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Avoiding Sinus Infections

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This is not a pleasant subject, yet one that I really feel I need to share.

Sinus Infections

Many many people suffer from chronic sinus infections.  About every couple months I would contract a sinus infection that would reduce the quality of my life.  This past September I visited my doctor hoping to get a course of antibiotics to cure a sinus infection.  However, I got something better – he taught me how to cure and, more importantly, prevent sinus infections.  After following his advice, I have avoided a sinus infection this Winter, so far.

I get sinus infections during allergy season and after a cold.  The following practices during these times have prevented me from getting a sinus infection this year.

  1. Rinse my sinuses twice a day – When I brush my teach in the morning and evening, I also rinse my sinuses.  Some people use a neti pot, but I can’t rinse my sinuses well enough.  I use a Sinus Rinse from Neilmed .  It really cleans out the sinuses quickly and easily.  I ran out of the salt packets that came with the bottle so now I just use table salt directly from the large salt container.  Rinsing the sinuses with salt water does two things.  One, it gets ride of the junk in my sinuses and two, bacteria can’t grow in salt water.
  2. During times of allergies and colds I take pseudoephedrine (Sudafed). The 12 hour one works best for me. It keeps my sinuses clear of congestion. I usually buy the store brand, but in Illinois it’s behind the counter at the Pharmacy.  Because it’s used to make meth, it has to be sign your name to buy it and show an ID.  The stuff on the shelf labelled “PE” doesn’t work nearly as well.
  3. I also take Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) at night before I go to bed. I buy the store brand at Costco.  The psuedoephedrine prevents me sleeping well.  So the Diphenhydramine helps me sleep and also dries out my sinuses at night.
  4. I coat my nostrils with petroleum jelly before going to bed.  It helps to keep my nostrils from getting dry and cracked.
  5. Drink lots of water.  Drinking water is good for everything.

That’s it.  Not only have a dodged sinus infections.  I’ve less colds and the ones I have had have been shorter.

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