S'not true, is it?

My allergies are severe several times a year here in sub-tropical central Florida, enough to put me into bed at least once or twice.  It was brought to my attention by a trustworthy source that over-the-counter medications geared for allergies will cause issues when used continually by chronic allergy sufferers.  Medications will cause a rebound effect when used for more than three days at a time.  So my favorite box of meds are benched as I attempt to deal with this the natural way.  I've heard how well neti pots work, but quite frankly I was certain drowning myself with water while currently drowning in, well, snot, would be a double whammy.

A whattie what what???  Neti pots, though the term sounds odd, are not all that weird because of how they work.  They are designed, basically, to wash out your nose with a saline solution and helps to loosen and get rid of congestion and icky stuff.  Many people use neti pots to treat nasal allergies, sinus problems and colds.  It has been claimed that regular use is more effective for nasal allergy and sinus symptoms than over-the-counter medications.  It's not magic, and is not an instant fix, but I swear the relief is so tangible it's worth the initial weirdness.  

So I bought this nifty ceramic pot, filtered and boiled my tap water and waited for it to cool.  I put the ascribed 1/4 teaspoon of fine non-iodized salt with 8 ounces of the warm water, tilted my head over the sink, put the spout into my upper nostril and let it flow.  Holy snot pot, Batman!  After three uses, I have regained my ability to breathe fully and my ears are no longer "plugged."  If it wasn't so gross, I'd show pictures of the results.  Suffice it to say that I am amazed.

My sister is currently being treated for a sinus infection and is on a second round of antibiotics.  A study by Mayo Clinic indicated that medications and antibiotics are not effective for sinus problems because they target bacteria, not fungi (or mold for that matter), which they found is the cause of most sinus infections.  Enter grapefruit seed extract and a new home for another neti pot. 

Since grapefruit seed extract is a natural antibiotic and anti-fungal, it seems like it would be a great option to help alleviate some of her discomfort.  The grapefruit seed extract will be added into the saline solution and used with the neti pot for approximately a week to 10 days.   I am curious to see what the results will bring since I already know the benefits of relief.  Despite having current sinusitis issues, I don't think I've had clearer breathing in ages.