I LUV My Neti Do YOU???

Does this picture make you yearn for spring?

How about this second picture? Does it make you salivate for summer?

Doesn't this dog look like he is having a great time??? Don't you want to join him in that lovely field of flowers???

Or do these pictures make you want to run for cover and wear a mask?

Do your sinuses ache and make you run for your tissues, inhalers and pills?

All my life, with the changing of the seasons, specifically spring & fall, I had sinus problems.

When the pollen flies and the mold grows, my life becomes miserable. Post nasal drip causes a hacking cough which worsens and makes people around me back away quickly.

My mom accused me of smoking when I was in school during these times because my cough sounded like a hacking smoker's cough.

BTW, I didn't smoke--never have--don't intend to begin now! I can't even begin to imagine how bad my sinus problems would have been if I had started smoking!!!!! Yikes!

In the past I have used antihistamines which made me sleepy, allergy medicines which alternately made me sleepy or jumpy, newer allergy meds like Claritin D and Flonase which helped a lot--for a time.

Like all medications, it seems that these meds had a tendency to be less effective as time went by.

I also had misgivings about taking steroids over long periods of time.

However, without these meds, I hacked so badly that I eventually had to go to the Doctor to get either antibiotics, cough syrup with codeine or both after secondary infections took over. Sleep was elusive as everytime I lay my weary head down, I ended up racked with coughing spasms.

In spring, 2009 while in Florida, NY I met a guy named Mark. It was our turn to run the audio and visual equipment that day at the Warwick Valley Church of the Nazarene where we were attending while in the area.

After hacking for weeks upon weeks, I was sucking down cough drops like candy and trying not to hack on poor Mark. As I always tell people, I told Mark not to worry, it is allergies.

Mark shared with me how he has allergies and was miserable. He tried many medications and all eventually let him down. Then he found a Neti Pot.

He said that once he found that, he was able to discontinue the use of all of his allergy meds except for very rare occasions.

Tell me more!!!!

He said that he uses his Neti Pot daily and after he has been in dusty places or right after mowing the grass when he jumps in the shower. He uses his Neti even in the shower!

Okay, so I had to learn more about this miracle! I went online and googled neti pot. I found everything from pots for sale to videos of people using the pots. Looked harmless enough.

I went and found a Neti Pot at the local CVS pharmacy. It looks like this one. Kind of like a little aladin's lamp. Though no jeannie jumps out of this one--it sure did grant my wish!

They come in many shapes and types. They can be made out of everything from plastic to china and stainless steel to copper. The designs can be varied, but they all work the same way.

Put warm saline in the pot, put it in one nostril and let it run out the other nostril.

Sounds creepy huh?

Actually, it is so soothing when you are finished that you just can't wait until you can neti again! My sinuses felt so fresh and clean and I could BREATHE!!!!

My Neti came with little packets to mix with warm water (NOT TAP and definitely NOT WELL water!!!!) If I still lived in a house on city water, I would use a water filter on my tap and just use that water.

However, I live in a 5th wheel, so I am usually on well water. Not wishing to start a flora factory in my sinuses, I just use drinking water that I get in gallon jugs from Wal-Mart.

My little pot holds about 1 cup of water, so I fill my 2 cup measuring cup with bottled water, pop it in the microwave for about 55 seconds and check it to be sure it isn't hot--you just want body temp. If the water is too cold, it will feel like when you get water up your nose when swimming.

I started by mixing 1 packet of powder into the 2 cups of water. You can go up to 1 packet per cup of water but all of the sites that I read said to start with half a packet per cup to let your delicate tissues in the sinuses get accustomed to the saline solution.

You can also mix up your own saline solution using 8 oz warm water and 1/4 tsp non-iodized salt. Mix until the salt is dissolved and go for it!

I put one pot through each nostril and then snort like a bull!

I couldn't believe it, but by using my neti I sleep better because I can actually breathe through my nose! I can smell better and because of that, food tastes better! Okay, maybe there ARE some downsides--like to my diet!!!! ;-D

Soon after I began using the neti, my cough resolved itself. No hacking, no cough drops, no cough medicine needed! Yeah!!!!

Once the spring season was over in New York, there are really very few allergens, so I eased off of my flonase first and then the Claritin-D. All was good!

Then, we moved the camper to Missouri about 45 miles east of Columbia Missouri. There are PLENTY of allergens in Missouri! But, with my neti pot, I sailed right through the summer and fall--even my winter allergies didn't become an issue once we closed up the 5th wheel windows and buttoned in for the winter!

I mean this thing is a miracle.

My friend Kathy owns the Kan-Do Kampground in which we are living. She was sharing how her allergies were making her miserable and I shared my info on the Neti Pot.

She said to me "you too???" I apparently was not the first to utter those words in her ears. Finally, after she was miserable enough and heard me say the words enough, she broke down and said, "okay, get one! I am so miserable I will try ANYTHING!!!!"

She didn't have to say it twice. I went to Walgreens at the first opportunity and found the little pot version like this one. Isn't it cute????

She is now a convert and loves her neti--she even uses hers in the back yard!!!! I confess that I have never tried mine in the great out of doors, but what the heck! I just might!

She was able to cut down on her allergy meds and even her inhalers for asthma.

She then passed the neti info to her daughter whose son inherited grandma's allergies and asthma.

Her daughter purchased one and used it on Gavin who is 6 years old. She was amazed at what came out of the little guy's sinuses! Since then, Gavin is also breathing easier and able to cut back on his meds!!!! They also used it on him when he got upper respiratory infection--what I like to call the creeping crud--and he didn't even miss a day of school!!!!

One day while on the phone with her daughter, Kathy reported that Gavin quickly said hi to grandma, but had to go because mommy had a cold and he "was making mommy a neti!"

One of Kathy's other children asked what in the world will you be doing next--candleing your ears???? Their kids missed a week of school with the creeping crud...

Oh and yeah--we actually have decided to try the ear candles. When we get to Weavers--an Amish store just west of Jefferson City where we can buy them. After the snow melts--if it ever does!!!