All week I have been feeling crummy, but the last three days have been just downright debilitating. My head. It hoits.
It finally occurred to me that all the signs point to a sinus infection. (Took me long enough.)
I've been pretty worthless during the days, not getting off the couch unless I must~ even sleeping during naptime (not something I do during my coveted free time)~and I hate being this lazy.
I would really, really like to kick this on my own, without hauling a bunch of kids to a doctors office. Anyone know anything I don't?
This morning I drank some apple cider vinegar. (Now you KNOW I am serious...)
16 comments:
A heating pad held over your eyes and nose
until you feel some congestion breaking up. Blow your nose until you can't get anymore out. Repeat every few hours, or when you feel the congestion building back up. I blew a sinus infection out in about 2 days doing this last year. Because I threw up the cider vinegar.
If you don't have a heating pad, soak a towel in VERY hot water, partially wring out, fold, and slide in a zip-loc bag. Wrap a thin towel around it before holding to your face.
There's also a net pot, which can introduce brain eating bacteria into your sinus' (really) and a friend says looks like you're giving birth to an alien out your nose.
NetiPot or the Neil Med sinus rinse bottle - lifesaver for me, I've been a loyal user of the rince bottle for years & remarkably have had a reduction of my allergies and not a sinus infection since.....using it will also cut down the duration of a cold. ;) It was actually recommended by my allergy & asthma doctor.
Good luck!! I know how exhausting they can be :(
-Cait
Also, be careful not to blow too hard as doing so will force the infection into your eustation tubes and cause problems there...just gentle blowing will do the job. ;)
-Cait
I fyou have a vaporizor and tea tree oil, it is wonderful. Put a few (5-10)? Not sure in the water. Clears sinues and is an antibacterial for the vaporizor. I Love tea tree oil and Melaleaca's solu mel in the vaporizer. Great combination.
Recommended by ENT doc:
http://www.vitacost.com/Alkalol-Nasal-Wash
This is available at our local Safeway near the pharmacy department.
My husband swears (he doesn't really, but for lack of a better term) by the Neti Pot. I, for one, cannot bring myself to use it. But that, in combination with the ACV seems to do the trick.
Warm, moist heat to the face in addition to the Neti Pot. Works wonders! I use the Neti Pot frequently and has relieved my allergies and cleared up my ongoing sinus drainage. Good Luck!
i eat spicy soups and inhale over a warm wet dishrag that has some drops of eucalyptus oil on it. but those give just temporary relief.
the spicy soups can clear you out though!
1. The Neti Pot - Needs very specific kind of water. As Bonnie said can introduce brain eating bacteria if used with tap water. Two people died recently because of that.
2. Inhalation with Vicks. Boil water, add a few drops of eucalyptus or Vicks. Cover your head and inhale. Loosens mucus for me. A small hanky dipped in eucalyptus for sniffing.
3. Tylenol.
Okay, I'm a big baby and if I still would have to drag 4 children to the store to buy all the homeopathic ingredients then it's the same as dragging them to the doctor and getting an antibiotic that you know will take care of it. LOL
I do have friends that say the Neti Pot works wonders, but I'm not brave enough to try it and especially now, that I've just read the comments about brain eating bacteria!
Whatever method you choose, I hope you feel better soon.
Thanks for all the suggestions!
You all know what I will be doing this weekend!
(And Terri~ that does defeat the purpose doesn't it? I was looking for ideas using things I have on hand. Though, not having to pay a doctors fee is an awfully nice perk too!)
I was going to stay Netti Pot too, but one thing they told me to do after my sinus surgery is to boil the water, let it cool and add 1 tsp of salt per pint of water to use in the Netti Pot. It worked wonderfully! :) I also put the water I didn't use in a sterilized canning jar with lid and ring as well. :)
And, I don't know how well this works, but my aunt swears by 2 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar to an 8 oz glass of water. She drinks this every morning. LOL I have yet to be that brave, though. ;)
NeilMed sells packets for the netipot and rinse bottle you mix with water with the correct concentration of salt - if you do not have treated water than yes, boil it first. :)
Neti pot! I use to get sinus infections a lot and then went to a new (and awesome) doctor when we moved and he told me about the neti pot... but you do need to use distilled water {or boiled water} never water straight out of the tap! There is special salt you can buy for it, or just use sea salt. I have not had another sinus infection in the three years I've been using one!!! My mom doesn't use a neti pot she just sniffs the salt water up her nose, she swears by that but I've never tried and I think with an active sinus infections it would be better to flush the sinus passages out. Also boost your immune system and drink at least 64 oz of water a day with a couple tsps {or more depending on how much you can tolerate} of apple cider vinegar. Fresh Lemon ginger teas as well as garlic lemon teas and just plain garlic in honey works wonders! All my kids with take fresh garlic chopped up in honey, I tell them it kills the "bad bugs" and they love that idea. :) Garlic is an amazing natural antibiotic!! I use natural {and often cheap} remedies about 98% of the time and find that they work wonders! Preventitive care is the key, get better before it gets a hold on you...but even if you get really, really sick you can often heal yourself with herbal and homeopathic remedies, it just takes longer, don't give up! Must have books for staying out of the doctors office: Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner {a must have!},Homeopathic Medicine for Children and Infants by Dana Ullman, Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines by Stephen Cummings, M.D. and Naturally Healthy Babies and Children by Aviva Romm... just to name a few. :) If you have any other questions feel free to email me.
I used to get sinus infections every year. Then I started doing major prevention therapy on myself the moment I felt one coming on, and now I hardly ever get a full blown infection anymore.
* Vitamin C (Chewable tablets 3 o4 a day)
* Drinking Apple cider vinegar (yes!)
*** And the most important - Squirt that salt water up your nose!!! Seems to kick it every time.
(http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2007/11/29/stuffy-nose-or-sinus-problems-heres-a-fix)
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