Sinus and Nasal Irrigation

[pberggren1]

Hello everyone:

I was wondering if anyone else uses a Waterpik or other pulsitile irrigation device for irrigating and flushing out their sinuses. I’ve been using a Waterpik for about 5 years now and could not imagine living without it. Even though I am in remission I still have a large mucus production along with lots of crusting and bleeding in the sinuses. I irrigate 3-4 times in the morning and 2-3 times in the evenings. After irrigating I snort up Vaseline into my nostrils to help ease the dryness and crusting and bleeding. I highly recommend pulsitile irrigation even for people without sinus problems because it flushes away and bug or bacteria, etc that may be in the sinuses.

There are 2 well known ENT’s by the name of Dr. Robert S. Ivker and Dr. Murray Grossan.

Dr. Ivker has written a few books including Sinus Survival. He has a website: www.sinussurvival.com. Dr. Ivker promotes the SinuPulse system.

Dr. Grossan also has written books including The Sinus Cure. His website is: www.ent-consult.com and www.grossan.com. Dr. Grossan promotes the Grossan Hydropulse system.

I suggest to anyone with sinus problems to Google these doctors or to visit these websites. Hopefully this will be some good information for some people out there.

Sincerely,
Phil Berggren
Swift Current, SK
Canada

[Jack]

I had lots of sinus problems in the early days - massive nose bleeds, total blockage with crusting and a series of operations to try to fix it (this was before my diagnosis of Wegener's). I used to use a saline wash with a syringe and it was very effective indeed, but I know that many people don't get on well with the method.

If you still have sinus problems to the extent you describe, I would question whether you are in remission. One of the first improvements I noticed when I started treatment was to my nose and sinus problems. I now use it as one of the indicators that things might be going wrong again because I usually have little more than a runny nose these days.

[Doug]

I agree with Jack. The bleeding and crusting were among the first symptoms to go during early treatment for me. It is possible, of course, to blow your nose too hard and rupture a vein, but I'd be concerned if you saw fresh and increased blood in your Kleenex more than a day.

Did a doctor recommend the Waterpik method? I think that tool, on the high setting, has enough force to damage vessels, especially if you started using the tool in the late active or earlier remission stage of your Wegener's, when your vascular system was healing. The pulsating water "gizmo" shown on Dr. Ivker's website looked like it had a lower pressure (larger irrigating tube) and specialized nozzles specifically designed for sinus flushing.

The websites look interesting, though!

[Sangye]

Phil, Vaseline is petroleum jelly. Not ok to use internally (or externally, truth be told). It's quite toxic. Anything you put in your nose goes immediately into the bloodstream. There are safer alternatives.

One that will soften the crusting and even help heal is Ghee-- melt and put a few drops in each nostril, snort if you want. Very soothing. Good for anyone.

[pberggren1]

Sangye:

What is Ghee?

Thanks for the replies.

Phil

[Sangye]

Hi Phil,
Food-India.com - Ghee (Indian Clarified Butter)

[coffeelover]

For those of us with sinus problems....you all have given some very useful information. thx! Each day I find there is less and less I really know about this disease and I thought I was so smart?
ha!
Lisa

[Doug]

That's for sure! I haven't had sinus problems for a while, but that irrigator shown in Phil's note yesterday looks like it would be far preferable to a round of antibiotics.

[Jack]

Just thought I would mention that you don't have to spend much money if you wish to try this out. You can use a Neti Pot which is available cheaply and a mix of warm water with a little salt and perhaps some baking powder in it. I found that the Neti Pot would not get through the crusting in my nose and had to resort to squirting the solution from a 50 ml syringe. Do this all over a wash basin, it can get a bit messy!

[Doug]

As has been noted earlier, this thread has been quite a learning experience! I'd never heard of a Neti pot until Jack's posting. For that matter, until Phil brought up the whole business of nasal irrigation, I'd never thought of it as a therapy for one of those things that ails us.

I hope Sangye, though dealing with the loss of someone dear just now, still has time to read what's been posted of late and appreciates just how much she has influenced us to take a serious look at holistic approaches to WG! If I had a guess, I'd say she must be a (holistic) doctor of some sort because her advice takes on that tone and authority! (Thanks, my friend, for your contributions to this dialogue! Even though the topic is taboo, know that I pray in my way for you to manage your grief, WG, and all those things that get between you and your peace. Hope you don't mind. I can't help myself. )

For those as ignorant as I was about Neti pots, there is an excellent short video on YouTube showing its use and exercises to use with it to maximize the benefits. Careful, though, there are several videos that are crude parodies of Neti pot use, too, by people who've not needed relief from sinus miseries, apparently! (p.s. One shows a guy using a long-spout watering pot. I confess,as a guy who likes growing things, that I am compelled to gp back and see how he does with it. I might learn how to water my plants without making such a mess.)