Tuesday, December 19, 2006

When mucous membranes go wrong

A couple of tips for allergies and thick mucous membranes of the nose… First one:
try using a “Neti Pot” filled with saline solution to wash the allergens out of your nasal passageways. For some sufferers, this can work miracles. Get the Neti Pot and the non-iodized salt you must use for saline solution at your local health food store.

Second one was sent to me by recording engineer Ronny Light. He tells me this tip is listed in Wikipedia under Vomer. It's under the heading Trivia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vomer
“Clear your stuffed nose!”

“Forget Sudafed. An easier, quicker, and cheaper way to relieve sinus pressure is by alternately thrusting your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then pressing between your eyebrows with one finger. This causes the vomer bone, which runs through the nasal passages to the mouth, to rock back and forth, says Lisa DeStefano, D.O., an assistant professor at the Michigan State University college of osteopathic medicine. The motion loosens congestion; after 20 seconds, you'll feel your sinuses start to drain.”

Also- Ask about the many herbal preparations to boost the immune system as well. DRINK A LOT OF WATER!!! Half your weight in ounces is a good amount to shoot for. If you can, put ceyenne pepper in everything you can think of - food and drink.

A wonderful throat soother is a glass of water with a heaping tsp lemon juice, heaping tsp honey, and a dash or three of ceyenne... just have something handy to blow your nose with! :)

And lastly- I had great results by drinking a very diluted pineapple juice and water mixture when I was sick and had a loooooong day of recording sessions to sing.

Let me know if you have a favorite remedy for singer's crud!

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