydramine(benadryl)-at night cause they make you drowsy or if the sinus pain is out of control and I cant get them to drain. Pseudoephedrin(sinutab)-works good during the day. Loratadine(claritin)-also works good during the day if sinus pressure isnt out of control. Now Pseudoephedrin and Loratadine work better if you combine them with an anti inflammatory like Ibuprofen.

-I have been using a sinus spray called "sinitus" Bought it at Wally world. It has a lubricant in it and when things dry out in the sinuses this will help moisten them. That way you can expell it with nose blowing later. I use this twice a day. Works well

-I have done saline flushes. Yes like the tea pot thing on Opera it works well. Moistens everything that has dried out and flushes it away.

-cold mist humidifier-works well the help moisten air and keep sinuses from drying out. It stays on all night when I am sleeping. Sometimes during the day when the furnace runs a lot....with it being cold outside.

-Stay hydrated. Drink lots of water. Avoid caffine cause its a diuretic.


Usually when the sinuses are plugged and you feel pressure its due to the hard crusty type of crap that has dried out and blocked off areas like your tear ducts. Yes they drain into your sinuses. With them plugged off the pressure keeps building. Pain behind your eyes and headaches = sinus pressure. When my sinuses open up you can usually hear it. Mine make a poping noise. The relief is instant.

[VAG_Tech]

Re: Sinus sufferers! Tis the season!

WoW Gonzo! That is definitely a professional opinion. Thanks for the tips. I have had a dry sinus problem for years in which I have seen a doctor for and he had prescribed a sinus spray (Nasonex) in which I used for a couple of months. It seemed to help a little at first but then the symptoms returned.
The problem would be that I would wake up in the morning and my nasal passages would be full of mucus and hard deposits (boogeys) and I could hardly breath. I would blow my nose and some of the deposits and mucus would come out but I would have mucus built up in my throat causing me to make the "Uh ummm" sound trying to clear my throat. I would continue this all throught the day until the mucus was gone. Then it would start all over again the next day.
After using the neti pot yesterday the symptoms described above are minimized. I still have nasal mucus but it's probably due to my cold. I did another nasal flush this morning and I felt great for 20 minutes until my nasal passages started filling up because of my cold. I can't wait for this cold to be over so I can see the full results of this neti pot. I can't wait!!!! Time for some cold fx...

[gaffer]

Re: Sinus sufferers! Tis the season!

I had not heard of these unitl my wife got one for Christmas. She is a long time allergy/sinus sufferer and she claims that it really works.

We also have a Sharp Plasmacluter filter in our bed room that we use. I must say that it is also some of the best $200 I have spent. We have had it for a couple of years. I can tell the mornings that we dont have it on (ie after my son turns it off while playing with it) as even I am more stuffed up.

We have also invested in a Roomba vacuum and I must say that it also helps out by vacuuming more often than we would, plus it will vacuum under the bed every mission where I sure as hell did not.

With all this technology my house should soon become sterile enough I can perform minor surgeries in my off time.

Andrew

[GoNzO]

Re: Sinus sufferers! Tis the season!

I also thought of a couple more "general" things that I over looked.

-Steam shower in the morning. This is a great start to to loosen the crusty's and get stuff moving.

-Vicks/Menthylatum-honestly this is a miracle ointment. The menthol opens up the airway. Place small amount in each nostril.

When used in combination it helps wonders. 4 straight years of terrible sinus problems I know what to use when.

At night take a allergy pill. When you wake up menthylatum for 20 mins then shower. Do the sinus flushes with the tea pot. Like the post above me said....you might want to buy a good hepa aircleaner. A full sealed hepa vaccuum and clean 2-3 times a week. This problem WONT get any better but it is managable with time.

[VAG_Tech]

Re: Sinus sufferers! Tis the season!

Air purifiers are a great idea. Also a humidifier keeps the air moist. I found this
Air purifiers get failing grade Are they worth it? How do you know what to buy?

[GoNzO]

Re: Sinus sufferers! Tis the season!

I watched that same thing in regaurds to CONSUMER REPORT. I think what they are trying to enforce the most, is the OZONE issue. If you are using a machine that is more then just a hepa filter it is releasing ozone. Ozone gives the air a fresh scent. Takes odors out, etc. Sharper Image started this (I think) with their filterless air cleaners. Now I have a OZONE machine for cleaning the odour out of things like rooms in the house or the car. Takes smoke, pet smells right out of things. BUT it did come with a large warning sign. You can not be around this machine when its working. A safe ozone level is a low one. This machine I have puts out hundreds of thousand parts per million. It will actually kill you if you stay in the room with it while its working. When I use it in the house I leave the house. When I come back I hold my breath run in and unplug it. Open windows and then leave till it airs out. You can feel the ozone in a room. Its a very weird feeling.

To sum it all up....avoid machines that produce ozone. Make sure it uses a HEPA filter and yes they are pricey. A furnace hepa would work great along with one in a room that sees lots of traffic. I have mine in my bedroom(LOL, I wish it seen lots of traffic).

[VAG_Tech]

Re: Sinus sufferers! Tis the season!

Thanks!

[Kordain]

Re: Sinus sufferers! Tis the season!

when I was working in the UK I saw a study that showed Ozone destroys the immune system. After reading it I moved desks to one that didnt have the fan from the printer/copier blowing onto me and that was the end of over a year of constant colds and flu bugs. Id get a new cold every two weeks, a shitter of a year. Shortly after they moved all the staff in the print room to a separate office for the same reasons.