Stuffy Nose and allergies

From the time I was a young kid, one of the things I have struggled with the most is a stuffy nose.  I grew up in the dryness of Colorado and that dryness not only contributed to a lot of bloody noses, but a lot of stuffy noses too.  Later on I moved to more humid climates - and while the moisture in the air helped alleviate some of the problem, the new allergens in the air because of the moisture tended to reintroduce the stuffy nose problems.  For years I essentially lived on nasal spray and sudaphed - I mean, if you can't breathe, can you really do anything?  I didn't know there were natural solutions.

There are different things that cause stuffy nose, so there are different things that a person can use as a remedy.  If your stuffiness is caused from dry air, rub a couple drops of glycerin between your finger and thumb and then apply it just under your nostrils.  Immediately run your finger and thumb under water and then wet the glycerin that you just applied with a couple drops of water.  Since glycerin attracts water and continues to do so, this will act like a humidifier wherever you go for a period of several hours.  Often times this alone is sufficient to rid me of a stuffy nose.

Other times a stuffy nose can be the result of allergies.  Many people think that if they have allergies, they are cursed to always have allergies and this cannot be farther from the truth.  One way that people can immunize themselves from offending pollens is to regularly consume fresh, raw honey gathered locally.  The pollen that the bees gather will, over time, have the same effect on your body as a vaccine.  Another method that I have heard success storied from no less than three different friends of mine is a variation of this energy refocusing technique. There are many alternative health practitioners who do this inexpensively, non-invasive, and effectively.  I have not known a single person who has tried this who has not been relieved of their allergies.

Finally, for immediate relief one of the most pleasant and effective things to do is to rub a drop of peppermint oil between your finger and thumb and then apply on your upper lip below your nostrils.  Not only does it smell good, within seconds your stuffy nose will open up.  For a longer lasting effect, apply a drop of glycerin right after you apply the peppermint.

Note that since peppermint oil is strong, it could burn slightly upon application.  To prevent this, cut the drop of peppermint oil with a drop of olive or coconut oil.  I apply mine straight, but I understand that it is a sensitive area of the skin so some people might want to dilute the peppermint.

Finally, if the stuffy nose is from a sinus infection, one of the first things to focus on is getting rid of the infection.  This can usually be accomplished by putting some colloidal silver in a nebulizer and breathing it in as discussed in the strep throat blog.  Another helpful thing to do is to add tea tree oil and eucalyptus oil to your hot bath, allowing these antiseptic oils to fill the air that you breathe in.  Putting a few drops of them into a bubbling pan of water on the stove or humidifier in the room that you are sleeping in also helps.  Finally, using a neti pot is a very effective way to cleanse infections from the sinuses.  It's kinda gross looking, but it is very effective and inexpensive.

I won't say that I never use sudaphed anymore, but I will say that the only time I ever use it now is when I am at the worst stage of a cold or flu.  Then I only take it long enough to get over that hump.

Naturally, when you are handling these oils, be careful not to get the them in your eyes as this could cause them to burn or be irritated.  Have fun experimenting...

Food Poisoning

Most food poisoning comes from Salmonella or E Coli bacteria.  It's not uncommon to find it lurking in just about any restaurant that you might find yourself eating in, taking up residency in the leftover meatloaf that you didn't put away after Sunday lunch, or even in your hamburger that's been sitting in your fridge for a few days too long.  It doesn't take long for these bacteria to find food that is not very well preserved, attach itself, and begin to grow.  If you eat some of this affected food, the symptoms that you might experience can vary from a slight upset stomach to severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and even dehydration that could possibly lead to death.

It can often be identified due to the timing of its arrival - within a few hours of eating something suspicious, especially if there were others with you that may be experiencing the trouble as well. I've had it a handful of times and almost every time, I just kinda "knew" where it came from.

Food Poisoning can be dangerous and very uncomfortable.  Thankfully, it's also one of the easiest things to cure. As soon as it becomes apparent that you are likely a victim of this poison, drink an ounce of Colloidal Silver.  About every twenty minutes for the next three to four hours, repeat.  If you have Salmonella or E Coli, the symptoms, including your fever, should have subsided substantially within that three to four hour period, if not completely gone away.  If they haven't, chances are strong that you do not have bacterial food poisoning.