Since we moved to Alabama I’ve been dealing with mild allergies every Spring and Fall. This year my allergies seem more intense than the past couple years. It could be that we’ve had more rain this year and whatever I’m allergic to is growing a little better.
This year I found a good supply of local bee pollen at a local store and stocked up. It’s been an absolutely wonderful thing. When I start sneezing uncontrollably, I take 1 Tablespoon bee pollen. Five to ten minutes later the sneezing stops, my eyes and sinuses dry up, and I can breathe again. On the worst allergy days I have to take bee pollen about every 4 hours.
Being me, I usually only take the bee pollen when the allergies are really bothering me. But, I think I’ve learned my lesson. I realized last night that the simple allergies I’ve been “putting up with” might have turned into a sinus infection. I woke up last night completely unable to breathe through my nose. My heart rate was elevated (I wear a Fitbit with a heart rate monitor), and I had a splitting headache that seemed to start behind my eyes, and I was running a slight fever.
Interesting note: I’ve not experienced many sinus infections. Before I got serious about natural health, I got bronchitis or pneumonia several times a year. My pulmonologist used to tell me that I got bronchitis or pneumonia when people with “normal immune systems” would get a sinus infection. The result was that I developed either bronchitis or pneumonia three or four times each year.
But, since I stopped going to the doctor and started focusing on healing my body naturally, I have not had either. It’s been at least 8 years since my last bout with either.
Either way, I seem to have the beginnings of a sinus infection now. So, How am I dealing with it?
Garlic — The first thing I did after I made my breakfast coffee this morning was peel two large cloves of garlic and eat them raw. I have the rest of the bulb in my purse and will continue to eat two cloves every hour or two throughout the day. I’ll continue this until the infection clears up completely. This morning, about 5-20 minutes after I ate the garlic my sinuses started to loosen up, and I could breathe through my nose again.
Extra fluids — I obviously haven’t been drinking enough fluids. If I had been my sinuses would not have become clogged to begin with. When a person drinks enough water the mucus secretions of the nose and lungs are light, and liquid. If those secretions are able to become thick, then the person is dehydrated.
Vitamin C — Vitamin C is a known immune system booster. I’m probably not deficient in C — I eat a lot of veggies and fruit — But a little extra C will give my immune system the help it needs to fight off any infection. Because I am oxalate sensitive, I only took 500 mg this morning.
Vitamin D — Because of the MS, maintaining my Vitamin D levels throughout the year is vital to my health. The beginning of a sinus infection is a reminder that I have not been taking my winter D dosage. Personally, I take 1000 IU of D several times a week though the Fall and Winter months. I made sure to take it this morning.
Extra Magnesium — Because I have asthma and MS, I have to pay special attention to my magnesium levels. Magnesium is a smooth muscle relaxant, and it’s a vital mineral in both Asthma and MS. I’ve even had ER doctors give me a Magnesium drip instead of solu-medrol (steroids given for serious asthma attacks). I take a good magnesium supplement every day. But this morning, because I was having a bit of trouble breathing, I made sure to take a little more than my usual dose.
Most Americans are chronically deficient in Magnesium.
Extra attention to my diet — And here’s the part where I preach personal responsibility in health. It’s my own fault I developed this sinus infection. I have been lax in my diet and supplement routine lately. I grew complacent, and took my health for granted. I’ve gotten “careless” with my diet. Well, careless for me, anyway. While my diet over the last few months has been much healthier and much cleaner than most people’s I know that I have very little wiggle room for “cheating.” And I’ve been “cheating”more than I should. It’s probably put a strain on my already confused immune system (having MS in any form means my immune system is always confused). Starting today, I pay very close attention to what I eat, and I stop making excuses for eating things I know I shouldn’t.
Colloidal Silver — If the above measures don’t start to encourage healing in the next three days I’ll make a batch of colloidal silver and use it in a neti pot. I’ll use that twice a day until my sinuses clear up.
I’ve never used it that way, but my husband has. Years ago, he suffered from almost constant sinus infections. His doctor had him on antibiotics and prescription nasal spray every couple of months. He’d finish up one round of antibiotics, and a month later he’d get another infection, and have to do another round. One weekend, about 4 weeks after his last round of antibiotics, he started to develop another sinus infection. We had just learned about colloidal silver, and he decided to try that instead of running to the doctor. He made a batch of CS, and put it in an empty sinus spray bottle. He used that every couple of hours throughout the weekend. By Monday the infection was gone, and he’s never had another one. It’s been at least 7 years.
It’s been a couple of hours (and several cloves of garlic) since I woke up this morning. I’m feeling better already, so I think the supplements and garlic are working.
