More about the Neti Pot - A Gross Story – but Educational:

A Gross Story – but Educational:

  When I was about 11years old my parents were youth leader.  One Saturday they took a group of high school kids to the beach for a day of swimming and play on the Gulf Coast. 

When we were in the 12 passenger van getting ready to go back home one of they guys who had been surfing reached forward from the seat behind me to change the radio station.  When he did, to both of our surprise it was like someone poured a large warm bowl of salt water down my back and in my lap.  The surfer’s sinuses where full of ocean water from surfing all day and when he leaned forward, out it poured. The surfer was embarrassed and apologized profusely.

Looking back it was amazing how much water our sinuses can hold.  I remember my mom telling me, as well as reading, that doctors would often prescribe swimming in the ocean (salt, sun, fresh air, as well as a "de-stresser") for people with asthma, sinus problems, for the healing of skin ailments or for deep wounds, and also for burn victims.  

Now that I think about it my surfer friends they were  rarely sick or caught colds, even in the winter while surfing in near freezing temperatures.  They were always smiling with a far away look in their eyes. – But never sick.

Don’t Blow it! You will just get an Ear Infection

Ear Aches are common among little kids because of the shape of their faces.  When a child is young their eustatation tubes are fairly parallel.  When little kids are told to blow their nose – that is pretty much blowing infection into their ears. As they get older their face gets longer and the tubes angle down so they suffer with less ear aches.   Instead of blowing little noses just gently wipe.

With winter upon us and we retreat into closer quarters there is more sharing of colds and flu bugs.  One great way to alleviate sinus congestions is to use a neti Pot

When we were kids we were told to sniff warm salt water to clear a sinus infection.  Have you ever tried that?  It really stings and it feels like you are drowning too.  It was a mess, it hurt, and never did much good.  But the neti pot is different.

What is a neti pot?  A neti looks like a ceramic small tea pot with a long spout.  Yes this is gross but it works.  A solution of (1/4 tsp) pharmaceutical grade salt and pure warm water is made for the pot.  Then you bend over the sink with your forehead below your chin and pour the warm saline water through one nostril.  Wait, it takes a few seconds because your sinuses are all behind your forehead and behind your eyes but in about 8 seconds the saline water pours out your other nostril washing all the nasty and bad bugs with it.  The saline water helps fight infection, and dries out that runny nose.

My daughter’s doctor (we know doctors are usually pill perscribers) said that if folks would neti pot as soon as they were exposed to a bug then we wouldn’t catch colds or the flu.  I know it sounds weird – it did to me at first – but it really works.