How To Rinse Your Sinus

Sinus rinsing has changed my life. What once seemed terrifying, has now become part of my daily routine. I rinse twice a day. As soon as I get up and an hour before bed. Here is how I do it.

You will need:
NeilMed Sinus Rinse
Alkalol
a glass measuring cup
8oz of distilled water.

1. Pour slightly less than 8oz of distilled water into a glass measuring cup.



2. Microwave the water on high for 35 to 42 seconds (depending on strength of microwave, newer ones only need 35).



3. Fill the (clean) sinus rinse bottle with the warmed distilled water. Make sure it is slightly below the fill line.



4. Add a full rinse packet into the bottle.



5. Add Alkalol until it reaches the fill line. If it’s a light/medium yellow color you have a good amount. If it’s hardly yellow you might not have enough and it won’t be helpful.



6. Put the top on the bottle.



7. Cover the hole with your index finger and shake to mix the water, rinse packet, and alkalol together.

8. Tilt your head to the left with your nose facing down over the sink.

9. Put the top of the bottle in your right nostril and squeeze the bottle gently forcing the water up in the sinus. Stop at the half way point indicated on the bottle.

10. Tilt your head to right with your nose facing down over the sink.

11. Put the top of the bottle in your left nostril and squeeze the bottle gently forcing the water up in the sinus. Stop when the bottle is empty.



Now blow your nose and until there is no congestion left.

My First Time

Upon learning about sinus rinsing, I was hesitant. The thought of shooting water through my sinus made my stomach turn. Even though I knew it carried great health benefits, I was reluctant. Even after my first visit to an ENT and I was handed a rinse bottle, I didn’t want to do it.

My first attempt pre sinus surgery left me in tears. Once I readied the bottle for the rinse, I just stared at it. I brought it up to my nose a couple times, and then walked away from it. Finally, I mustered the courage to just do it. Since I already knew my left sinus had serious problems, I started on the right side. At the aforementioned first ENT appointment, the doctor was not able to put the scope in my left sinus at all. That was kind of a sign.

So, shooting water up my right nostril I go. From everything I had read about rinsing, I knew the water was supposed to go in on one side and out the other. I shot the water up and it came right back down. Not what I was expecting. I tried again and had the same result. I attempted rinsing on my left side and the water didn’t even seem like it could enter my nostril. Again I tried, and the water went everywhere except where it needed to.

I started bawling. That ENT appointment ended with a prescription for a CT scan and a referral for a surgeon. I was okay with the CT scan, but the idea of having surgery terrified me. The idea that I would never breathe correctly without it, terrified me even more. My epic failure at rinsing proved what I had known in my gut for quite some time. Something was truly with my nose.