Staying Healthy - Sinus Maintenance

I typically wait to blog about a topic until I feel I have some level of expertise, and in the last six months I have spent a lot of time on sinus health, so I thought I would share what I've learned here. Keep in mind, I have NO medical training, so what I'm sharing here is third-hand advice from my doctors and a recap of my own experience.

The most useful tips I learned quite awhile ago, when Ethan was small. It seemed like he had a constant runny nose, and his pediatrician suggested we start a regimen of over-the-counter saline spray. I had never heard of that, let alone used it, but the way he described it made sense. When you have an infection brewing, a lot of times the germs are breeding in your sinuses, causing post-nasal drip and a sore throat. For me, it seemed my colds always started that way, with a sore throat and swollen glands in my throat. Often it would evolve into a full blown cold. Once I heard this from Ethan's doctor, we started using saline spray at the first sign of an infection. We all had our own bottle, labeled with a sharpie, and refreshed each year. If I felt a cold coming on, I would use it 2-3 times a day. If I got on top of it, I could usually "head it off at the pass".

You can find it at any drugstore, and their store brand is usually only a few dollars. A worthwhile investment if it can save you days of being miserable! It has no side effects, and you can use it regularly. The pediatrician said that since he is constantly being exposed to sick kids, he just uses it every day to avoid getting sick himself.

The other tip I learned about the same time was from my co-worker Joel. Being a regular business traveler, I would often pick up a cold after a trip. My theory was that I was exposed to all those germs on the plane, so the combination of that and being rundown from lack of sleep frequently led to illness. Joel shared that he hydrates like mad while traveling. Not just taking his own water bottle and drinking lots (since they rarely bring water frequently enough on a flight), but he would literally take a steamy shower when he arrived at the hotel. I started following his lead, and haven't been sick from a trip since!

Nowadays, I'm sure the planes are doing a better job at cleaning their air, but I've gotten in the habit of drinking tons on flights, so I keep it up. Since we cannot bring liquids through security anymore, I bring an empty water bottle and fill it in the airport before boarding my flight. I also keep a couple of water bottles with me in hotels, keeping one cold in the fridge and taking one with me each day when we have extended trips. And I have saline spray in my purse, backpack, and car as well as at home.

I have a clear recollection of a business trip to Toronto, where I flew in and rented a car to drive to a conference several hours away. I woke up at 3 in the morning with a terrible cold, and was really worried about flying with a congested head. As one does these days, I started googling how to fly with congestion. Along with the suggestion of taking a decongestant 30 minutes before my flight, I read about a product called "earplanes". They are earplugs with tiny holes in them, and you install them before take-off and keep them in the whole flight, and they let your ears adjust to changes in pressure gradually. Luckily, they sold them in the pharmacy at SFO, so I picked up a pair. I recently gave a kid-sized pair to Brian and Anujin for Austin's first overseas flight, so they come in kid sizes as well.

You can also use a decongestant or Afrin nasal spray, which has the effect of reducing swelling in the nose. However, you shouldn't use this more than a few days as it can cause rebound congestion. A decongestant is also a "temporary fix", and shouldn't be used by individuals with heart issues or high blood pressure.

I also read that apple cider vinegar and honey made a good tea to help with congestion, so I stopped at a grocery store on my Canada trip and stocked up. My Mom used to give us that, or honey and lemon, so I figured it was worth trying. I have since read that a study in 2018 debunked any scientific evidence that this helps with congestion. With my bladder issues vinegar is not my friend, so I probably would try honey in herbal tea instead.

It took me awhile to get comfortable with using a neti-pot, or nasal rinse. I tried it on that Toronto trip, and a few times since, but my recent sinus issues have caused me to become a regular user. The kit below uses a squeeze bottle, so it's very convenient and easy to use. I will likely be using this many times over my life, so have stocked up on the little packets you mix with water. However, they are just salt and baking soda, so if you want to make your own and save money it's easy to do. According to the internet, you can mix 1/4 teaspoon of non-iodized salt and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in 8 ounces of distilled or boiled and cooled water.

I believe my recent sinus issues were triggered by the allergic reaction I had over the summer, and for most of August and September I dealt with sinus congestion. I had a scan of my sinuses in early September, and finally, in October I got in to see an Ear Nose and Throat doctor. The scan showed pretty severe blockages, so she put me on a twice a day regimen of using sinus rinse and then two nasal sprays. The products I used are below:

You use the rinse first, then gently blow your nose to get it clear. Then use the sprays, which can be more effective on clean sinuses. I was regular about using it, and at my next scan in January my sinuses were clear! I celebrated by immediately going off the treatment, and my congestion came back. When I met with the ENT doctor, she said I need to scale down the usage over time, first taking away one spray once a day, then the other, then go down to a nasal rinse once a day, then finally stopping all together.

One tip: the Kirkland product above is MUCH cheaper than the Flonase brand. You get 5 bottles for $19 at Costco, vs. the brand name is one bottle for $20. I only know about this because I overheard the Costco pharmacist advising another patient that the Kirkland brand is exactly the same thing as the brand name.

Also, when I met with the doctor I learned two other important things:

Make sure you are using sterile water for the nasal rinse. I buy distilled water for convenience, but you can also boil and cool tap water. If you use plain tap water, there could be bacteria that you are introducing into your sinuses with the process, the exact opposite of what you want to do.
Make sure you warm the water. Initially, I was using the rinse in the FROG and warming water in the microwave, but when we had guests I was using the upstairs bathroom which doesn't have a microwave. I was being lazy and just used the water at room temperature, figuring the warning on the package was just meant for my comfort. Nope, when I told the doctor I was using it cold she showed me pictures of what it could do to your sinuses. They basically develop growths on them, definitely not what you want! So I now make sure I heat the sterile water and use it warm.

Well, that's all I can tell you on this topic. Of course, if you have a sinus infection you'll want to consult a doctor, but I am finding the above treatment to be a huge help in managing infections as well as allergies. It's a bummer to be getting allergies at my age, but I guess that's better than having them your whole life!

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