I moved to Texas years ago to alleviate my sinus problems. Back in Phoenix I was taking over 20 doses of prescription-strength Sudafed + 800mg Mucinex
per week. That, plus pouring around 4 ounces of salt water up my nose nearly every day, as it helped to relieve some of the fluid pressure AND it washed that Sonoran desert dust out of my head.
There's been a regular radio ad on KDGE (the local alternative station in Dallas) for the last couple of weeks for some freaking nasal spray that's "just like Ocean". I don't care what they're charging, it's still a rip-off. Ocean is $5.99 for a 3.5oz bottle, which works out to nearly $200USD per gallon. Eff that, you can make it yourself at home.
500ml (16oz or 1 pint) bottle of spring water (NOT 'filtered' water, as that still has chlorine or chloramine in it!)
2 level teaspoons of sea salt (it works better than pure salt... trust me on this)
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda (as a mild buffer - it reduces the irritation)
That's almost exactly the formulation for 'Ocean', although they throw preservatives in it so it lasts on the store shelf essentially forever. Preservatives (read: organic toxins) aren't anything that you want blowing into your sensitive mucous membranes. Same with chlorine / chloramine. The DIY version is healthier AND about 100 times cheaper. I've been making it at home for decades, and the above recipe is just about perfect. It'll last for a few months if you keep the left-overs in the refrigerator, but warm it up to room temperature before you use it. If you're doing a daily lavage like I used to, then you can leave it on the bathroom counter. It won't go bad in a week.
Don't fall for advertising claims: sea water is damned near free if you're doing it at home. A full nasal lavage for me takes 4 or 5 ounces of saline, so I'd have gone broke buying that pricey store-bought junk at $200/gallon. The most expensive part of MY recipe is high-quality bottled spring water, at $0.50 per 500ml bottle.
By the way, my recipe is virtually identical to sea water. I've dived (LOTS!) and can tell what it feels like. Sea water is called '
hypertonic saline', or more salty than your blood. If you want to make '
isotonic saline', cut the salt to 1 teaspoon per 500ml of water. Hypertonic works to draw fluid out of inflamed tissue, so it helps reduce any swelling. Isotonic would be a simple wash, since it's the same salinity as your blood. I fill up a rubber ear bulb, block one nostril and pump it up the other nostril until it flows down into my throat. Switch nostrils and repeat. Tip your head almost upside down to let it drain back out of your lower sinuses, blow your nose a few times, and viola! It's perfectly safe, and non-addictive.
edit: Before I started making it myself, I tried buying saline at the pharmacy. They wouldn't sell me a 3 liter IV bag, as THAT REQUIRED A PRESCRIPTION. It would have been cheaper than 'Ocean' and it's cousins, but fuck me if I was going to get a
doctor's note so I could buy salt water. I asked the pharmacist if he didn't think it was unusually silly to require a prescription for sea water, but he wasn't amused.
If you have a DIY alternative to
overpriced store-bought crap, feel free to kick in with your ideas. I'm always open to saving money.
