Sinus Wash Miracle Cure
May 25, 2007 by Tracee Sioux
Filed under Parenting
Many of you may have seen the neti pot or nose bedet, a very effective cure for allergies and sinusitis, explained by Dr. Oz on Oprah. I’m too cheap to even buy that, but I do a sinus wash, created by Debbie Nicholas, every day and it’s a miracle cure for allergies.
Sinus Wash
1 dropper Black Walnut, alcohol free
1 dropper Pau’ De Arc, alcohol free
A couple drops Tea Tree Oil
1 tsp. salt
8 oz. warm to hot water
Suck it up with a bulb syringe and shoot it up one nostril with your head tilted back, let it drain out of your mouth. Do the same on alternating sides until you’ve used the whole 8 oz.
Sinus Wash Testimonial
If you have allergies you will definitely want to try this. Well, actually you won’t want to because it sounds totally kookie and you’ll wonder if you might actually drown, but you should try it because it works.
Let me just tell you about my “misery factor” as my allergist called it. Last year I had an MRI and wore a heart monitor for 30 days due to dizziness or vertigo.
I would literally lie down and the room would spin. I would sort of tip in one direction while carrying the baby around, praying I wouldn’t actually fall. I felt like I couldn’t hear properly, like I was at the other end of a tunnel.
My internist wanted to make sure I wasn’t on the verge of a heart attack. The ear, nose and throat guy wanted to make sure I wasn’t experiencing some sort of ear problem, perhaps an infection that was affecting my sense of balance. I was fine on both counts. They sent me to the allergist.
So off to the allergist I went. Thinking hey, this is going to be great. Imagine my disbelief when he told me his three-year-plan. First, he wanted to run a bunch of tests to see what exactly I was allergic to. Then he wanted to give me two shots a week for three years, with an office copay for each of those shots.
Then I will be cured and never had to worry about allergies again? I asked.
Well, we don’t know that. You should get some relief. You might have to keep taking allergy medication. Everyone responds differently, he informed me.
Relief? You want me to come in here twice a week and get a shot, at $30 a week for three years and I won’t even be cured? I think it would be easier and cheaper to just move!
For me that was a non-plan. Or a way to bilk money out of my pocket for little to nothing. Having just spent a ton of money to make sure that I wasn’t having a heart attack or going deaf there was no freaking way I was into his three-year-plan.
I was in the health food store and asked the guy what he recommended for allergies. He gave me a recipe for a sinus wash, with instructions to shoot 8 oz. of this mixture up my nose on a daily basis.
Am I going to drown? I asked. He looked at me like I was either extremely intelligent or quite stupid, I couldn’t really tell.
Who has the crazier plan, I thought, the allergist or the health nut?
Well, at least the health nut’s plan was only going to cost me $20 every couple of months.
So, for about 6-8 months I’ve been using my sinus wash every day in the shower and it has been a miracle find. It’s almost a cure to my whole allergy problem. I still take a Zertec or a Benedryl for itchy eyes, but my dizziness and vertigo is entirely gone. Whenever I’m particularly congested and feel pressure in my head between my eyes or behind my ears I just do a sinus wash and I’m clear again.
Allergy medications try to stop the manufacture of phlegm, but you MUST get the phlegm out of your head with the sinus wash. For me, I’d been taking the medications for so long they had stopped working. The only effective treatment has been the sinus wash.
Dr. Oz, on Oprah, showed a nose bidet. I don’t have one of those and I’m not running out to buy one. I use a nose sucker, or bulb syringe – you know the kind you suck the snot out of a baby’s nostril’s with?
If you have allergies or sinusitis and finally you’re sick of it. You have to try this sinus wash.
Recently my doctor recommended Nasopure, a nasal irrigation system referred to as the modern neti. I have tried both the neti and Nasopure and have found Nasopure far superior. I dont have to bend and twist like the neti and Nasopure seems to give a much more effective flush because it uses self controlled pressure instead of gravity. The angled Nasopure bottle allows for you to stand straight up while using it. Also, the salt packets that come with the product is much cheaper and seems more effective than that of the neti. I use one salt packet for about a week in the shower with Nasopure while the neti uses atleast one packet per use. Their website http://www.nasopure.com is very informative too and compares different nose washes on the market.
Hey sinus buddies,
I’ve been diagnosed with Meniere’s, but after tons and tons of research, I’m convinced I have a misdiagnosis and feel that I may have sinusitis. I’ve been reading all of your wonderful commentary and am going to try some of what you have mentioned. Since I’m new to this, not sure if I’m going to try the netti pot or the sinus rinse, but for starters I’m going to purchase the tea tree oil and pau de arc. Hopefully, these sinus treatments will work for me guys and I can get my life back!
Well. Since I have been doing the sinus wash I have not had any sinus pressure or headaches. It’s wonderful. The only thing is that I cannot tilt my head back and feel that run through my throad and in my mouth. It’s nasty! What I do is put it up my nose and let it run out by itself and then I breath in constantly to make sure it gets in good. And that has been working for me. Go to HENRY’S! You will find the herbs there. WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My sinus problems have been plaguing me for about 20 years, but the last 2 have been the worst. The only time my sinus problem seemed to be clearing was after 3 months of amphotericin solution irrigation. This was prescribed to me following endoscopic surgery (to clear polyps so I could drain) but was not covered by my insurance and was very very expensive - not to mention kinda shady stuff with lots of side effects and very little info available. Nasonex also helps the symptoms greatly and keeps my sinuses dry and open, but it never seems to actually clear the infection. It only seems to make my sinuses ignore the problem for 8 hours at a time. 2 weeks ago I developed a really nasty ear infection and was prescribed an antibiotic (omnicef). I took it as an opportunity to quit nasonex cold turkey - bad idea - as the ear infection cleared, the rebound infection that developed in my sinuses (i presume from quitting nasonex) was SO bad I missed work for 3 days. Now that it’s over I refuse to go back to prescription meds because (in my case) the reaction from missing a dose is always worse than conditions from not taking it in the first place. My most successful results have come from irrigation, but I feel like the saline alone is not fully doing the job. I’m eager to try this recipe after I get the ingredients tomorrow. If the walnut is good at killing stuff then I’m very optimistic that I’ll finally get some gradual improvement - as I did with amphotericin (an antifungal). I will definitely post again in a few weeks and report the progress.
For what it’s worth my symptoms and quirks are as follows:
- My official diagnosis is AFS - Allergic Fungal Sinusitus. It’s really hard to shake.
- Very thick yellow mucus buildup in both nostrils, but measurably worse in the right side (always). Typically it’s so thick that only irrigation will soften it up enough to drain.
- Not a heavy drinker, but I enjoy a few beers or glasses of wine every week or so. Since things got really bad, I can’t tolerate alcoholic drinks at all. Any time I have a drop of alcohol (hard, beer or wine) I immediately get sinus closure, and dark yellow mucus develops, within a few minutes. It’s usually so thick I have to spend a few minutes of nose blowing just to rattle it loose and get it to discharge. What’s up with this, anyone know?
On neti pots: anyone who’s had a bad or painful experience should make sure they use salt and clean STERILE water (I boil my water and the bottles I store it in before dispensing it)- plain water is incredibly irritating, ESPECIALLY tap water. Also don’t give up after one or just a couple uses - it takes a week or so of regular irrigation for your sinuses to get comfortable with it. After that you will wonder how you ever got along without irrigating.
I will post more info on my progress with this wash.
Stephan,
I believe the reason why you have trouble after drinking just a small amount of alcohol is that alcohol is or acts as a histimine. After I drink alcohol, I get the same stuffiness (but not to your degree). However, it is annoying enough to me, that with a few drinks I’m breathing through my mouth and sounding nasal, so I opt out of the alcohol most times.
I do have that issue with red wine. In red wine they keep the histamines in by using the vine and seeds.
I’m trying this for the first time after months of sinus pressure and pain, and an MRI, and lots of antibiotics that have done nothing.
8 0z seems like a LOT. I’ve done a few tablespoons and I’m thinking there’s no way I’m going to get 8 oz in and out of my nose.
Maybe I’m doing this wrong.
A couple other comments:
The tea tree oil is a major antiseptic. My family has used it for other things for years.
One of my major symptoms is a strange burning smell. That prompted the MRIs. I never have a clogged up nose, and have no think green or yellow mucus. Mine is white - and very little of it. My theory is that it is all stuck in my head and none of it ever leaves, that’s why it hurts so bad. The smell diminishes with antibiotics, but comes back within a couple weeks. Anyone else have the smell issue?
Hi,
Yours is an old post, but I’ve just discovered this site and wanted to respond.
Yes, I have the “smell issue” you refer to. It hits me periodically and causes a strong, plastic-like, suffocating burning smell at its worst. I, too, have had an MRI and an EEG, neither of which reveal any negative findings. There is an entire web-site devoted to our shared problem, so I don’t think the “chronic burning smell” is all that unusual.
Please let me know whether or not you’ve resolved your problem. As a fellow sufferer, I’d like to know what others are experiencing.
Best,
Lynne
Mom - I share your theory that it’s all stuck up there and causing headaches. I don’t have a burning smell. But, I don’t have the clogged nose or odd colored mucus either. I just have the headaches and pressure. Sometimes it’s like drainage down my throat and causes a cough.
I do 8 oz every day and on bad days I do 16. It’s something you have to get used to.
Don’t BREATH it up your nose. Don’t SNORT it up your nose.
Breath through your mouth or hold your breath and run it through your nose. I think it’s most effective if it comes out the back of your throat and spit. You get more out faster that way.
I agree with Fernando about the Nel Med Neti Pot Sinus Wash. And I have an even better delivery system than the netipot. Nel Med has a squeeze bottle that is WAAAY more effective than the netipot. Their saline solution is the BEST (extremely comfortable) having tried many different solutions.
I just started using the Neil Med Sinus wash too and I LOVE it! I use the netti pot when my sinuses are really clogged (because Neil Med’s directions explain that you can push fluid into your ears if your sinuses are way blocked off) but on the days when I’m a little clearer I use the Neil Med and then I am EVEN clearer afterwards. Also, I put one drop of tea tree oil, one drop of peppermint oil, and one drop of pau de arco in the Neil Med wash and in my netti pot along w/salts. Good luck everyone
PS: Ever since I started walking, doing yoga, and juicing vegetables my health has WAAY improved!!
If you live by a Costco they sell a bulk package of the Neil Med. The kit also includes the drying rack for the squeeze bottle.
I like your idea about the tea oil in the Neil Med solution. I’ll have to try that.
Thanks, Scott! Hope you like it w/ the added tea-tree oil
Great to find this discussion thread. I am actually a great fan of neti pot since I found it. It worked wonders for me. I used to have years of allergy problem. Especially my nose, i need tissues by my side 24/7 and breathing thru mouth was normal as I thought. Not to mention about headaches. last yr, it got worse and i could not sleep at night with severe congestion. I felt so miserable. I started to read a book called “Sinus relief now”. In the book, I found how sinus works and important that is and how not taking care of it will lead to other serious problems. Sinus is a mucus controller/cushion surrounding your air passge where your breathing air gets properly prepared before entering to your lung. Filtering, heating up to right tempertaure and right oxygen level so that when it gets to your lung it will deliver the oxygen to all over your body. So if you start to breathe thru your mouth or infected sinus, your lung gets raw and harsh air that was not preped for it. yuck.. Interesting facts that I’ve also learned, our nose breathe in turn, if you ever notice it does. And Not like common belief, we are constantly generating mucus and it drains down our throat constantly, we only notice when it gets thicker when we are sick or someting wrong with it. It means, if you are constantly expelling out thick mucus, there is something wrong. Now if you have sinus infection and small mucus built up in there and not properly care of it will lead to further other problems. These infections clean up by themselves in from a wk or two. There are several sinus around our face and those right under eyes and right next to nose are the ones hard to clear up. sometimes, massaging those areas also help. However, properly washing the gunk out being gentle with delicate nose tissue will eventually make it help heal but not doing so it will never heal. therefore, Nasal wash was strongly recommended introducing netipot.
I just love netipot. It changed my life. Well, that was from many people including my yoga teacher. The first time I’ve tried it was uncomfortable like I was drowing, but after 3 times, i finally got a hang of how to use it. and that after 3 times, my yrs of allergy was completely gone. I slept like a baby. Never needed allergy pill since. No tissues with sniffling and blowing nose. Literelly it saved my life.
I have to admit that when you have severe congestion, it is hard to drain w/ neti pot. but when you get to know how to tilt your head and apply slight pressure to draining nose, the gunk slowly comes out diluted. Steam your face to open your sinus prior would work as someone mentioned in this discussion. It is important that after one nose wash, you blow nose without blocking either nose. having the gunk still its way out and moving to the next nose will not help. Also, use lukewarm water close to your body temp. If you use colder water it will make it congested more since the musus shrinks. Hot water and too much salt will irritate your delicate tissue. So, 1/4 tsp per pot (8 oz.) The book also metioned that shooting up the nose with too much pressure can also damage/scratch the tissue so, neti pot was a better recommendation since it goes in but naturally drains by tilted head. After washing, you need to bend your uppper body for several minutes for proper drainage otherwise, imagine those washing water stays in your sinus. I would recommend ceramic netipot which has softter edge rather than plastic one which might has sharper edge. Neti pot is not expensive. I got the whole set for $14 online including three netipot salt which has anti-cake agent and dissoves faster.
Since it cleared up my nose in several days, i only use whenever i feel congested.
I hope my comment help someone and change their lives!
P.S. Yoga did help my allergy and overall health but it did not help my sinus. Even one of my yoga teachers had sinus problem and I told her about the neti pot.
Always welcome more homeopathic solutions and have several large walnut trees on my property and nothing grows under them so maybe it is for stopping the growth of bacteria. Will give it a shot as I am over the normal treatments.
I do the sinu-rinse. Just saline water, and it helps somewhat, but I have to try your recipe! Thanks for sharing!
I have both Neti Pot and the squeeze bottle from Neil Med. I’ve found more success with the squeeze bottle but I have to watch out not to used too much pressure when my sinuses are very plugged or my ears get pressurized (then I HAVE to use Sudefed which I’m trying to avoid). Nonetheless, I still like the squeeze bottle.
I’d like to raise a concern about the use of hydrogen peroxide, and even black walnut and I’m hoping someone with a medical background can join this dicussion. My concern is the use of something that wipes out all bacteria would also wipe out the good bacteria in our sinuses. Would that be good in the short term, but bad in the long term?
I read the post about the bulk package of NeilMed at Costco. I’m not close to Costco, so I went to Sams, but didn’t find it there. I thought it may be helpful to post that I found the Walgreen’s brand refill packets of saline wash. The box contains 100 packets for $9.99. A much better buy that the NeilMed refill packets and it contains exactly the same ingredients. Happy irrigating!
As Respiratory Therapist here’s some new info for you that may also help. Mayo Clinic 1999 reports that most Chronic sinus allergies are in fact chronic Fungal infections! Perhaps the sinus flush may have to be combined with other meds for 100% recovery. You need to find Doctor who can get proper testing for you & do not stop until you get the results. Too many doctors are so vague about this stuff. Go to http://www.chronicsinusinfection/wordpress.com to learn more & start your search for information on this discovery. I wish you all the best health, and i too will be trying the “recipe”. Also, a couple of things to help you; 1. use water without chlorine, it really damages the sinus mucous- most bottled spring water that doesn’t have it. 2. never force the water into sinuses - that only pushes bacteria further into places you don’t want it - snort softly & blow. 3. never ever blow nose forcefully that too pushes bacteria into nasal cavities. 4. use a topical anti histamine like “Opticrom for your itchy eyes - get off the over the counter shot gun allergy relief medications if you possibly can - these only complicate the natural reaction process (histamine production). 5. find out exactly what you are allergic to - most people never do this - you need to look up “the elimination diet” to do so - what you are stuffing in your face could be what is causing your allergic reaction and/or amplifying it! 6. never use cold medications - they will only make things worse & if like Dristan, can cause a rebbound effect that narrows the sinus passages (that is why it is addictive)as it wears off. 7. good sinus hygiene as well as hand-washing & overall hygiene & enviromental cleanliness are really helpful in controlling & hopefully eliminating this syndrome. 8. Never Ever give up! Get Healthy - make it a habit. Cheers
A bit more; Sarah (& others) give good pointers above, don’t snort or do so very softly, idea with any wash is to let it drain in, netti pot (oldest invention) is best method really, test warmth on wrist like baby formula, never too warm, sinus mucousa (tissue lining) extremely sensitive and easily damaged. If discharge is clear it is normal, if yellow it’s been up there for about 4 hours, if green then about 8 hours, and if brown then over 16 to 24 hours, yuck! There are three nasal sinuses; 1. Frontal - across the bridges of your forehead above eyes- quite large, 2. Sphenoid/ethmoid - on the sides of the nose - sphenoid large and go back into skull under brain, ethmoid small 3. maxillary - large in cheeks. The pain you fee when they are plugged is due to a difference in pressure - ever clear a plugged nose and hear a sucking noise as the pressure difference equalizes? Really wierd! But this is why depending on where you live you may also suffer symptoms of cogestion due to rapid changes in barometric pressure. Be careful how much “sea salt” (never iodized salt) you use in your wash as it may dry the sinus mucousa so much that it will bleed. The 1/4 teaspoon per 8 ounces sounds about right. Odors from the crap inside the sinuses and at the back of the throat are common, as is loss of ability to smell to vaying degrees, so tocombat this your teeth and tongue must be kept very clean. Careful not to over doit though as mouth washes can kill off the good bacteria that you want in your mouth and sinuses. The good (normal) bacteria are supposed to grow fast enough to keep the bad bacteria from getting a foothold. About that fungal sinusitis infection, it is apparently very important to identify the type of fungus that has invaded in order to treat it properly and not cause problems due to the use of the wrong anti-fungal! Find that special knowledgable doctor! Seems I have joined this blog in its late stages but I’ll try to answer any questions you may have. Good Luck & Happy breathing, Kelly
I’ve read through the entire blog which proved to be very interesting, informative, uplifting (as in -I’m not alone or nuts). I also use a ceramic neti pot which is comfortable to use as the edges on the spout are rounded. I have found the technique as described in literature included with the pot. I fill the pot w/tepid to very warm water depending upon what relief I am attempting to find. By using warmer water, I am attempting to bring more blood flow to the middle of my face, useful when I have a sinus headache. To the water I add just 1/4 tsp of Hain Sea Salt also bought at a health food store. I question a teaspoon of salt to just 8 oz of water, that seems very high to me and I would think that it would also sting and burn horribly. Also the idea of using distilled water made good sense also. We are very lucky to receive our water from an aquafirer that has brought water to our area for at least 2000 yrs., it doesn’t require any chemicals to combat germs or natural occuring chemicals. I’ve used it out of the tap for use in my neti pot. It was also suggested at the HF store that many people add a dropper full of Varcho Veda Neti Wash Plus which is zinc acetate used to give support to the sinus & immune systems. I have been searching for a soothing, moisturizing additive to add to my current mixture. The tea tree oil and coconut oil make a lot of sense as the tea tree oil has antibiotic properties and the coconut oil is used extensively in cosmetics, lotions and moisturizers. I am allergic to Black Walnut trees so assume the oil would probably cause serious reaction. My allergy doc comments continually about how raw and red the inside of my nose is. This leads to almost continual pain around my face. Of course there are no solutions to correct this, thus I am hoping that the two oils will sooth the tissues as well as provide moisture as this is a very dry climate. Humidifiers (apt. or home size) help tremendously and should be used by any of us who are exposed to a dry climate seasonly or naturally. I live in the Mojave Desert and many people for years thought living in this type of climate would be very healthy. I can speak for the residents of the area that this is FAR from the truth. The allergens are horrid and why wouldn’t they be, they are from plants that must be so tough to live and thrive. It is a virtual guarantee that if a family moves into the area, it takes just a few months before they show up at the allergist office. Few people can escape going on allergy shots. And they are no cure, they help to keep us all from dropping into ear, sinus, strep infections, bronchitis and asthama and even then our immune systems can still become so worn down that we still get sick. By treating allergies with the various meds and shots all the docs are just trying to keep us out of bacterial infections. I haven’t heard any allergist around here ever say the meds and shots would CURE allergies. They hope to attain some control and relief. Also many of us have deviated septums that cause problems. It is well worth your time to see an ENT doc to see if straightening the septum would provide relief. These are facts that I have learned over the years from seeing my allergist regularly. Hopefully they provide some clarification on allergies and their treatments with a doc’s help or without.
Have tried the nasal irrigation for severe post-nasal drip - however, afterwards and quite out of the blue if I bend over, clear liquid runs out of my nose. This can happen at a very inoportune time. Anyone else with this?
Hi Mary, Simply take a proactive approach. After irrigating, tilt your head back and VERY SLOWLY rotate your head around so the fluid and mucus can find the drainage openings of the sinus cavities. It’s subtle, but you will feel when you found the spots. Sometimes just doing this, without rinsing, will help clear out your sinuses a bit.
Hi Mary, Simply take a proactive approach to avoid embarassing post irrigation drips. After irrigating, tilt your head back and VERY SLOWLY rotate your head around so the fluids can find its way to the drainage openings of the sinus cavities. It is a subtle sensation but you will feel it when the fluids find the exits. This will also work to a small extent without rinsing if the mucus is loose.
Hi just wondering if any of you guys have a bad head rush when you lower your head to pick up something on the ground/floor (without bending your knees). I suffer from chronic sinusitis and some days are worse then others but I constantly feel this blood rush to my head every time I’m in this position.
The best way to describe the feeling when I am lowered in this position is it feels like two hands are tightly around my neck and the blood pressure (in my head) is unable to escape … my face in this position literally swells up if I stay down more than 10 seconds and becomes normal again when I stand upright again. Does anyone know if the “Turbinates” have any thing to do with this feeling of pressure? Any related replies would be appreciated. Thanking you in advance.
P.S I do Sinus Rinse regularly
Stephen,
I doubt it’s “blood” pressure from what you’ve described. It’s probably sinus pressure. My advice would be that if it’s uncomfortable to be in that position, just try to avoid doing that. It is also safe to rinse up to 3 times daily, which may help. Also, make sure you are breathing (thru your mouth if you can’t thru your nose) when you bend over to pick something up. Some people have a tendency to unconsciously hold their breath when bending over to pick something up. That’s where you may feel the blood pressure.
Could using Tea Tree Oil in my sinus rinse be related to my partial loss of smell?
I’ve been dealing with a sinus infections and an ear infection since Christmas. I came across this blog and others that mention using tea tree oil in a sinus rinse. I use tea tree oil for LOTS of other things and I tried it and since then my sense of smell hasn’t been the same.
I don’t know if it’s just a coincidence since I’ve been fighting a sinus infection, ear and cold all at the same time.
I’m just curious if anyone else has experienced the same thing? PLEASE RESPOND.
Is it safe to keep snorting sinus congestion up into your sinuses? My husband does this and it’s driving me nuts.