It usually happens twice a year. Once in March, and then again around November.
As the earth spins on its axis, and the seasons turn from cold to warm or warm to cold, my body responds by producing an abnormal amount of mucus. My eyes burn and water, my face swells, and my sinuses alternate between being completely clogged up and flowing like a river. Think Niagara Falls, except really gross. (Come on, with a title like "ick," you should have known this wasn't going to be pretty). The worst parts, though, are the raw, sore throat and the upset stomach that result from the drainage. Fun stuff.
Sometimes, the sinus infection only lasts a few days, but then other times it perseveres for weeks, and the pharmacists at Walgreens begin to eye me accusingly, suspecting that my excessive purchases of suphedrin could signal that they've got a meth addict on their hands. Every now and then, though, something glorious happens--the leaves change, the weather turns cold, and...nothing. Nary a drip. It's like my sinuses weren't paying attention and totally missed their cue to wreak havoc on my body.
So when it hit me that Christmas was quickly approaching, and I hadn't even used a single dose of Claritin, I thought that it might be one of those wonderfully lucky times when the terrible, horrible, no good Sinus Monster was going to lie dormant, at least until spring.
And then, I ran a 5k in 27-degree weather.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Walgreens. Ick.
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4 comments:
Do you need anything?! I can bring you soup!
Thanks for the offer...I've got Todd on soup/ginger ale/medicine duty, so I am hoping to feel better soon!
Three words: saline nasal irrigation. Take 32 oz of body-temperature water and add 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp baking soda. Use half for one nostril and half for the other twice daily.
Okay, this part is gross. Fill a bulb syringe, squirt bottle, neti pot, (or any other kind of container with a nostril-like opening) with a quarter of your mixture. Put your head over the sink and look to the side, so that your ear is facing the drain. Pour all of the liquid into the upper nostril, and wait until it all runs out of your lower nostril. Repeat for other nostril. Then have a good nose-blow.
It may be unpleasant. You could also try doing both nostrils at once with your head upside-down (which is a weird feeling) and let it kind of work its way through. Even if the whole process doesn't give you immediate relief, it'll help keep your sinus membranes hydrated.
Feel better!
K- I'm so glad you posted this...I actually just heard about neti pots recently, and I was wondering if they were worth trying out. It sounds like it has worked for you, so I may just have to test it for myself. I'm at the point where I'm ready to try just about anything that will help!
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