Clogged nose & OCD

[GregK]

The time I spend on clearing/cleaning my nose verges on obsession.

I use nasal pillows night and day with my bipap and I want to be damn sure my nose is clear.

My oldest son has allergies and years ago we got him a Neti pot. It seems like a crappy gift but he actually loves it.

The minor drawback for me is ya gotta have hands and flexibility to use it!

Today (on tv!) I saw this and thought I'd toss it out for comment:

navage nasal irrigation system

 

[gooseberry]

Looks like its worth a try. Pulmo for my son was talking about something like this but I didnt get it. Thanks Greg!

 

[GregK]

I found it on Amazon and the reviews are pretty good.

 

[scaredwifetx]

I am going to mention to Steve. He has a lot of sinus issues. Thank you

 

[KimT]

My ENT at Mayo Clinic recommended NeilMed Sinus rinse kit. It is much easier than a neti pot. She said all her patients use it and she uses it. I bought one and tried it but I think I overdid it the first time. I don't really have the nasal issue but I was trying to see if using it would help my silent GERD.

You fill it up, bend over a sink, open your mouth wide, and squeeze it up your nose. The solution (mostly saline) comes out your mouth and your sinuses clear.

 

[affected]

I'm sure Chris could not have tolerated one that went up the nose and had to come out the mouth as he would have aspirated.

He may have tried the navage one though I think the risk of aspiration would still have been there.

I used a saline spray that I would mist up his nose, then use a cotton tip to clean his nose out. I would only put enough up to moisten his nose, never enough to be washing it out.

That navage looks brilliant though for the clean through it gives!

 

[lgelb]

For those considering rinses/Neti, a saline spray is a good first step/test. Depending on what is causing the mucus where, saline is good for some whereas non-saline rinses are better for others.

 

[affected]

We didn't really have mucus issues - Chris simply could not blow his nose, even a little bit, from early on. So this was how we kept his nose clean as any build up in his nose really affected his breathing.

 

[ehd42]

Hi GregK

Any type saline nasal rinse will help mobilize excess secretions. However, if your husband’s nasal stuffiness or nasal obstruction is not relieved then other approaches should be considered. One way to manage nasal obstruction when on NIV is the use of mouthpiece ventilation during your waking hours. If you can’t use it for any reason or you continue to suffer nasal congestion at night, an over-the-counter topical nasal steroid spray (e.g. Flonase. Nasacort, etc) might be able to reduce swollen nasal passageway because of their anti-inflammatory action. Avoid the chronic use of nasal decongestants (e.g Afrin) since they quickly lose their effectiveness when you used chronically. In any case, if this is an ongoing problem or you need to use medications chronically to control symptoms then it would be worth consulting an allergist or an ENT to determine the underlying cause of your symptoms.

Best wishes

Eliot

 

[Atsugi]

Eliot said: "Avoid the chronic use of nasal decongestants (e.g Afrin) since they quickly lose their effectiveness when you used chronically"

You got that right. I agree. One day, I had the worst nose and my throat hurt. I jammed Q-tips all the way in, but that just caused more irritation and more mucus. Then I lay down on the floor to get the maximum possible dose of Afrin into my nose. Wow. I spent the next hour just staring at the wall, totally still, but somehow I felt like my whole existence was going to explode! Serious out-of-body disassociative state.

For those who are wondering, it turns out that the nasal passageway goes straight back into your skull, not upward like your nose looks. The length of the passage is a little longer than a Q-tip. There, it connects to the ears and mouth.

Don't let go of the Q-tip!

 

[GregK]

Eliot,
It ain't my husband, it's me. :^)

Yep, familiar with the drugs, sprays and saline. Thank you all for the details.

However the underlying question is more "how do I blow my nose without hands?"!

 

[affected]

Greg that issue caused one of Chris's falls that luckily did not result in a serious injury, unlike other falls.

He tried to blow his nose, and could barely get his hands to his face, let alone get enough lung pressure for the blow.
Opened the cupboard to put the tissue in the bin and missed the bin.
Got mad and tried to kick the bin ...
Went down like the proverbial ton of bricks.
If he was mad before, he was furious now!

That incident however is when I started cleaning his nose out for him ...

So how to blow your nose without hands?
I really don't know it makes much difference on the blowing, but sure makes a difference on where it all ends up ...

 

[Atsugi]

Krissy regulated all her bodily functions with meds. Not a single nose complaint. I wonder if your GP doc can tell you how to keep your chemistry stable so you never need to blow your nose.

 

[affected]

The nose is normally a self-cleaning system.
All matter that needs to be rejected is moved towards the nostril openings, and a little blow or clean out removes them. This is normal, they don't get out by themselves.

When there are bulbar issues, clearing the nostril openings is a really common issue, particularly once the hands fail. I remember Chris saying - I can't even pick my own nose anymore. :shock:

 

[GregK]

Waaay back when, people with tuberculosis moved to Colorado Springs for the air.

But the air isn't that great for Allergies