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Being a Massage Therapist I give a lot of massages to all sorts of people at my San Antonio, Texas practice. Like my clients I love to get a wonderful therapeutic massage as often as I can. However, like many other people I sometimes have a problem with sinus congestion while lying face down during the massage session. There are number of causes for the sinus congestion such as seasonal allergies, and irritants such as smoke, pollution, dust and molds. The sinus congestion makes it difficult to breath through the nose and properly enjoy the massage.

There are many things that Massage Therapists like myself do to assist clients with sinus congestion during the massage therapy session. Adjustments to the face rest are helpful as are acupressure points that help to relieve sinus pressure. Other things that are helpful include the use of essential oils like pine, eucalyptus, or peppermint to open up sinus passages. Less commonly used breathing aids include cold gel-filled face masks or nasal strips. The problem with all of these measures is that they’re somewhat hit-or-miss, the best way to combat sinus congestion during massage is to prevent it in the first place.

My favorite method of preventing sinus congestion is sinus irrigation. Sinus irrigation is actually a very old way of coping with congestion, allergies, and post-nasal drip. Simply, sinus irrigation is exactly what it sounds like -using a saline solution to gently wash out mucous, dust, pollen, and other irritants. A popular method of sinus irrigation is to use a “neti” pot. It’s a small pot that looks somewhat like a small teapot or gravy boat. To use the neti pot you fill it with a warm saline solution which is made with chlorine-free water (distilled or purified drinking water) and a packet(s) of pure salt. It’s important that you don’t use table salt to make your saline solution because table salt contains iodine and anti-coagulants that wouldn’t be good for you. Once you’ve made your solution and filled the pot you will need to pour it in one nostril and let it run out the other. To perform the irrigation without swallowing the solution or feeling like you’re drowning follow these steps:

1. Bend at the waist over a sink;

2. Rotate your head as though you’re looking up at the ceiling;

3. Keeping your forehead down and chin up toward the ceiling, place the spout of the neti pot gently into the upper nostril allowing the saline solution to flow into your nose and out the lower nostril;

4. Allow the contents of the neti pot to wash out your sinus passages;

5. When the neti pot is empty keep your head down and forcefully exhale through your nose to blow out any excess saline solution, do this without holding your nostrils closed;

6. Repeat as necessary.

Performing sinus irrigation an hour or two prior to your massage can effectively reduce or eliminate sinus congestion so you can enjoy your massage more. In addition to removing mucous and irritants that cause congestion from your sinuses, the salt in the saline solution is also effective in relieving swelling of sinus membranes.

Sinus irrigation is a simple and safe method of reducing sinus congestion and post-nasal drip but there are some conditions which might make it contraindicated for you. Please check with your doctor prior to performing any sinus irrigation.



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The advantages of whole house water filters are many. Until recently, the biggest disadvantage to a whole house water filter system was the price. However, as technology has advanced, the systems have become much less costly.

First, let’s look at the advantages. Without whole house water filters, you have to choose which faucet to drink from. If you want to protect your hair and skin from damage, you have to invest in a shower head system.

If, on the other hand, you have a whole house water filter, you will protect your clothes from being bleached. You will protect every faucet in the house. You will protect your pipes from deposits, corrosion and sediment. Many things will last longer.

You see, treatment facilities add chlorine to disinfect the water and prevent outbreaks of cholera and other similar diseases. It’s a necessary evil, but you do not want to drink it. You don’t even want the chemical in your home.

During a shower, it turns into a vapor that causes headaches, sinus problems and triggers asthma attacks. The chemical can vaporize anywhere in your home, unless you have whole house water filters.

The chemical has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, in numerous studies. So, by investing in a whole house water filter, you are investing in your long term health. The public utilities are worried about acute diseases. You have to worry about your long term risks.

Chloroform gas builds up in homes as a result of showering in chlorinated water. This is another gas that causes headaches, but it can also cause dizziness and chronic fatigue. A shower is healthy for the body and soul. You should be able to bathe in peace. With the protection provided by whole house water filters, you can.

The main disadvantage, as we mentioned above, was cost. At one time, a whole house water filter system could not be had for less than $10,000. The units were big and heavy. They required extensive maintenance. They were slow and wasteful. They required electricity to increase the water pressure. They could not block chemical contaminants and only functioned as one step in the purification process.

Today’s best whole house water filters are small and compact. They block chlorine and other chemical contaminants. They require no electricity and cost only about 50 cents per day to operate.

The technology in the best whole house water filter has been described by the FDA as unbeatable and a remarkable advancement. With all of this, the initial price is less than a thousand dollars.

Installation can be accomplished in less than two hours with the help of a qualified plumber. The company the FDA was talking about has patented their product and taken the hassle out of replacing filters by providing automatic shipment and discounted prices. It is a factory direct product, so you can be sure that you are getting the best deal possible. Whole house water filters can improve many aspects of your life and now any one can afford them.



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Some people who inherit an allergy sensitive background develop certain allergies from time to time. These allergies may be due to many environmental factors and sometimes symptoms of asthma are also impersonated by them. Some common forms of these allergic reactions may be seasonal while others may be perennial in nature.

It is important to understand the differences between these and asthma so that they are never confused with asthma because their treatments as well the severity both differ from each other. Seasonal sneezing is called seasonal allergic rhinitis or hay fever in the common parlance. As against the name it is not caused because of hay but because of certain pollutants mainly certain kinds of pollen in the environment to which a person may be allergic.

In contrast to these people some others suffer with sneezing bouts, stuffy or running nose almost all the year round. These people suffer from perennial sneezing or perennial allergic rhinitis. When these people are exposed to cold wind, sunlight, dust and fumes the symptoms of the sneezing bouts precipitate.

In hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis the symptoms appear gradually or all of a sudden. This depends upon the degree of exposure to the offending allergen and also upon the degree to which the person may be allergic to them. When the symptoms appear gradually they are accompanied with mild sensation of itching and burning of the eyes and mild irritation in the nose or itching of the palate inside the mouth.

The symptoms usually appear in the early morning hours when the concentration of pollen grains is at its peak. The sneezing bouts are also accompanied with marked increase in the nasal congestion, throat congestion, running of the nose profusely and watery eyes. The nasal mucous membrane becomes highly sensitive with advancement of symptoms and any slight change in the nasal mucous membrane manifests in heavy bouts of sneezing.

These changes may be of very slight nature like appearance of a draft, strong odours, or even minute quantities of dust. In addition to these symptoms there may be appearance of other associated symptoms like general lethargy, loss of appetite, drowsiness and also pain in the body with slight rise in temperature.

In some patients in addition to the above mentioned conditions the symptoms of bronchial asthma also develop side by side making the conditions worse. These symptoms either develop right from the start of the other symptoms or may develop later as the disease advances. The worse part is that once a person starts with these symptoms he may continue with the symptoms of asthma even after the sneezing attacks stop.

This condition can be very easily diagnosed with the study of the case history of the patient. The tests usually undertaken to identify the pollens are skin tests with extracts of the pollen and scratch or intracutaneous tests giving positive reactions to the pollens simultaneously with a confirmation of the same through consultation of the pollen calendar.

Once the offending pollen is identified the effect of it can be controlled efficiently by hypo sensitization tests. Treatment with antihistamine tablets generally proves to be every effective. But it is only a temporary resort. The allergen has to be properly identified and then treated accordingly with preventive measures and drug therapy if need be.

Taking preventive action to overcome seasonal sneezing attacks is very important. For this undue exposure in a particular season should be completely avoided. Outdoor activities like tending to the garden or farming should not be done. The windows of the rooms should be kept closed as far as possible to avoid exposure to the allergen. In extreme cases using air conditioning may be the only way out.

The patients of perennial sneezing or perennial allergic rhinitis have sneezing, running nose, blocked or stuffy nose and nasal discharge almost all the year round. These people many – a – times are found to be snoring at night and are in the habit of breathing through the mouth. They have discomfort in the ears because of blockage in the ear tubes that open in the throat.

These are called Eustachian tubes. When the irritation persists for a long time a person tends to rub the nose vigorously and repeatedly. This leads to development of a crease across the nose called the allergic crease. Some paranasal sinuses may also get blocked leading to accumulation of secretions.

When the ear, nose and throat get infected repeatedly there may be accompanying fever. Exposure to irritants like cold wind, sunlight, dust, fumes and smoke all lead to aggravation of the symptoms. These symptoms usually occur in the early morning hours and then the symptoms may continue throughout the day and even at night. The symptoms in severe cases may resemble symptoms of asthma accompanied with bronchial spasm and suffocation.

The condition is generally diagnosed after studying the family history of allergy. The lab test of eosinophil count is a must to come to concrete conclusions. Skin test of pollen and other allergens is necessary in case the eosinophil count is normal. Treatment with antihistamines helps very limited people. Nasal drops may provide temporary relief but they should be used very sparingly as they work on the principle of cauterization, that is burning o the mucous membrane of the nose so that the nasal passage becomes insensitive. Hyposensitization works efficiently and surgery may be used in very extreme cases only.



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Many people are affected by sinus problems each year. Once you get a sinus infection you are almost assured of getting more in the future. Many medications fail to help get rid of sinus symptoms such as headache, stuffy nose and infection. Herbal remedies for sinus have been used successfully for centuries. They are safe and easy to use and have no ill side effects that most medications have.

When treating a sinus infection with natural herbal remedies, the benefits are manifold. The ingredients are very cheap and inexpensive, easily procurable, and can even be quickly and easily grown from seeds bought from a gardening shop or gotten online and grown in a window box garden if you so desire, to name a few.

Some people even grow herbs from seeds in a window box garden, acquiring the seeds from gardening shops, or even from online. Another benefit is the fact that with natural herbs, you don’t experience the adverse side effects of chemical based over the counter drugs which can cause more harm than good

Natural cure and home remedy for sinus infection is to use Apple Cider Vinegar, which contains potassium. This helps decrease mucus production and has shown to be beneficial as a natural home remedy of sinus infection, runny nose and the common cold.

Camomile. This is an outstanding herbal remedy for treating rashes & itches that escort allergies. It has anti-allergenic & anti-inflammatory properties that craft it suitable to be used as an herbal remedy for skin allergies. However, if you experience from hay fever, you want to abstain from using this herbal medication, because it’s a member of the ragweed ancestors, which may root an allergic reaction.

Horseradish. Eating a teaspoon of horseradish is outstanding for clearing the sinuses. Some experts recommend that you eat a teaspoon of it every day until the allergy symptoms drop & then take it some times each month to assist prevent further allergy molests.

Eucalyptus – This is a fragrant herb that soothes sore throats. It also has antiseptic properties and can help shrink swollen tissues such as swollen sinus passages. It is readily available in throat lozenges, which are a convenient way to take it. You can also drink eucalyptus tea. It is very helpful to steep some eucalyptus in a large pot of boiling water and use as an inhalant to unblock nasal passages.

Carrot juice, taken separately or with beetroot, spinach or cucumber juice is said to be an excellent cure for sinus infection. Try this out: take hundred ml of cucumber and beetroot juices each or two hundred ml of spinach juice and mix it with three hundred ml of carrot juice. Drink this concoction as it is believed to cure the sinus infection.



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An allergy is a hypersensitivity to a foreign substance that is usually harmless but produces a violent reaction in the allergy sufferer. Allergies are generally the body’s effort to eliminate something it considers unsuitable.

Nasal allergy symptoms are something people with allergic asthma often have in addition to asthma symptoms. The combination can negatively affect your quality of life. Not only that, but when allergy symptoms go uncontrolled, asthma may actually get worse as well.

Sinusitis is an inflammation (swelling) of the sinuses. Normally, our sinuses are filled with air. When the sinuses become blocked and filled with fluid, bacteria can grow there and cause infection (sinusitis).

Avoiding substances that trigger your allergies is the most effective way to eliminate allergy symptoms. However, if you’re allergic to mold or pollen, complete avoidance is almost impossible. Doctors usually do not suggest moving to an area with less pollen or mold growth because you could develop allergies to different substances in your new environment.

Every day, your body is exposed to millions of bacteria, viruses, and other potentially harmful microscopic invaders. Your body’s immune system normally defends you from illness. It works hard to kill these invaders before they can harm you. Occasionally, a virus or other germ gets by your immune system, and you get sick. But unless something is seriously wrong with your immune system, your body usually wards off these attacks.

Nasal allergies happen when immune cells in your nasal lining overreact to certain “allergic triggers” or allergens in the air you breathe. Triggers such as pollen from trees grasses and weeds are seasonal. Other triggers are present year-round. These include dust mites, animal dander, indoor and outdoor mold spores, and insect droppings. These triggers don’t bother people who don’t have nasal allergies.

As the main cause of nasal allergy is histamines, in order to obstruct the reaction of histamines and to reduce the severity of nasal allergy symptoms, researchers developed anti-histamine drugs like loratadine, fexofenadine, terfenadine, diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine, clemastine, etc.Currently, there are many over-the-counter drugs that can alleviate the nasal allergy symptoms for short period of time. Nevertheless, some orally taken drugs like diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine, and clemastine can cause drowsiness.

What are the signs and symptoms of a nasal allergy?

The most common symptoms of a nasal allergy are: clear, watery nasal discharge, coughing, itching deep within the ear, itching, watering, and redness of the eyes, nasal itching, nasal stuffiness with subsequent difficulty breathing and sneezing.

Antileukotriene treatment appears to be beneficial in nasal allergies. Allergic rhinitis is a complex, IgE-mediated inflammatory disease of the upper airways. It is the most common allergic disease, occurring in 10% to 30% of adults and up to 30% of children. It may be perennial or seasonal. Sneezing, itching, watery rhinorrhea, and nasal obstruction are classic symptoms. I

Acupuncture has been found to relieve symptoms of chronic nasal allergies in children. Sneezing, congestion and runny noses were lessened for two to three months after the acupuncture treatment. However, more research on larger groups need to be done. Acupuncture has also been found to be effective in treating chronic pain and post-surgery nausea.



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