We have had a pretty uneventful summer around our house health wise. We managed to keep summer colds and allergies at bay for the most part. So far this fall seems to be a bit more of a challenge for us. The fall allergy season has been particularly bad for the kids and me. Normally we can keep allergies under control with nightly sinus irrigation and Sinupret, but I have to admit we broke down and had to go with some over the counter meds in the past couple weeks.
Fall allergies are bad enough, but now we have 3 confirmed cases of H1N1 swine flu and the kids’ school. So like everyone else we are washing hands 100 or so time per day, using copious amounts of hand sanitizer and making sure the kids take their multivitamins. We do have another secret weapon as well that most people don’t know about. Obviously having the kids irrigate their sinuses daily is a big help to keep the sinuses functioning properly to defend against airborne viruses and bacteria, but what they irrigate with is the real secret.
If you are one of the irrigating faithful or if you are considering giving it a try the irrigation solution that you use can be a critical choice. Yes, you can mix your own saltwater but be warned if you use too much or too little the experience is likely to be less than pleasant. (The wrong PH levels can cause the mixture to burn or sting inside the nasal passages) So at a minimum I always recommend that you use a nasal irrigation solution that is formulated to closely match the PH of the body. Here are a few that I would recommend:
Any of these irrigation solutions will closely match the body’s natural PH levels, but the first two offer the ‘secret weapon’ that I referred to earlier. That secret weapon is the natural sweetener Xylitol. Xylitol is produced from birch bark or corn and is an all natural alternative to sugar. If you look closely at Trident or many other sugar free gums you will see that they are now using Xylitol as the alternative to sugar. You may also have heard that Xylitol has been proven to actually help reduce cavities and repair tooth enamel. Amazing stuff this Xylitol!
What makes Xylitol so beneficial is that it actually prevents foreign substances like bacteria from adhering to the surface of your teeth or to the lining of your nasal passages. This is the one two punch that gives you and your family a fighting chance to stay healthy this fall. Not only do you keep the nose clean and functioning properly, you actually can help keep the bacteria, allergens, and viruses from even getting a foothold inside your sinuses. Pretty cool stuff.
So do a quick Google search on Xylitol to learn more about this amazing stuff. We are now using it to sweeten our tea, make our cool aide and even bake with. Here’s hoping you have a happy and healthy fall.
Big News from Germany
More than 75 years ago, Sinupret began a revolution, bringing naturally grown, scientifically proven sinus relief to Europeans. Since that time Sinupret has been a recognized leader in the field of plant-based sinus remedies. We are extremely excited to now offer Sinupret’s proven solutions in the US.
Kid Safe & Mom Approved
Millions of moms in Europe have trusted Sinupret for more than 35 years to support their children’s sinus, respiratory, and immune health. Like those moms, you’ll feel good about giving your children Sinupret for Kids. Start using Sinupret for Kids today.
Doctor Recommended
Sinupret is doctor recommended. Pediatricians in Europe have given over 3.5 million referrals for Sinupret, and now it’s available in the US. Dr. Bob Sears, leading pediatrician and author, gives Sinupret to his patients and his own kids. Here is what Dr. Sears has to say about Sinupret:
“While drugs that treat sinusitis are off the market for kids, you can look to dietary supplements that provide respiratory support for healthy nasal passages. Of the products that I have examined, I prefer Sinupret. It is made by a German company and has a long track record around the world for its safety and effectiveness.”
Spring is in the air, which for me means it is allergy and sinus infection season. That means it is time to do some cleaning, nose cleaning. Spring has always been the worst time of year for my allergies, and for me allergies almost certianly lead to a raging case of sinusitis. That used to mean months of sinus pain and pressure, sore throat, cough… the whole nine yards. Usually at least three trips to the doctor, a couple rounds of antibiotics and if I was lucky a few weeks of marginally feeling better before fall allergies started the whole process over again.
Thankfully my yearly regime has changed. I’ve found that the secret to beating seasonal allergies and chronic sinusitis is really pretty simple. Keep your nose clean. If you flush the allergens, bacteria and fungus out the sinus infection can never get started.
I’m probably a little late this year. This morning I can already feel the nagging pain and pressure starting to build in my left sinus. Even with an active infection, sinus irrigation will keep my symptoms down to a managable level and within a few days they will be gone completely. A far cry from the months of sinus suffering I used to put up with.
If you have found your way to my blog chances are you have been suffering from some type of sinus condition for quite some time and are desperately searching the internet in hope of finding some answers or maybe even some relief. You are certainly not alone. It is estimated that nearly 45 million Americans suffer from chronic sinusitis of one form or another. I was one of those 45 million for 20 plus years.
I can say that I ‘was’ because it has been nearly two and a half years since my last sinus infection. Before that I would easily spend 6-8 months out of every year battling chronic sinus infections and the related symptoms.
The beginning of the end for me came while on my afternoon commute listening to NPR. In passing one of the talk show hosts mentioned that sinus irrigation had ‘cured’ him of his sinus infections. Specifically he mentioned using the Grossan HydroPulse Sinus Irrigator. Coming from a family full of Doctors, Dentists and Nurses I started making some phone calls when I got home that night. I got varying opinions on whether or not it would help me, but a pretty solid consensus that it couldn’t hurt.
So I bought the Grossan HydroPulse Sinus Irrigator online and started some serious nasal washing using a saline solution developed by Dr. Grossan called Breathe Ease XL. At the time I was in pretty bad shape and frankly desperate enough to try anything. I was surprised to find that the irrigation process was gentle and while a bit weird at first, not at all uncomfortable. What was disturbing was what all came out of my nose over the course of the next 7-10 days.
I should point out that even after the first round of irrigation my sinuses felt much better, and by day three of irrigation 2-3 times per day I was feeling better than I had in months. What was most amazing to me was the quantity of dark green and almost brown heavy mucus that I continued to get out of my sinuses for a couple weeks even after my sinuses were feeling better than they had in years. Frankly I think I had been storing some of that stuff up there for several years!
I haven’t had a serious sinus infection since I started irrigating on a regular basis. Now I irrigate about once a week, and go back to daily irrigation if my allergies or a cold start coming on. In those cases I’ll get a minor runny stuffy nose for 3-4 days and then I am back to normal. Such a difference from the months of pain and suffering I used to endure.
I am such a believer in sinus irrigation now that I preach it everywhere I can. I even started a website to sell the sinus irrigators and other natural products that I have found to provide relief for those suffering from chronic sinus infections and other sinus related conditions.
So my blog is certainly not without bias. I will always try to push folks to give sinus irrigation a try. I have been selling the sinus irrigators for a couple years now and out of the hundreds I have sold, I have only had one come back from someone because they didn’t think it worked. That man only tried it one time and gave up.
Whether you buy from my website Sinus-Sufferer.com or someone else’s is less important to me than trying to convince you to give sinus irrigation a try. You won’t be sorry.
The purpose of my blog here will be to review new sinus products and hopefully give folks a place to talk about whether products work or don’t work. I am quite anxious to hear what people think about some of the natural treatment options that are now available for chronic sinus sufferers.
Sinus Buster nasal spray has been around now for several years. Certainly long enough that its claims of providing relief for chronic sinus symptoms should at least warrant some attention. It took me over a year of having it recommended by my father and hearing about it Sirius radio before I finally decided to give it a try. As is generally the case my experience with Sinus Buster further proved that my father is worth listening to.
I have suffered from chronic sinus infections, sinus headaches, and seasonal allergies for more years than I care to count thanks largely to a deviated septum. Most nasal decongestants elevate my blood pressure, and I have developed either resistance or outright allergies to most anti-biotics. I was running out of options so I started investigating Sinus Buster more seriously. Here is what I found:
The use of capsaicin to provide relief from sinus congestion and headaches has been medically researched and proven according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology.
My Doctor, when pressed, did begrudgingly acknowledge that Sinus Buster would likely provide some ‘temporary’ relief. I now better understand her reluctance, since I haven’t been to the doctor for a sinus infection for over two years…
Capsaicin has been shown to effectively fight prostrate cancer according to studies published by the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the UCLA School of Medicine.
Capsaicin has also been shown to have analgesic effects for arthritis sufferers.
Capsaicin works by irritating the nerves which causes them to produce “substance P” which travels to the brain which triggers the burning sensation. That burning sensation then causes two things to occur. First the irritation caused by the peppers triggers an over production of substance P, literally depleting the nerve cells ability to communicate discomfort to the brain. For us common folk that means it numbs the nerves. Secondly, the burn triggers the release of endorphins into the system. These endorphins cause a sense of relief or even pleasure. Some studies have shown the effects of endorphins to be even greater than morphine.
As an added bonus… it turns out capsaicin is also effective at interrupting cravings which make it very effective as an appetite suppressant.
Clearly there is some substance behind the use of capsaicin for a whole variety of ailments, but for me there was still one major hang up. I had served as a police officer in a major Midwestern city for nearly 10 years and in that time I had been exposed to capsaicin in the form of pepper spray many, many times and none of them were an experience I was anxious to repeat. Frankly the thought of purposefully spraying that stuff into my nose bordered on insanity.
Still desperate times call for desperate measures, and hey my father brought a bottle of Sinus Buster over to the house and conveniently left it, so what did I have to lose? As it turns out I lost nothing but my years of chronic sinusitis suffering. First of all the initial burn was not nearly what I had expected, it is a bit uncomfortable but it fades quickly and the relief is just as immediate. It took 4 to 5 days of using the Sinus Buster Classic formula several times a day for my symptoms to completely fade, but fade they did.
I have since started using the Sinus Buster Cold & Sinus formula which also contains Golden Seal which is particularly effective for me when a sinus infection seems to be lurking on the horizon.
It seems the folks at Sinus Buster have a formula for just about anything that ails you and I have yet to try them all, but based on the amount of supporting research and several years worth of customer testimonials I think it is a safe $15 gamble if you like me are ready to give something new a try.
