S'mores Genmaicha

Are your sinuses always bad or is it just a cold? I can’t taste anything right now because of a sinus infection and it is making me crazy! I want to taste tea so badly right now!

oh Dustin, don’t get me started! hahaha
i’ll try to be short about it and say that my sinuses are always generally bad. i used to have awful allergies and now my sinuses have scar tissue build up due to repeated infections. (i had a ct scan done once.)
i have methods of keeping them healthy and happy most of the time that work great. i also no longer have allergies.
(but i slept with the space heater on the other night because i was too lazy to turn it off just one time, and then i teetered on the verge of a sinus infection for a whole week. tsk tsk. i knew better.)

Oh no! I think the heater going on and not having started up the humidifier did me in a week or so ago. Lame that something so minor as that can have such lasting consequences. What are your methods for keeping your sinuses happy?

okaaaay get ready.!!! brace yourself :) cuz i can easily go on a big ranty rant about this slightly gross topic anytime it’s mentioned haha…
i REALLY apologize in advance if i come off as weirdly bossy. i just can’t help myself from being passionate about breathing!!
don’t hate me!
also i bet a lot of other people have tons of helpful advice, even better advice, that’s worked for them too. everyone is different. and there are so many variables!

1. NASAL IRRIGATION
i use an Ayr bottle but all my housemates use netti pots. they are the same thing. don’t get the gels or the sprays or anything like that. it’s all bunk. and unnecessary. and might dry you out or mess things up more. all you need is hot-ish water and a little salt.
just do it. at least once a day. twice if you can. no excuses.
the benefits way outweigh the annoyance.
do it. you’ll be bad at it at first. it’ll feel weird. or like it’s not helpful. or just really uncomfortable. but keep doing it anyways. okay? okay.

2. probiotics
and i don’t mean eat lots of yogurt. i use a protein powder that has great live probiotics. but you can get pills too. there are options. but get a good one. you get what you pay for. probiotics will improve your digestion and make it so you get all the nutrients from all the food you eat. the more nutrients you get the stronger your immune system. the stronger your immune system the less leaky your nose will want to be!!
but…. i do use a goat’s milk based protein powder, which goes against my next recommendation…

3. quit dairy
i know no one wants to hear this one. eyeroll/close tab/say you can’t live without cheese. i know i know i get it. cheese is freakin delicious!! we all know it! look, it’s not forever. and milk proteins cause a mucus response in some people. but hey, there have also been studies showing “no statistically significant [difference] between milk and dairy product intake and symptoms of mucus production in healthy adults with rhinovirus infection.” so it’s your call.
but it seems to really make a difference for me. it’s how i got rid of my allergies in the first place. i quit dairy and my allergies went entirely away, and once i started eating dairy again they never came back. (i can’t even IMAGINE what my sinuses would be like now if i hadn’t healed my allergies ugh)
was it a detox? a re-calibration of sorts? who knows but it entirely worked.
i figure for most people quitting dairy kinda depends on how desperate and in pain you are.
i do eat dairy these days, but i’m pretty sure i eat way less than the average person, and when i’m feeling extra sinus sensitive cutting dairy out for a little while really helps.

OTHER OPTIONS!
- mucus thinner & drinking LOTS of water
this is at the bottom of the list. cuz i don’t do this currently. but if you are in one of those really bad spots you can always buy something like Musinex and take it daily. even when you think you don’t need it. i prefer to avoid continuous pills if i can, but there have been times when i just really needed the help. and i think if you do take mucus thinner in conjunction with nasal irrigation, it can make a big difference in kind of ‘training’ your head to breathe better?
like teaching your body a new pattern?

- those ‘breathe right’ strips
i have only tried them once, but i have a friend who swears by them. gotta figure at very least being able to breathe better at night will get you better sleep. which is gonna make you less exhausted during the day and just generally healthier. plus it’s medicine and chemical free :) … maybe it helps keep things movin cuz more air can get in? idk. but if this sounds like a good idea for your type of sinus problems then go for it! can’t hurt.
i just mention it cuz it’s one of those options that i always forget about but is really really simple.

believe it or not i just bought a humidifier! it arrives in the mail today haha! it’s gonna be great. i haven’t had one for a long time (though i used to be obsessed when i lived more north).

i wanna spell check this really bad, but i’m using a pomodoro timer browser extension that is going to block this website in 2 min, so….

<<<<<< OMG DORK!
that is SO LONG. i’m totally embarrassed hahahahahah

I am not grossed out easily and have been living in sinus hell for a while so bring it! I do the saline irrigation daily, so I’m on the same page there. I hadn’t thought to try probiotics regularly. I’ll have to give that a go. I have never heard of them in a protien powder before, nor have I run across goat based protien powder! I only ever see soy or whey based. Where do you find it? Goat dairy is a lot easier on people than cow, so it makes sense that it would be an exception to #3. I think it has to do with the protiens being smaller and easier to digest. My vegan friends keep posting articles on Facebok of the horrible things that are done to cows on farms and it’s kinda turning me off dairy a bit, but i haven’t made that final jump on giving up chese. I am sticking my toes in that water tho.
I’m going to see a new ENT next month and hopefully he will be able to help me manage my sinuses better than my current doc, but in the mean time I’m going to be seeing my primary doc for antibiotics to try to get this under better control now.
Thanks for all the tips! I’m going to try some for sure!

wow Dustin! you have no idea how glad i am that you completely know what i’m talking about! and that i wasn’t just blabbing some nerdy language at you. haha
but it is a bummer to hear that your sinuses sound as bad, or even worse than mine.
you know all the cool facts about goat milk protein too! i was vegan for years and now i just consider myself picky :) i still prefer almond and soy milk. and i buy ‘Better Than Cream Cheese’ and all the fake meats on a regular basis. etc i do enjoy cheese and ice cream and sour cream, but only on occasion ya know.
i buy my protein powder online from Mt Capra. the powder is called Deep 30 and it’s not cheap, but i like it so much that i cut corners in other areas so i can keep it stocked in my cupboard. they have other pro-biotic options too. there are probably other good companies too, this just happens to be the one i found and love.

let me tell you this, i irrigated 3 times this morning within a 1 hr period and my sinuses are still in swollen pain!! arg not a good day. the weather here is really not good right now. in fact, my sinuses haven’t been as bad as they are today in over a year or more! that’s weird.
BUT on days like this i just take ibuprofen to keep the swelling down. and again drink lots of water and tea duh!! hah. it definitely helps me. simple works best for me sometimes. (i’d probably normally take a decongestant but i also take adhd meds and don’t need anything else messing with my heart rate blerg)

good luck with the antibiotics and your new doctor! i really really hope it turns out well and that you can find some relief.
… and if you ever find the answer to the unanswerable question of how to end sinus problems please let me know! :) (a girl can dream)

I had sinus surgery last year to remove polyps, straighten my septum and scrape out my totally clogged sinuses and am now doing allergy therapy to try to reverse the allergic reactions that started it all. So yeah, I’m neck deep in nerdy sinus language!
I prefer soy milk to cow, so it is really just cheese, yogurt and on occasion ice cream that are left. I have also been really into the Pacific brand of chocolate hazelnut milk. It tastes like you are drinking Nutella!
It looks like that Deep 30 is cheaper on Amazon and has free shipping! http://www.amazon.com/Mt-Capra-Deep2-Coconut-Dream/dp/B0057AMGZK Have you noticed a health difference when taking it consistently? Is one flavor better than others?
Sinus rinsing doesn’t make a notable difference for me especially when they are already ticked off. Have you tried any decongestant sprays? I bought one when I was in Ireland that works really well for me in immediate reduction of swelling and pressure on bad days. I have been depending on it a bit lately and just ordered more from the UK. I tried some of the options we have over the counter in the states and they make me more stuffed up. It is this stuff… http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004RDYI04/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I am running low so I tried to substitute Allegra D yesterday and was up all night feeling speedy. I’m hoping I can get a nap in.
If there is a cure other than sinus transplant surgery or moving to Alaska where there are less allergens, I’ll be sure to spread the word!