In this day and age, it is quite impossible that you have never encountered one sinus problem ever in your life as there are many of them out there waiting for you. Actually, it was even found out that sinus problems are amongst the most popular chronic disorders in America and it affects seniors’ quality of life every time it hits.
Sinusitis is inflamed paranasal sinuses. These are air-filled cavities situated in your cranial bones. Sinusitis is usually a result of an infection which can be fungal, bacterial or viral in nature. It can also be an allergy or poor immune system. This sinus problem lasts depending on the severity of the cause; it can be anywhere between days to months. It is also important to note that weakened immune system can increase your risk of catching sinus infections more often. Sinusitis can occur as acute, sub-acute, and chronic. It can also occur from time to time without any distinguishable pattern.
Actually, once your sinuses got irritated from any foreign object, they react; this reaction is characterized by inflammation causing the nose to be clogged and stuffy. Aside from the difficulty in getting air pass in and out through your nose, you will also get headaches that are somewhat difficult to localize since they feel as if they affect the whole face. It will also be accompanied by nasal discharge. By the way, smoking can cause sinus problems that may worsen overtime.
Over the counter medications are most of the time, not advisable for seniors anymore since it may interfere with their current medications resulting to severe complications. Moreover, most of them will not treat the sinusitis itself but will only alleviate its symptoms. Unfortunately, sinus problem knows no age limit and they will attack you whenever they want to. For weary seniors, the next best thing for their sinus problem is natural home remedies or natural alternative treatments that are proven safe and effective. One of them is sinus irrigation.
Sinus irrigation is very popular in India and it is still widely practiced today. In fact, sinus irrigation is an ancient Ayurvedic technique that cleanses nasal passageways with water. This type of sinus cleansing will include the use of Neti pot. Neti pot looks somewhat like a kettle but it is much smaller and has longer snout and is usually filled with saline solution. This snout is then gently placed into your right nostril while tilting the head to make way for the drainage. Allow saline water to naturally drain from the other nostril. This should be done for each nostril. You will immediately feel the difference after every session.
Neti pots should be kept clean all the time, the same as how you treat your toothbrushes although it is not necessary to replace Neti pots regularly. Expect difficulties within first few tries as the technique requires some level of expertise but it will all be worth it after you get past through it. You should also consult your doctor first even if the procedure sounds easy and simple.
