The Sinus Experiment: Day Three

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

26 Jun 2006 07:18 AM

Yes, I know I skipped a day. Yesterday I gave myself permission to NOT work and instead spent most of the day reading, knitting, and napping. It was just delightful.

I got a little worried as Day One of the Sinus Experiment went on, because my headache and sinus pressure was getting worse. Late in the afternoon, I started honking out icky yellow mucus that had been loosened by the sinus irrigation, and that eased a lot of the pressure.

For Day Two, I repeated the procedure: as soon as I got up, I took a dose of goldenseal and Echinacea (along with my other usual daily meds). Then it was sinus irrigation time. Let me tell you, the experience does not get any more pleasant the more you do it. No matter how you color it, you are still shooting warm salt water up your nose. It feels weird, it makes my eyes water, and did I mention that it's totally gross? But it does seem to be working. Again, thanks to the sinus irrigation, I was able to blow more stuff out that seems to have been lurking and lingering in my sinuses.

So here I am, at Day Three of the Sinus Experiment. And to my surprise, I am feeling a lot better. I was sure I was going to have to give in and call the doctor today... but my headache is fading and the sinus pressure is much less. I am going to stick to the regimen of fluids, rest, herbal immune boosters, and the dreaded sinus irrigation -- as much as I hate to admit it, I think the sinus irrigation is what has helped me the most. No amount of rest or fluids or herbs is going to help me too much if there's infected mucus sitting in my sinuses and not going anywhere. The irrigation helps move things around so the bad stuff can come out and the sinus passages can have time to heal.

Yes, I am a bit sinus obsessed. When I was 19 or so, I had to have sinus endoscopy surgery to cut away permanently infected tissue in my sinuses. It was not a fun experience, but it really did help. I went from having a sinus infection (with headache) all the time to maybe getting a sinus infection two or three times per year. It isn't a permanent fix -- after a few years, you may be back to chronic sinusitis. I've been lucky, because I haven't gone back to full time sinus infection. And I'd like to keep it that way!

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Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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