Nasal Pillow Tips - natural decongestant techniques

[stube40]

I've just switched to a nasal pillow for the first time, choosing the Resmed Airfit P10.

Since I suffer from a deviated septum, I'm particularly susceptible to mild congestion and regularly suffer from finding either one or both of my nostrils difficult to breathe through.

If both of my nostrils as clear then I get a great night's sleep on the Airfit P10 - however, just a small amount of congestion will degrade my sleep quality significantly, so I've been using a Nasal Decongestant spray that I got from the Pharmacy to open up the nostrils. This works great, but I'm aware that if you use it for more than a few days at a time then your nasal passages end up having a reaction to it and they actually end up closing up, so it has the opposite effect.

To cut a long story short, I'm trying to come up with techniques to ensure my congestion remains minimal. Here are the ideas I've had:

1) Add a couple of drops of Eculyptus Oil to the humidifier
2) Turn the humidifier up full (maybe vapour helps reduce decongestion??)
3) Turn the humidifer off all together (maybe vapour makes the congestion worse??)
4) Use a salt-water irrigation on both nostrils before bed
5) Try to search for a natural remedy nasal decongestant spray that can be used long-term
6) Get me deviated septum fixed by surgery (actually, I'm already on the waiting list for that..........)

I haven't actually tried any of these yet, but have bought the Eculyptus Oil and will give it a go tonight and report back.

If anyone has any thoughts I'd love to hear them.

Cheers,
Stuart.

[strigiformes]

I wouldn't add the eucalyptus oil directly to the water in the humidifier, if that's what you're intending. That stuff is powerful in concentrated form, especially when it's getting blown straight up your nose, and you'll have a heck of a time trying to clean it out if it turns out to be too strong. Put a drop or two (doesn't take much!) on a cotton ball or the pad on a bandaid or in a small container and set it behind the intake on your machine (near where the filter goes). I've done this myself, and it does work, but it was so overwhelming that I had to remove it after a few minutes. Now I use a dab of Vicks VapoRub in a tiny plastic jar behind the intake on the rare occasions that the air pressure alone can't power through my congestion - works well and is something I can tolerate breathing all night long.

[stube40]

Ah yes, using Vicks Vaporub on the other side of the airfilter at the inlet!! Great idea!!

I also thought about those "Breatheasy" nasal strips - you know the sticky plastic strips that some athletes wear to open up your nostrils. But, I suppose the nasal pillows are opening up your nostrils already, so possibly they wouldn't be too effective in this instance? Plus, the congestion is further up the nasal path anyway...........

[strigiformes]

Ah yes, using Vicks Vaporub on the other side of the airfilter at the inlet!! Great idea!!

I also thought about those "Breatheasy" nasal strips - you know the sticky plastic strips that some athletes wear to open up your nostrils. But, I suppose the nasal pillows are opening up your nostrils already, so possibly they wouldn't be too effective in this instance? Plus, the congestion is further up the nasal path anyway...........

I used to have to use the strips and/or the little cones you insert into the nostrils to open me up enough to breathe at all through my nose at night. They definitely did help, although not enough. I suspect that the air pressure will already open your nasal passages more than the strips can do, but it's possible that using strips might initially open you up just that little bit extra that allows the air pressure to get through, at which point your congestion might begin to improve from the action of the air. Certainly couldn't hurt to try!

Even when I feel like I can't breathe through my nose at all when I first lie down, a lot of my problem is from swelling and that seems to respond very well to just the air pressure after a few minutes. Sometimes I crank my pressure way up for a minute or two until I feel like I'm opened up, then put the settings back down where they belong for the night.

And good luck finding what works for you!

[englandsf]

Try nasal rinses and cortico steroid sprays each morning and definitely check if low humidity works - it does for me.

[Pugsy]

About humidity needs....some need a lot and some don't need so much and you are just going to have to figure out what it takes to make your nasal mucosa happy. It's trial and error because everyone is different.
For some people humidity can cause congestion and for others if the nasal mucosa get the least little bit dry they get horrible congestion.
There is no right or wrong when it comes to humidity preferences...there's just what works for each individual.

[Sleeprider]

If you're using Afrin, stop. The rebound is killer. Nasal pillows have a natural decongestant effect like you've never experienced. the nasal passages inflate just as your whole breathing pathway does. Many of us have used nasal pillows through severe colds, sinus infection and other problems. Don't worry, it will be fine.

[TangledHose]

Products I have used with good success and no rebound effect like Afrin:



NeilMed nasal rinse

Polaris nasal emollient

http://www.amazon.com/Jamol-Laboratorie ... asal+drops

Generic Flonase

Nasacort

[palerider]

so I've been using a Nasal Decongestant spray that I got from the Pharmacy to open up the nostrils. This works great, but I'm aware that if you use it for more than a few days at a time then your nasal passages end up having a reaction to it and they actually end up closing up, so it has the opposite effect.

if it's oxymetazoline hydrochloride, then as my ENT told me, you *can* use it for an extended period, just DON'T use it as directed (2x a day) if you just use it at night, your nose won't get addicted to it like if you use it morning and night.

[stube40]

Yup, it's oxymetazoline hydrochloride I'm using - will try just doing one spray a day on each nostril and see how I go

[palerider]

Yup, it's oxymetazoline hydrochloride I'm using - will try just doing one spray a day on each nostril and see how I go

she (the ENT) said with only using it once a day, you could go for a month or more without the addiction and congestion rebound that you get after only a few days when using it twice a day, and so far, my experiences since then have been in line with that.

[Pugsy]

she (the ENT) said with only using it once a day, you could go for a month or more without the addiction and congestion rebound that you get after only a few days when using it twice a day, and so far, my experiences since then have been in line with that.

That's also pretty much what I have been told.
That was when I expressed concern that I was feeling the need to use one little squirt of Afrin only at night but every night.
Since in the past I have experienced the "joys" of true Afrin rebound I just didn't want to risk getting to that point again and I was told that one tiny little squirt only at night was unlikely to get me to the point of true Afrin rebound.
It's a slippery slope though and one I have experienced more than once over the years and I still try to limit Afrin use to emergency use only because I know how easy it is to get "addicted" to it and that one little squirt becomes 2 and then 3 and then more than once a day and so on.

I will use it in emergencies and only after I have used my simply saline spray which is my first line of defense when fighting nasal congestion. I have had it (nasal congestion) a little bit lately because the air has been so cold and so dry. So I try the saline spray (and I use it often and a lot of it) and then the Afrin is saved for when/if the saline and a dash of Flonase doesn't work.

[otrpu]

If my nasal passages are mostly plugged but passing some air, using the humidifier actually clears and opens them up and I can breath fine for the whole sleep period.

Cheers,
otrpu