neti

So, tonight I'm writing about something to go back on my to-do list for next winter. Every winter, my allergies act up. Usually, this ends with my sinuses closing up which results in a terrible sinus infection for me. Year, after year, after year.

Carl has had a neti pot for a few years now. He found out about it for sinuses and got one, which he uses occasionally. I kept thinking about how I hated the feeling of water in my sinuses (remembered from my childhood summers in the pool) and the idea of pour something into one nostril and having it pour out of the other just kind of freaked me out.

It took me a couple of years to actually work up to using the neti pot, and even then, although I could tell that it cleared my sinuses temporarily, it still felt weird to have my sinuses filled with water, and that lovely taste of salt water... well, you can have it.

This year, however, I truly came to appreciate the neti pot. I've been using it pretty regularly. Maybe not every night, but close. I've had sinus issues, to the point - OK here's the part where any squeemish types might want to skip over - even to the point where the neti had to kind of have a couple of tries to get all the way through (but it did, finally). I've even had a cold, and a couple of nights sleeping in the chair. Still, I've not had to have antibiotics. I consider that a pretty major accomplishment, and I feel like the season is coming to an end.

So, to neti or not to neti... Well, as unpleasant as gargling salt water is, it serves a purpose. Running that salt water through your sinuses serves a purpose as well. I try not to think about it too much at this point, or the whole in one nostril and out the other thing with still freak me out a little. Still it's better than poking things into your eyes, for me (you know - like wearing contacts). Salt water and not having to take antibiotics, that is the big plus for me. Allergy not turning into infection. That's the deal right there. It doesn't hurt that clearing your sinuses helps you breathe, and since I tend to do the neti right before bed time, well, breathing while sleeping, an even bigger plus.

The neti pot isn't fun for me, but I do respect that it has helped me through this allergy season, and I'll be using the tool again next year.