Yes, this time I’m talking about myself. I’m winning my battle with a yucky sinus infection. (A previous post, about having trouble sleeping, that was NOT my problem. Just clarifying, in case the title confused you.) But this post is personal. It’s me who is getting over a sinus infection. And a type of grass has been one of my secret weapons in this battle, as you’ll see in a minute.
My dust allergies used to wreak havoc on my sinuses quite often. But this time it has been over two years… maybe three years* now… since my last sinus infection. I think this one was triggered by sweeping some fine dust from my outside storage room a couple weeks ago. I should have worn a dust mask, but I wasn’t thinking.
I guess my body did a pretty good job of resisting the allergy attack, because I used to experience an instant response (a scratchy throat) as soon as I was exposed to dust. This time I didn’t feel anything, so I thought I was okay. It was over a week before I noticed the symptoms. I have been using some homeopathic allergy drops three times a day for about three years. Obviously, they have really helped me become much less sensitive to dust and mold!
But this time I did get sick. The thick, sticky, gray, yucky phlegm kind of sick. The allergy almost won. If you have dust allergies, you can probably relate.
Whenever I have a sinus infection, it usually migrates pretty quickly to the bronchial area. Which it started to do this time, too… but I was able to head it off at the pass, so to speak.
What did I do?
Hmmmm…. it might be better to ask what DIDN’T I do. Because I have quite a few remedies that go into action when I feel illness coming on. And that’s in addition to what I do for my health anyway.
Here’s a quick rundown summary all in one breath: Vitamin C, echinacea & goldenseal, colloidal silver, white willow bark tea, my allergy drops, my normal vitamin supplements, garlic, apple cider vinegar & honey “tea”, zinc supplements, other herb teas and green tea, SLEEP, eucalyptus cough drops, alkalizing food choices, steamy showers, and the use of a humidifier in my bedroom.
The colloidal silver, willow bark and garlic are natural antibiotics.
That’s the natural stuff I did. I also used an OTC expectorant when I sensed the yucky phlegm trying to migrate to my bronchial regions.
Well, even with all that, I almost got to the point of calling my doctor’s office for an antibiotic prescription. That’s my normal pattern, by the way. I try really hard to knock out the infection on my own then finally call the doctor. Virtually every time until now.
Yes, I said I almost called for a prescription. I knew a “Z-pack” would fix me in a hurry. But I also realized the secretions were pretty loose, and my body seemed to be getting rid of them okay. I don’t like using antibiotics any more than absolutely necessary. (Plus I didn’t want to spend the time and money if I didn’t need to.)
Overall, I was feeling pretty good, for several hours at a time. My head never was really stuffed up or aching at all. So maybe I could win this battle without antibiotics. But every so often a sudden dry tickle would make me cough uncontrollably until my eyes watered and my nose started running. That was wearing me out. So I came really close to calling the doctor.
Then I remembered the sample packets I had been given at a health lecture.
I looked to see what they were. Hmmm…. Green Super Food… Organic Wheat Grass… words like “Alkalize and Energize!” “Boosts energy & immune system“. One of them also contained Goji and Acai berry powders.
Wow! Couldn’t hurt. Boosting my immune system sounded like a great idea. I mixed up the Organic Wheat Grass first, with some water, kefir and fruit juice. Not bad. Plus, I really did feel more energy and well-being. The next day I had another drink for my breakfast, and the third one later on. (Kefir, if you’re wondering, is similar to yogurt just thinner.)
Yummy!
I do believe those three sample packets made the difference… gave me the extra boost I needed along with what I was already doing. In fact, I did regress just a little after running out of the packets. But, by the grace of God, I’ve come really close to a final victory in this fight.
* Note: This post was written in my original blog on October 6, 2009, and has now been re-posted in this next generation blog.
