My old friend, Sinus Infection, showed up late Friday night and brought his comrades, Fever, Sweat, and Aches. They are still hanging around and refuse to leave even though I’ve been throwing Sudafed at ‘em. I hate to treat company that way, but they never call first and they always stay longer than I want them to.
Happy Patty Day, everybody!!
18 Comments
This will sound truly disgusting, but I’ve experienced miracles when I’ve irrigated my sinuses with tepid saltwater. This is a practice that goes back thousands of years. I happen to know someone who, as part of a bedtime ritual, snorts a few handfuls of saltwater and hasn’t had so much as a sniffle in years and years and years.
Sorry for the snot! Hope your head clears and your body is better soon.
Karen is so right saltwater does help alleviate the pain. And its not as painful as it sounds your just cleaning the passages, not actually snorting. Yucky, yuck, yuck I hate sinus infections! They stink. Feel better soon.
The new Sudafed doesn’t work as well as the old Sudafed with the good drugs in it. I have some of the old stuff (that expired at LEAST a year ago) if you want it…
Hope you feel better soon!
I love your mucus picture.
Brian,
Nothing a shot of Vodka (or, for the occasion, a pint of Guinness) and 2 cloves of garlic can’t cure.
Get well soon so you can blog more!
W.H.
I feel your pain. I’m just getting over a sinus infection and bronchitis. Yuck. Hope you feel better soon!
Brian,
Hope you feel better. I had a bad, bad, bad sinus infection a couple of months ago. After a week on antibiotics I thought it was gone (Azithromycin) but one month later it came back again.
The doctor then prescribed me Flonase, and while waiting for my prescription I asked the pharmacist if it was okay to take Pseudafed PE with the new medication. She asked me what the symptoms were, and then told me to put that box down, I needed the real stuff–the old Pseudafed, which Pharmacists still carry, you just have to show ID and sign for it.
As they used to say on Night Court, “I’m feeling much better now!”
@ Karen: I figured that’s what you were referencing in your email. I wonder if it’s okay to do that while your actually sick, or if it should just be part of a sinus maintenance regimen?
@ Timbre: I’ve done it before, but with some kit that the doctor gave me. I’m not sure if it was actually salt-water, because it didn’t burn at all.
@ Accountable: Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll pass.
@ MBMQ: I thought his outfit was just perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!
@ Wei-Hsein: I’m sure that is a pretty good remedy, but I can’t handle that kind of liquor. Nothing but girly drinks for me!
@ ajerseyromance: Thanks for the well-wishes!
@ Jamie: I never even thought about the pharmacy keeping the stronger drugs behind the counter, but I guess the meth-heads have made that necessary. I actually bought Sudafe PE and thought it was helping, but last night my fever shot back up to around 102 and I was feeling just miserable. I did call my doc today and they phoned in a couple of prescriptions for me.
Yeah… You should probably get the good stuff from behind the counter and not expired drugs through the mail from someone you don’t personally know.
@ Accountable: That’s kind of what I was thinking, but I didn’t want to seem rude.
I tried the sinus rinse and it seemed to work pretty well. I also watched Brokeback Mountain this afternoon and the resulting emotions helped purge my sinuses, too.
Flushing the sinuses is something that can be done before, during, and after a cold or sinus infection. You’ve got to know how to do it right, though, or you can inadvertently make matters worse.
I don’t go for the store bought stuff. I just mix some salt in warmish water until its saltiness matches my tears, then I pour some in my cupped palm, bend over the sink, close the opposing nostril with my free pointer finger, and then I sssssnifffff it, tip my head back a bit, and then snort it out assertively. I do that a few times and then I do the other side. What gets flushed out can be totally gross but I’m willing to suffer that to put my nasal suffering to rest.
File this under TMI if you need to!
Brian, I’m sorry you aren’t feeling well. My mom just read me an article stating that one of the best things for sinus infections was to inhale steam - hope you get better soon.
@ Karen: That sounds really painful! The stuff I use is branded “Ayr” and is a saline sinus rinse kit with a squirt bottle and little packets that you dissolve in distilled water. It doesn’t burn at all and seems to work really well. I got it from an ENT specialist.
@ Robin: I bet steam would be really therapeutic. My doc put me on steroids and antibiotics, and I’m already feeling better. It’s amazing what good meds can do!
This is what you need: http://mama-om.blogspot.com/2008/03/wellness-wednesday-breathing-pretty.html
My method’s not painful at all if you get the salt to water ratio right.
Ha! I was going to mention my super awesome sinus rinse. You can actually buy a kit at walgreens for something like $12…yes, you CAN do it while you’re sick. I use mine every day in the shower and I haven’t had a sinus problem for a year, seriously. The package at Walgreens is called NeilMed Sinus Rinse and it comes with a little bottle and a bunch of salt packets. If you are really brave, you can use 2 salt packets per bottle…it burns just a tiny bit but really helps clear things out.
Oops, I just re-read some of your comments and it sounds like you’ve already got a kit. Good for you; I hope it works wonders!
@ Accountable: I want on of those!
@ Karen: I tried it, but apparently used too much salt and wound up burning my nose. Maybe I’ll get better results next time!
@ Caroline: It’s amazing how much relief comes within minutes of using the rinse. I might not be sick so frequently if I’d be more consistent about using it.