Stick This Up Your Nose!

Whenever I would get sick, my wife and mother-in-law would always try to get me to shove salt-water up my nose with a turkey baster. They claimed it would help me get over my illness more quickly. I hated the process and I couldn't really tell if it helped or not.

I decided I would investigate and after a little reading and some asking around I realized that there might be something to it. It sounds like it has more to do with calming inflammation than actually clearing your nose of extra snot.

Last night, I decided to give it a test. I figured that I would really be able to tell if it helps if I came home and did it right after a swim meet. The pool we swam at this saturday always leaves me with burning eyes and nose as though I have a horrible allergic reaction for a few days. Once I had to pull over because my eyes were watering so badly that I almost wrecked.

Chloramines are horrible at almost any large meet that swimmers attend. The longer the meet, the worse it gets. After the last meet I went to, I ended up with a fever and everything for the next few days. Can chloramines leave you with a sinus infection? It sure seemed that way.

Last night when I got home I took a shower and did a nasal rinse and I have to say I am impressed. I felt better immediately, and today I feel 100%. Whoda thunk it?

It will take a few more times for me to be really convinced, but I am now enough of a believer that this is going to become my routine. I am pretty sure that the next time my swimmers attend a multi-day prelim/final meet I am going to make it mandatory after each session. It might not take care of it all the way, but I am pretty certain that on the last day of the meet they will be better off than if they hadn't rinsed at all.

Let me know if it helps your team at your next big meet! It is worth a try.