Category Archives: Health

Getting the snot out

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Neti Pot

For years, every Fall I used to get postnasal drip from seasonal allergies that would develop into sinus infections and splitting headaches. I was miserable. My life changed when I was introduced to the neti pot. The neti pot is a small pot made from ceramic or a lightweight plastic. It holds a warm saline solution that pours into and flows in and out of the nostrils. The pot has a handle on the side with a small, narrow spout on the opposite side used to put into the nostril. It looks like a genie’s lamp. Neti pots are used primarily for nasal cleansing, rinsing or nasal irrigation. It also helps remove pollen, pollutants, and allergens, relieves dryness and basically cleans the snot out.

After only a week of using the neti pot I became its champion, telling everyone I knew. I even gifted a couple to my friends in need. I became the neti pot “guru” explaining why, how and when. The neti pot was the only thing I used or needed for my allergies during my pregnancy and while my son was breastfeeding.

If you have pressure around your sinuses or face, sinus headaches, allergies, postnasal drip or just feel like you are coming down with a cold, I encourage you to try a neti pot. You can purchase one at most drug stores, supermarkets, co-ops or health food stores. Some come with a saline solution kit, but simple kosher salt and water works well. Some people suggest sea salt, but I found that sea salt crystals do not dissolve easily and you must be diligent to ensure that all the crystals dissolve, if not, the process could become uncomfortable and irritate your nasal cavity. Kosher salt dissolves easily in warm water.

How to use the Neti Pot:

Step 1                                                                                                                                     Mix ¼ tsp. of non-iodized or kosher salt with a cup of warm water in the neti pot until all the salt crystals have dissolved.  It is important that your water is safe from all pathogens. If you are unsure, boil it and let it cool until it is warm.

Step 2                                                                                                                                   Tilt your head over the sink, keeping the nostril you are treating pointing towards the upper corner of the wall across from you, tuck your chin in a little.

Step 3                                                                                                                              Gently, insert the neti pot spout into your nostril, and then allow the solution to gently flow into the nostril. The solution should flow through the first nostril and exit through the second nostril. If the solution goes down your throat, stop and tilt your head a little (chin in, nostril towards the top portion of the opposite wall), slowly adjust your head until all of the solution has flowed out your second nostril. If your nostril is very clogged, be patient, the solution will eventually trickle through and then eventually flow.

Step 4                                                                                                                                Once you have emptied the neti pot, bend over the sink and blow three times to clear excess water and mucus from nostrils. Wipe with tissue.

Step 5                                                                                                                              Repeat step 1 – 4 on other nostril

Step 6                                                                                                                              When both nostrils are done, bend over as if you are touching your toes and hang your head down for a minute or so to encourage all the liquid to flow out your nostrils, blow gently into a tissue.

All information is shared for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

 

Changing Perspectives

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I am a planner, not a worrier and I was discussing this with my mother recently. She is a worrier and as she grows older, she worries more than plans. Although, she intellectually knows that worrying wastes time and energy and resolves nothing, she cannot help herself. I was a worrier in my teens and early 20s and it made me physically ill. In fact, my headaches got so severe, normal pain relievers wouldn’t work.  I ending up going to a neurologist and had a CAT scan that revealed nothing more than I was experiencing vascular headaches. My body was reacting to my over anxiousness and worrying.  That’s the point when I chose to focus my energy on planning and being proactive. After some time, perhaps years (it’s easier to intellectualize than to put into practice), I didn’t worry about the things I couldn’t control, which are a lot. What I did was think about options or solutions to problems. For example: if I need to leave town, who will take care of Mathew while Mike works. It’s a lot like buying insurance, sometimes you need it, other times you don’t. I would rather invest my time in finding solutions than waste my energy in worrying. It alleviates the powerlessness and anxiety that worrying creates.

Not only is worrying unproductive, too much of it can really be physically debilitating, triggering a host of health problems.  When we are anxious or feel that we are in danger our body has an automatic physiological reaction called the “fight or flight” response that releases a surge of adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol into our bloodstream and sets our bodies on red alert, preparing our body to “fight” or “flight.”  The chemical release causes our body to undergo a series of very dramatic changes. Our respiratory rate increases. Blood is diverted away from our digestive tract and directed into muscles and limbs, which require extra energy and fuel for running and fighting. Our pupils dilate, awareness intensifies,  sight sharpens, impulses quicken,  perception of pain diminishes and our immune system mobilizes with increased activation. We become prepared—physically and psychologically—for “fight or flight.” We scan and search our environment, “looking for the enemy.” This served our ancestors well as the “fight or flight” response protected them from dangers such as wild animals that wanted to eat them. For the most part, we don’t encounter wild animals these days, but our bodies still sense “dangers.”  They’re there in the form of a demanding work schedule, deadlines, balancing home and work life, a challenging child, climate change, a dispute with a loved one, even a scary movie or exciting adventure ride can trigger the response.

Once a perceived threat has passed, hormone levels return to normal. As adrenaline and cortisol levels drop, your heart rate and blood pressure return to normal levels, and the other systems resume their regular activities. It’s okay if the perceived “danger” or stressor is time limited. The problem occurs when “fight or flight” is triggered daily by excessive worrying and anxiety. The overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones can disrupt almost all of our body’s processes. Therefore, putting us at an increased risk of numerous health problems, including:

  • Digestive issues
  • Heart disease
  • Sleep problems
  • Cancer
  • Diabetes
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Weight gain
  • Memory and concentration impairment
  • Suppression of the immune system
  • Muscle tension
  • Depression

Although these effects are a response to stress, stress is simply the trigger. As I learned the hard way, whether or not you become ill depends on how you handle stress. Your body is profoundly influenced by your coping style and your psychological state. It isn’t the stress that makes you ill, it’s how you deal with it. If you are prone to excessive worrying, you’re  putting your body in a constant “fight or flight” response, your body will not get the opportunity to get back into balance; this is not a good thing. This perpetual state of emergency with no rest can bring on physical illness. Something has to change to maintain a healthy body. There are lots of things you can do, exercise, take breaks, meditate ~ but I think the only way to profoundly stop the continuous “fight or flight” response is to change your point of view. For me, it was to start planning for issues/problems that might arise and accept that I am powerless to control life. Other people need to accept their role in creating stressful situations, whether they never say no and forget there is simply only 24 hours in a day or live in a constant state of perpetual fear of something happening.  Whatever it is that puts you in continual state of stress, simply needs to go. I know it is much easier said than done. Hey, it took me years to put this point of view into practice even though I intellectually knew it. Nevertheless, there is no day better than today to start changing your perspective. Your life really does depend on it.