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n I was a little kid. I blame my adult behaviors on my idyllic childhood. Growing up, I had several "luxuries" like the fact that I was the "baby" of four children so I did get special treatment ... there world, I admit it! Hah!! Also, my mother worked a part-time job that was more for her personal development than financial necessity so if I or one of my siblings took ill, she was able to be there with soothing words and a hot bowl of "chicken and stars." But that was then ... and today I am considering drastic measures. I can't decide if what I am experiencing is my temperamental sinuses combating the wacky Ohio weather ... temperatures fluctuating from 45 degrees one day to 70 degrees the next with accompanying changes in air pressure ... or the more serious "flu" that seems to be hitting many of my friends and co-workers with body aches and semi-debilitating ennui.
But I'm considering buying one of those "neti pot" things I've seen on TV. They look like little teapots made from glass or clay, but I've also seen other designs that look more like an Al
addin's lamp or a powder horn for arming a muzzleloader. Hell, there are even more aggressive models resembling enlarged plastic syringes with bulbs that apply added pressure. Regardless of the shape, a neti pot uses a saline solution (sometimes with added sodium bicarbonate for extra gentleness) to flush the nasal passages. This type of treatment has proven very effective when combating hay fever, common environmental allergies to dust and mold, and sinusitis.
addin's lamp or a powder horn for arming a muzzleloader. Hell, there are even more aggressive models resembling enlarged plastic syringes with bulbs that apply added pressure. Regardless of the shape, a neti pot uses a saline solution (sometimes with added sodium bicarbonate for extra gentleness) to flush the nasal passages. This type of treatment has proven very effective when combating hay fever, common environmental allergies to dust and mold, and sinusitis.Yogis have been using similar nasal irrigation techniques for thousands of years. And more and more, people are turning to this rather than becoming dependent on costly antibiotics and steroid-infused nasal decongestant sprays.
And the process seems easy enough: prepare a solution of 8 ounces of warm water and 1/4 teaspoon iodized salt (or purchase pre-mixed nasal "rinse"), tilt your head to the side, insert the nozzle into the "upper" nostril, and let gravity do its job while you relax and breath through your mouth slowly and evenly. The rinse flushes away any accumulated mucus, as well as pollen and other debris that can aggravate the sinuses or even provide a breeding ground for bacter
ia.
ia.I've now passed one Rite-Aid and two CVS establishments and the foot on my brake pedal has not even wobbled. Two things have stopped me. The first is an episode of ABC's Cougar Town, where simplistic golf pro and "Penny Can" creator Bobby Cobb (portrayed brilliantly by Brian Van Holt) nearly drowned from attempting a neti pot dousing. The second is the damn Internet itself. I looked up neti pots ... sometimes called "netty kettles" and "nettie reservoirs" ... and made the mistake of reading an article that utilized the term "nasal douche." Nothing ... and I mean NOTHING ... called a douche is going up my nose!!
POINT OF RANT: Nasal spray ain't so bad! And Kleenex boxes are kind of pretty these days ... like modern art!!
I find Ocean nasal spray is pretty good for clearing things out when used liberally.
ReplyDeleteBTW, "semi-debilitating ennui"? Yes, you're part of our team, aren't you, you sexy thing? No straight man would use that phrase! ;) I adore you!