Binge Drinking and Nasal Lavage

It's been years since I first used a neti pot. I bought it at Community Pharmacy in Madison, Wisconsin where I lived out four glorious undergrad years. I was most likely wearing a tie-dye tee with parachuting bears on it - back in the day of camp counseling, hemp necklaces and rolling my own cigarettes. Let's say, the spring/summer of 1996.

SIDEBAR: Before you judge, please remember that I was in college and the idea of smoking seemed much cooler then. I fully appreciate the contradiction of smoking (and binge drinking for that matter) while seeking homeopathic remedies, buying organic veggies from the Mifflin Street co-op, juicing, ingesting copious amounts of vitamins and drinking only from a Brita pitcher. I WAS IN COLLEGE.

The irony of this commitment to rolling my own cigarettes is illuminated by the fact that I broke both of my thumbs in a freak nautilus machine accident. Don't ask. This, of course, made rolling my own smokes impossible. Plus, we were playing a lot of Euchre at the Terrace and the injury impeded my shuffling, as well. Washing my hair properly was another challenge.  Who's the wannabe hippie drinking beer and playing cards with her thumbs in splints? It was a rough couple of months.

Anyway. Back to my fledgling relationship with my neti pot. I used it in the spring after a sinus infection (not caused in any way by smoking and drinking beer while playing "I never" and beer pong  until 4 am) and was impressed from what I can remember. But, for some reason, I never used it again.

Fast forward to this winter, where we send Leighton to Kids' Work every tuesday to collect as many germs as possible and return to infect us all. Ryan and my dad have a a touch of a cold here and there, but my mom and I have had bouts of congestion, sore throat, coughing and fatigue lasting for weeks at a time.

So, my mom with the help of Dr. Oz and Oprah, convinced me to try the Sinucleanse neti pot situation for the second time in my life. For those who aren't familiar and didn't click the link at the top of the post, a neti pot is a little teapot thingy that you fill with a warm saline solution to pour into one nostril and out the other.

I mixed up my solution and went after the world's stuffiest nose and sinus combo. HOLY HELL this thing really works! It's funny at first the kind of funny where you're embarrassed to be attempting neti pot use in front of yourself and it takes a time or two to get the hang of it, but once you get past the insanity you will love it.

After blowing my nose, breathing and raving about the little pot to my husband, I was curious about the genius who brought this handy little system to the attention of the American consumer. I turned the box over to find that the Sinucleanse system was created by a doctor in Madison, Wisconsin. Figures.

Okay. Who else has tried using a neti pot or other device for nasal irrigation? Who out there is too creeped out to do it? Please leave a comment and share your fuss with us!

Comments

[FC Mom]

Love my neti pot. Used to use it for recurring sinus infections, now I know to use it at first hint of sinus trouble. It really heads off problems. I used to find it disgusting, but it's really just like washing off any other body part- you're just rinsing out your nose, basically!

[Jennifer W. Freeman]

Oh Ann - I remember being pregnant and thinking "Tylenol? Really? That's it? That's not going to help me with anything!"

[Ann]

Love the neti pot! Used it a ton when I was pregnant and had a raging sinus infection. I was too scared to take any meds, grateful for that funky little pot!