It's a Spring! Spring! Spring!
It's the first day of spring. Thank God. I don't know if I can stand another Rochester winter, but now I have nine months to either find some better coping strategies to deal with the winter and my SAD or to find just the perfect ritualistic dance to dissuade the snow gods. The last week has been beautiful, but people around me keep saying the S word, much to my chagrin. I am reluctantly inclined to believe them though, as the temperature has plummeted in the last two days, and the sun is getting scarce again, but until or unless it snows I am going to keep hoping for a week of sunny, mild gorgeousness like last week provided. This is Rochester however, which probably means that April will see a freak snow storm with drifts up past my knees again. In that event, I will be firmly located under my berry red, extra luxurious flannel sheets with one sleeper clad toddler and one black furry lump replete with cold wet nose, floppy ears and wagging tale.
I am currently locked in fierce combat with a persistent head cold and some seriously unfun congestion. My neti pot is my friend, my new friend. Amanda, erm, will insert one of those nifty user profile linkey things later, told me about neti pots a year or two ago. At that time, my thought was "Ouch, no way, nopity nope nope, I can't even stand to get pool water or bath water up my nose, because I are a wuss of the highest order." I've been going increasingly green since then, and when the chemical laden pain-killers/congestion fighters were doing a whole fat lot of nothing for me, I decided to revisit the idea of nasal irrigation. I was anticipating that it would be too unpleasant for me to stick with, but the whole kit from Wegman's with fifty packets of salt with baking soda, a neti pot and instructions was only fifteen dollars, and those over-the-counter sinus medicines are far more costly, I figured that the pay-off if it worked would be worth it. I knew that the un-opened salts could always be given to Amanda or free-cycled and a fully cleaned out neti pot could make a nifty way to water small potted plants, no?
In hindsight I see why the following logic is not sound, but one of my major concerns was that putting salt water up my nose, and therefore into contact with a mucus membrane would be uncomfortable at best and extremely painful at worst. I now understand that the salt-free nature of "ordinary" water, I refuse to say pure, with all of the crapola in our water supply, water, is what makes it hurt in the first place. The salt concentration in a properly mixed neti pot solution mimics the natural salt content of those particular mucus membranes, which is why the salt water feels neutral or even soothing, not Ouchy and stinggy. From what I understand, the baking soda is to help the water be less acidic or less hard or something of that sort, so that it moves more smoothly and easily through the sinuses, removing the ick, but not totally stripping away natural moisture and causing further irritation. These nice little pre-measured packets are very handy dandy when you have a sinus migraine of epic proportions and you don't want to frog around with measuring spoons and canisters of powders, but all of this extra packaging is definitely not good for the environment, so I will be looking for a pre-blended mixture of pure salt and plane baking soda in a tub or canister of some sort, once these little packets are all used up. Also, I want to get a tempered glass or high quality ceramic neti pot in some fun attractive color in the future, as the one I have is a cheap, lightweight plastic, and I don't think it is dishwasher or microwave safe. It would be nice to have something that I could warm in the microwave when I am in a hurry, without having to use a separate container to heat the water. Also, if I could put it through our dishwasher's washing/sanitizing cycle or boil it for sanitary reasons, then, in a pinch, I could lend it to a close family member or close friend who isn't convinced of its effectiveness, or who has forgotten their neti pot at home, while visiting and suffering extreme allergies or a head cold.
Currently, what I am doing to get the right temperature of clean water in the pot is microwaving filtered tap water for one minute in a coffee mug, adding this to the salt in the pot, shaking it gently with the lid on and spout covered to mix in the powder, then adding cool filtered tap water to get the temperature close to body temperature. Ideally I will either buy some distilled water, or better yet, get a better faucet mount water filter with more stages that can remove chlorine and fluoride and such, and I will boil the water or at least heat it on the stove in my tea kettle, then adjust the temperature with cooler water, instead of microwaving it. For the time being though, it works, and it is immeasurably better than taking boxes and boxes of Cold Tylenol and Sudafed and similar.
If you are reading this and wondering what a neti pot is. Go Google it. No, just kidding. I'll tell you, in a very basic sense what it is, but I am no expert and if you want to know more, yeah, go Google it. Before I start describing this thing and before you start going, "erg, blech, ugh, holy shit, why would anyone voluntarily do that to them self?" bear in mind that many people with diabetes administer their own insulin injections or prick their own fingers to perform blood tests for glucose levels. Many women still do all sorts of things to maintain good sexual health that require intimate knowledge of their own bodies, such as douching or using menstrual cups. Any mother or pet owner does far worse and far messier things properly caring for their sick pet or ill child, and anyone who has been pregnant or had a baby has probably dealt with more bodily functions from various and sundry orifices than the average young man or woman, who has not yet become a parent would want to contemplate. Now, by comparison, doesn't pouring water through your head sound so much more pleasant? With that previous perspective kept firmly in mind, the idea of letting water run in one nostril, into the sinus cavity and then out the other nostril, carrying away all sorts of snoghit and allergens and bacteria with it seems downright refreshing, yes? It is actually quite rewarding, I hesitate to use the word fun, because my sanity might be called into question at that point, but it really is satisfying to see all of that nastiness leaving your body, like taking off an uncomfortable and fashion violating outfit, or taking an hour-long shower after a week-long camping trip in the buggy, muddy, Rainey, gritty woods. Those who know me will understand this, as a few of my friends can appreciate the satisfaction of cleansing the body in one way or another and feeling cleaner, lighter or fresher after something unpleasant has been banished. Come on admit it, you love dumping the contents of your pedegg into the trash and knowing that that nasty dead skin is no longer hanging out on your heals, or of cleaning out your hair brush, hamster removal, and knowing that all of the hair left on your scalp is happy and healthy, with no strand corpuses hiding in their midst. It is not pretty, but it will make you feel much better, it really will. You simply stand over the sink, or sit in a chair with your head over a bowl, or even do this in the shower, as you are going to wash yourself thoroughly afterwards anyway. You want your head tipped on its side, with your ear and chin roughly at the same height, although you might need to adjust this with a slight angle one way or the other, depending on what feels right for you personally. You will be pouring the water through the nostril that is uppermost when you are in this position, which means that the water should flow out of the other nostril and fall right into the sink, bowl, tub, whatever. If it is not angled right, it might start running down your face which is unpleasant, disconcerting, and could potentially lead to quite the acne outbreak, even if you cleanse your face right after, because of the bacteria you are flushing away. I personally recommend the kitchen sink, as you will have more room, which means less potential mess on the counter or floor, and a stainless steel kitchen sink is easier to get clean and sanitized than a plastic or porcelain sink in a bathroom. I find that inserting the tip of the neti pot spout into your nose before tilting your head is a much better idea than trying to get your head in position first and then struggling to get a dribbling spout into your nose. The water should start to drip, dribble, and flow or even drizzle out of your nose, with the rapidity of the rate directly correlated to how bad your congestion is.
This next I have to tell you just to take my word on, because it will go against your natural instincts. Keep your mouth open. This will keep any of the water and subsequent snot from running down your throat. Post-nasal-drip anyone? The act of opening the mouth, I think it has to do with raising the soft pallet, is what keeps the throat separated from the nose. You don't believe me. That's ok. You will try it with your mouth closed, you will choke and gasp and gargle and splutter, while spitting out your own snot and, then you will either give up for good, shame on you, or you will decide to listen to the crazy chick from live journal and you will try again, with your mouth wide open this time, good for you. If you keep your mouth open, do not laugh, do not talk, do not swallow, do not yell at your Siamese cat who is steeling cheese cubes from your toddler's highchair tray, and tilt your head slightly forward, very slightly should do it, then the water will move strait from point A to point B with no detours to your tonsils or uvula. I just like saying uvula. It's the former voice major in me I guess. You will probably have to stop and start every fifteen to thirty seconds when you are first getting used to it, although, I, freak that I am, can put a whole pot down one nostril, without stopping until the pot has run empty. Ideally you want a half a pot to a whole pot per nostril, more if you are congested and have already gotten used to it, is alright.
There are salts and tinctures out there for use with neti pots that help clear congestion, but are not for everyday use, that you might want to experiment with. As with any body care product, especially those for use on or near mucus membranes, always read and follow directions carefully, try to find products with organic ingredients or with as few unpronounceable ingredients as possible and discontinue use if it hurts, turns you bright blue, or makes you think you are channeling Elvis. Seriously though. I have seen several internet references that suggest that you not neti if you have a history of nose bleeds, have had your nose cauterized or have had a nose-bleed recently. I saw in one place that those who have had their adenoids and or tonsils removed should not use neti pots, but I am inclined either to believe that they are misinformed, or that they neglected to say, if you have had surgery to remove your tonsils or adenoids with in the last, insert number, months, because I have had my tonsils removed and I love my neti pot, and I know other people who use them and have had tonsillectomies.
Erm, I started this post to wine about the weather and discuss my current coping mechanisms for SAD, and somehow I've written some convoluted, but hopefully humorous "how to" on using a neti pot. Garr. I'm nowhere near qualified to even attempt such a thing, as I just started using one of these a week and a half ago. Ah well. Read my entry, laugh, enjoy, then Google, or go find a community of green or holistic people who can give you more detailed and potentially more accurate information than I can. I'm off to finish my coffee and see if my son is driving my mother crazy, or if he is still being adorable and entertaining downstairs.
I am currently locked in fierce combat with a persistent head cold and some seriously unfun congestion. My neti pot is my friend, my new friend. Amanda, erm, will insert one of those nifty user profile linkey things later, told me about neti pots a year or two ago. At that time, my thought was "Ouch, no way, nopity nope nope, I can't even stand to get pool water or bath water up my nose, because I are a wuss of the highest order." I've been going increasingly green since then, and when the chemical laden pain-killers/congestion fighters were doing a whole fat lot of nothing for me, I decided to revisit the idea of nasal irrigation. I was anticipating that it would be too unpleasant for me to stick with, but the whole kit from Wegman's with fifty packets of salt with baking soda, a neti pot and instructions was only fifteen dollars, and those over-the-counter sinus medicines are far more costly, I figured that the pay-off if it worked would be worth it. I knew that the un-opened salts could always be given to Amanda or free-cycled and a fully cleaned out neti pot could make a nifty way to water small potted plants, no?
In hindsight I see why the following logic is not sound, but one of my major concerns was that putting salt water up my nose, and therefore into contact with a mucus membrane would be uncomfortable at best and extremely painful at worst. I now understand that the salt-free nature of "ordinary" water, I refuse to say pure, with all of the crapola in our water supply, water, is what makes it hurt in the first place. The salt concentration in a properly mixed neti pot solution mimics the natural salt content of those particular mucus membranes, which is why the salt water feels neutral or even soothing, not Ouchy and stinggy. From what I understand, the baking soda is to help the water be less acidic or less hard or something of that sort, so that it moves more smoothly and easily through the sinuses, removing the ick, but not totally stripping away natural moisture and causing further irritation. These nice little pre-measured packets are very handy dandy when you have a sinus migraine of epic proportions and you don't want to frog around with measuring spoons and canisters of powders, but all of this extra packaging is definitely not good for the environment, so I will be looking for a pre-blended mixture of pure salt and plane baking soda in a tub or canister of some sort, once these little packets are all used up. Also, I want to get a tempered glass or high quality ceramic neti pot in some fun attractive color in the future, as the one I have is a cheap, lightweight plastic, and I don't think it is dishwasher or microwave safe. It would be nice to have something that I could warm in the microwave when I am in a hurry, without having to use a separate container to heat the water. Also, if I could put it through our dishwasher's washing/sanitizing cycle or boil it for sanitary reasons, then, in a pinch, I could lend it to a close family member or close friend who isn't convinced of its effectiveness, or who has forgotten their neti pot at home, while visiting and suffering extreme allergies or a head cold.
Currently, what I am doing to get the right temperature of clean water in the pot is microwaving filtered tap water for one minute in a coffee mug, adding this to the salt in the pot, shaking it gently with the lid on and spout covered to mix in the powder, then adding cool filtered tap water to get the temperature close to body temperature. Ideally I will either buy some distilled water, or better yet, get a better faucet mount water filter with more stages that can remove chlorine and fluoride and such, and I will boil the water or at least heat it on the stove in my tea kettle, then adjust the temperature with cooler water, instead of microwaving it. For the time being though, it works, and it is immeasurably better than taking boxes and boxes of Cold Tylenol and Sudafed and similar.
If you are reading this and wondering what a neti pot is. Go Google it. No, just kidding. I'll tell you, in a very basic sense what it is, but I am no expert and if you want to know more, yeah, go Google it. Before I start describing this thing and before you start going, "erg, blech, ugh, holy shit, why would anyone voluntarily do that to them self?" bear in mind that many people with diabetes administer their own insulin injections or prick their own fingers to perform blood tests for glucose levels. Many women still do all sorts of things to maintain good sexual health that require intimate knowledge of their own bodies, such as douching or using menstrual cups. Any mother or pet owner does far worse and far messier things properly caring for their sick pet or ill child, and anyone who has been pregnant or had a baby has probably dealt with more bodily functions from various and sundry orifices than the average young man or woman, who has not yet become a parent would want to contemplate. Now, by comparison, doesn't pouring water through your head sound so much more pleasant? With that previous perspective kept firmly in mind, the idea of letting water run in one nostril, into the sinus cavity and then out the other nostril, carrying away all sorts of snoghit and allergens and bacteria with it seems downright refreshing, yes? It is actually quite rewarding, I hesitate to use the word fun, because my sanity might be called into question at that point, but it really is satisfying to see all of that nastiness leaving your body, like taking off an uncomfortable and fashion violating outfit, or taking an hour-long shower after a week-long camping trip in the buggy, muddy, Rainey, gritty woods. Those who know me will understand this, as a few of my friends can appreciate the satisfaction of cleansing the body in one way or another and feeling cleaner, lighter or fresher after something unpleasant has been banished. Come on admit it, you love dumping the contents of your pedegg into the trash and knowing that that nasty dead skin is no longer hanging out on your heals, or of cleaning out your hair brush, hamster removal, and knowing that all of the hair left on your scalp is happy and healthy, with no strand corpuses hiding in their midst. It is not pretty, but it will make you feel much better, it really will. You simply stand over the sink, or sit in a chair with your head over a bowl, or even do this in the shower, as you are going to wash yourself thoroughly afterwards anyway. You want your head tipped on its side, with your ear and chin roughly at the same height, although you might need to adjust this with a slight angle one way or the other, depending on what feels right for you personally. You will be pouring the water through the nostril that is uppermost when you are in this position, which means that the water should flow out of the other nostril and fall right into the sink, bowl, tub, whatever. If it is not angled right, it might start running down your face which is unpleasant, disconcerting, and could potentially lead to quite the acne outbreak, even if you cleanse your face right after, because of the bacteria you are flushing away. I personally recommend the kitchen sink, as you will have more room, which means less potential mess on the counter or floor, and a stainless steel kitchen sink is easier to get clean and sanitized than a plastic or porcelain sink in a bathroom. I find that inserting the tip of the neti pot spout into your nose before tilting your head is a much better idea than trying to get your head in position first and then struggling to get a dribbling spout into your nose. The water should start to drip, dribble, and flow or even drizzle out of your nose, with the rapidity of the rate directly correlated to how bad your congestion is.
This next I have to tell you just to take my word on, because it will go against your natural instincts. Keep your mouth open. This will keep any of the water and subsequent snot from running down your throat. Post-nasal-drip anyone? The act of opening the mouth, I think it has to do with raising the soft pallet, is what keeps the throat separated from the nose. You don't believe me. That's ok. You will try it with your mouth closed, you will choke and gasp and gargle and splutter, while spitting out your own snot and, then you will either give up for good, shame on you, or you will decide to listen to the crazy chick from live journal and you will try again, with your mouth wide open this time, good for you. If you keep your mouth open, do not laugh, do not talk, do not swallow, do not yell at your Siamese cat who is steeling cheese cubes from your toddler's highchair tray, and tilt your head slightly forward, very slightly should do it, then the water will move strait from point A to point B with no detours to your tonsils or uvula. I just like saying uvula. It's the former voice major in me I guess. You will probably have to stop and start every fifteen to thirty seconds when you are first getting used to it, although, I, freak that I am, can put a whole pot down one nostril, without stopping until the pot has run empty. Ideally you want a half a pot to a whole pot per nostril, more if you are congested and have already gotten used to it, is alright.
There are salts and tinctures out there for use with neti pots that help clear congestion, but are not for everyday use, that you might want to experiment with. As with any body care product, especially those for use on or near mucus membranes, always read and follow directions carefully, try to find products with organic ingredients or with as few unpronounceable ingredients as possible and discontinue use if it hurts, turns you bright blue, or makes you think you are channeling Elvis. Seriously though. I have seen several internet references that suggest that you not neti if you have a history of nose bleeds, have had your nose cauterized or have had a nose-bleed recently. I saw in one place that those who have had their adenoids and or tonsils removed should not use neti pots, but I am inclined either to believe that they are misinformed, or that they neglected to say, if you have had surgery to remove your tonsils or adenoids with in the last, insert number, months, because I have had my tonsils removed and I love my neti pot, and I know other people who use them and have had tonsillectomies.
Erm, I started this post to wine about the weather and discuss my current coping mechanisms for SAD, and somehow I've written some convoluted, but hopefully humorous "how to" on using a neti pot. Garr. I'm nowhere near qualified to even attempt such a thing, as I just started using one of these a week and a half ago. Ah well. Read my entry, laugh, enjoy, then Google, or go find a community of green or holistic people who can give you more detailed and potentially more accurate information than I can. I'm off to finish my coffee and see if my son is driving my mother crazy, or if he is still being adorable and entertaining downstairs.