RobPNW
Contributor
I don’t have chronic sinus and allergy issues like some folks do, but I do get a cold or the flu about once a year. As soon as I start getting symptoms, I do nasal irritation a couple times a day and it makes a big difference in how long I’m sick. I also do it for a couple weeks before a dive trip to minimize chances of equalizing issues.
For those people who struggle with sinus, allergy or equalizing challenges, I offer my nasal irritation procedure here and hope it helps someone
I use a waterpik as my device. It holds a couple of cups of water and it’s delivered under mild pressure. Amazon sells Waterpik nasal tips that create a seal in the nostrils. I have a Waterpik that I use for my teeth and a separate one for nasal irrigation because I never want tap water in the unit I use for my sinuses.
I make my own saline solution to save money. Use a clean measuring cup, fill with 2 cups of distilled water, and microwave on high for 1 minute. Add 1 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. The baking soda cuts out about 90% of the sting in your sinuses. Mix the solution until clear.
Fill the reservoir of the Waterpik with the saline solution and make sure the flow rate is on the lowest possible setting. Lean your face forward over the sink, press the nasal tip on one nostril and switch on the Waterpik. The saline solution flows under pressure up one nostril, through the sinus area and out the other nostril into the sink. Resist the urge to swallow. When half the saline is gone, stop the flow, switch to the other nostril and start the flow again.
Once the saline is completely gone, don’t blow your nose. Let the solution “marinate” in there and just use a tissue to pat down the bottom of your nose. Sit back on the couch, breathing through your mouth for about 10 minutes. You’ll get post nasal in your throat but it’s not a big deal. You should pretty much feel normal after about 20 minutes.
For those people who struggle with sinus, allergy or equalizing challenges, I offer my nasal irritation procedure here and hope it helps someone
I use a waterpik as my device. It holds a couple of cups of water and it’s delivered under mild pressure. Amazon sells Waterpik nasal tips that create a seal in the nostrils. I have a Waterpik that I use for my teeth and a separate one for nasal irrigation because I never want tap water in the unit I use for my sinuses.
I make my own saline solution to save money. Use a clean measuring cup, fill with 2 cups of distilled water, and microwave on high for 1 minute. Add 1 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. The baking soda cuts out about 90% of the sting in your sinuses. Mix the solution until clear.
Fill the reservoir of the Waterpik with the saline solution and make sure the flow rate is on the lowest possible setting. Lean your face forward over the sink, press the nasal tip on one nostril and switch on the Waterpik. The saline solution flows under pressure up one nostril, through the sinus area and out the other nostril into the sink. Resist the urge to swallow. When half the saline is gone, stop the flow, switch to the other nostril and start the flow again.
Once the saline is completely gone, don’t blow your nose. Let the solution “marinate” in there and just use a tissue to pat down the bottom of your nose. Sit back on the couch, breathing through your mouth for about 10 minutes. You’ll get post nasal in your throat but it’s not a big deal. You should pretty much feel normal after about 20 minutes.
