Sinus Infection

I mix up a little sea salt with baking soda - about a 2:1 ratio - and keep it in a little tupperware.

Also, Montana, my doc prescribed me a nasal spray with steroids in it as an anti-inflammatory. She said that it shouldn't cause complications that steroids normally do since I'm not really ingesting it (or at least not much). I used it for 2 weeks straight at the beginning of the winter and then again when I feel my sinuses getting achy or my ears getting clogged. It's called fluticasone propionate if you're interested in looking into it.

Correct. You can get it in health food stores or on-line, maybe DrugStore Dot Com.

Basically bottled water should be fine.

I use filtered water (britta). I'm not sure how much it matters if you have good water.

As to angle - I lean forward over the sink. I too get it going and then sort of tilt my head in different directions. First a little back until a drop goes down my throat, then far forward to try and get my upper sinuses. But, I don't know if the later does anything. There are directions on the box.

You guys are great, I don't know what I'd do without you.

I was going to ask about sea salt because I have some and baking soda. I just have to figure out what I can put it in to get it up there. I know I use to have one of those rubber bulb things, but I think I got rid of it years ago.

Do you have a single-cup teapot with a narrow spout?

That's the device of preference over at the CT forum.

i just use lukewarm water and salt without iodine. anything like a turkey baster or a regular teapot will work.

dunno about nasal spray though - i was told not to use any for more than 2 days in a row. when i get a bad sinus infection, which i do every now and then, and netti pot doesn't work anymore or not all the way, i resort to simple decongestant - sudafed or something. it's over the counter, without anything added - no fever reducers or pain relievers, just simple decongestant. should be in any drug store/pharmacy.

Yes!!! Yes!!! I have one!!! :-D

Dasha, there are different nasal sprays. I had one called oxymetazoline which was only to be used for 2-3 days in a row because of concerns with rebound congestion.

Thank you Dasha :-D

I just mixed the sea salt with the baking soda, so now I'm going to go give it a try. I'm gonna go with tap water this time around because I don't have any bottled, but I can't see how it would hurt.

I'll be back to tell you about my experience

Oh, and how often do I have to do this. Is it just once or a few times a day?

Once per day or several. Make the water warm! Just so it feels a little warm to your finger when you dip it in.

Is the sea salt non-iodized? Gotta check the box carefully.

Damn! It doesn't say if it is or not.

So, if it's not non-iodized, I can't use it then?

I do worry about the tap water a little bit -- both about it hurting in a literal way (due to impurities or whatever) and that it might have bad stuff you don't want putting into your sinuses.

That may be more of an issue with the bulb syringe, which really makes its way back there. (That's what I like about it.) The neti pot/ teapot method is a bit more gentle, I think.

If you're not sure about the salt, might need to go get kosher/ non-iodized anyway, and bottled water is easy to find.

i know. he said not to use ANY nasal spray for more than 2 days in a row. i suppose that might be true for nettipot too. you only want to flush when you must... otherwise the nose won't do its business on its own...or something along the lines of that logic.

Definitely not the case with saline -- our "prescription" was every day as long as she's stuffy. The saline actually helps with keeping mucous membranes moist and helping them do the good stuff.

I was hoping to do this tonight, but I really am not sure about the salt and I'm going to have a heck of a time just finding the salt. Our boonies super market doesn't even sell sea salt, so I got mine in the city, which is a hike.
Don't even think they have kosher salt.

That's the price I pay for living in the sticks. <sigh>

in that case just put a pot of water to boil, montana, if you have chamomile tea, throw 2-3 teabags in. Put a towel over your head and your head above the pot...inhale through nose if you can for good 5 minutes... (it's also good for the skin).

i'm sure 4 or 5 days of saline solution cannot do any harm to any nose, but i'll agree with the doc that the shorter the better -with any intervention.

Earlier this year when I was in the clinic with the sinus infection, the doc told me to be consistent about using the saline spray/neti pot every day. He said to use it for at least the following 4 - 6 weeks, and that I should continue to use it regularly as I'm prone to sinus junkiness.


if I was a better patient it'd be great