Neat-o Neti November 6, 2009
Posted by millyonair in health.Tags: allergies, health, Life, neti, TMI
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For the first time in years, I am suffering TERRIBLE hay-fever allergies. Since the onset, my waking hours have been largely defined by a battle between my sinuses, which have been on strike, and the rest of my body, which needs oxygen. You know that horrible thing that happens when you have a cold, where your sinuses declare a lock-down, and you can neither sniff, blow, or breathe? And yet your nose is still, somehow, running? So all you can do is dab? Yeah. That’s been my life for the past few weeks.
All you need for nasal bliss....
I’ve known about the neti pot for years, and always thought it was kind of a cool idea–like a facial douche–even though putting water inside your breathing parts seems counter-intuitive for a land mammal. I never actually tried it because I’m the kind of person that, if I have to go and buy some special equipment, then count me out. I’m too lazy and too cheap. I wanted to try it, but I was never going to actually go and buy a neti-pot. The magic of the neti was destined to be a sinus fantasy.
Until this morning, when I happened across a suggestion in my New Choices in Natural Healing book (the best dollar I ever spent, by the way–I got it at the thrift store). In the section about allergies, the book says you can use a paper cup as a make-shift neti pot by simply pinching the rim into a spout. I’m all about make-shift. Five minutes later I was mixing sea salt and warm water into a Dixie cup with all the concentration of a chemist.
Before trying the neti-Dixie-pot, I assumed that the sensation would be something akin to that feeling you get when you accidentally get water up your snoot while swimming; I expected it to be distinctly uncomfortable. In addition, I kind of thought there was the possibility I would do it wrong and drown myself over the bathroom sink. Also, I thought that if I didn’t drown, it would at least be disgusting, in the way that an enema is disgusting, with torrents of foul goo rushing out of my face*.
BUT BOY, WAS I WRONG. It was AWESOME and not uncomfortable at all. In fact, all the sensations were very mild, and nothing like getting water in your nose while swimming. My face LOVED it. And, the rest of my body loved it too, because now I can BREATHE! Out of both nostrils! And, obviously, I didn’t drown. I didn’t even have to hold my breath, because you can breathe out of your mouth while neti-ing, without having to be a yogi or posess some other specialized breathing skills.
So, if you learn nothing else today, folks, then take this home: Rinsing out your sinuses isn’t hard or scary, it’s THE BEST THING EVER. If you have a cold or allergies, go for it. All you need is some salt and a paper cup. Your face will thank you, and so will anyone you sleep with, because you won’t be mouth-breathing on them all night long.
*It might be like this if you had a cold or a sinus infection, but I don’t, so the goo was clear and I couldn’t distinguish it from the salt-water.
Awards, Political Statements, and TMI November 10, 2009
Posted by millyonair in Life, Rants/Diatribes, Social Commentary, health.Tags: awards, health, Life, Musings, Thoughts
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Yippee! I am the proud recipient of a blogging award, my first. The award was given to me by my muse of French-ness: Mo, of Me, Mo and Myself.
1. I do not have health insurance.
2. This is because good health insurance is too expensive. And even paying for the so-called “good” health insurance doesn’t guarantee that the insurance company will actually pay for the procedures recommended by your physician, as my mother has recently discovered.
3. Since I don’t have health insurance, I seldom visit the doctor, and have a general, vague distrust of the entire medical system. Fortunately, I am a very healthy person.
4. Unfortunately, it also means that I am occasionally compelled to perform my own feats of dermatology, e.g. removing suspicious-looking moles with nail scissors.
5. Sometimes I try to diagnose my occasional health concerns by google-ing my symptoms. This is a very, very bad idea that usually results in hypochondriacal fantasies of cancer, renal failure, or early-onset Ebola.
6. I don’t really like to take medicine. My cures for most problems are:
7. I do believe that our government should do something about the current health-care situation in our country, because unless you’re either a gozillionaire or on Medicare/Medicaid, it sucks. I DO NOT, however, like the current plan being bandied about in Congress. I am particularly displeased with the idea that I will be REQUIRED to BUY insurance from the government or other provider, lest I face a fine or some other punitive action when and if I have to go to the doctor. Please, Congressmen. That is SO not what we were asking for.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go sit in a hot bath with a bowl of chocolate ice cream and a book. For my health, yo?