Have you tried this for a sinus infection?

[sundial]

Oakleaf, did you see the NeilMed neti pot? It comes with a lid and when you want to regulate the flow, you place your finger over the hole on the lid.

[OakLeaf]

Oakleaf, did you see the NeilMed neti pot? It comes with a lid and when you want to regulate the flow, you place your finger over the hole on the lid.

Huh, no, I haven't seen those. That might be useful when I'm really stuffed up. OTOH it might just mean it would take an hour for the solution to trickle through my sinuses drop by drop I'm having visions of those old Taco Neck commercials.

[sundial]

I just wanted to share that since I started using the rinse, it has helped my allergies tremendously. I don't have those allergy attacks and I've cut back using allergy Rx's. Just wanted to encourage those who have alleriges to consider this option. I feel so much better.

[Geonz]

I used to go to the beach and make a point of doing somersaults in the waves if I was feeling allergic or sinusy (but my sinuses are also low-maintenance). I swear by gargling ('cause my throat *is* the Favorite Entry Point for Bad Things - almost always I get a sore throat before I get sick when I get sick every few years).

So perhaps when the fervor goes down Ill get one of them things... or, perhaps the fad will die and they'll be at garage sales

[mupedalpusher]

My ENT surgeon had me do this after my sinus surgery. I didn't have to buy anything special, just use one of the little squishy-bulb things you use for baby's. My surgeon gave me the recipe to make my own solution with canning salt and baking soda. It's been a life saver, at the sign of any problems I start using it again. I don't do it everyday anymore because I do fine without it.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Here's the saline sinus rinse kit I use:
http://www.epinions.com/reviews/Ayr_...ine_Sinus_Wash

I used to wake up in the middle of the night with gummy stuff clogging my head and sinuses and I couldn't sleep. Not anymore- what a HUGE relief!
Now I use this every morning or every other morning, and no longer have any sinus problems. It feels so soothing and so wonderful to start the day with a happy clear head.
I thought it would be weird and awful to try it. But it was only a slightly odd sensation, not uncomfortable, and I got good at it after two times. Now it's just a quick morning routine like brushing my teeth.

[Becky]

Here's another vote for sinus rinsing. I have both the NeilMed neti pot and their squirty bottle. They both work well, but I think I prefer the bottle, just because it requires less coordination on my part.

[farrellcollie]

I get 6-8 sinus infections a year and have bad allergies. The saline rinse helps, but I still need antibiotics several times too. I have found it usefule, but not a super thing. It definitely helps me with post-nasal drip pain.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

OMG I couldn't figure out what a neti pot was until I read the rest of the thread...I have been doing this for years, at least 15 years, when a friend of mine who was a smoke jumper told me about it when I moved to California and my sinuses were screaming from the dryness. I tried everything on the planet to get rid of the sinus infections and this was the only thing that worked. When I am on the west coast I do it probably once a week, but here on the east coast, I just started doing it due to allergies. I had a friend in college that would irrigate her sinuses with an IV bag of saline. Uhm. That's too much for me. I don't use a pot, just any old cup with warm water (usually filtered or bottled) and some salt. Nothing fancy. I also do it while in mid flight in the tiny bathroom because who knows what your are snorting in the plane and it's so dry.

As far as blowing it out, I usually do my usual circus trick and spit it out my mouth. I think that came about by accident. It's a life saver when you have that irritated part of the back of your throat due to nasal drip down the back of your throat while sleeping. If I stick with it I can prevent sinus infections and problems with allergies, but if I drop the ball, it's hard to get them to leave without medical intervention.

Anyone take 'local honey' for their allergies? I found this works too. Not the stuff from the store but honey made by local bees. It's a preventative too not a cure, so you have to start early to get the effect.