Yahoo News Gruesome method of clearing out snotty nose – but it's a game-changer for sinus issues
Nothing kills the joy of summer quite like a snotty nose.
Whether it's the dreaded hayfever, or another bout of Covid - many Brits will spend the next few months sneezing and sniffling, while trying to enjoy some long-overdue sunshine.
However, one doctor claims there's an incredibly 'underused method' that'll help your sinuses stay clear for longer - though, it's definitely not for the squeamish. The London-based medic, Dr Sermed Mezher, took to TikTok to share his wisdom, explaining it's all down to something known as a 'sinus rinse'.
"This is the most underused method for clearing out your nose - look at all he's getting out here!" he said on @drsermedmezher, while drawing to a clip of one man whose snot is pouring out from his nose. He added: "It's called sinus rinse [but] why does it work so well?"
Although sinuses generally 'get quite a bad rep', Dr Mezher stressed just how important they are for keeping us healthy. Essentially, they act a little like nightclub bouncers, deciding what passes through and makes it into our lungs.
"The ambient air can be quite cold, dry and full of allergens and that can be quite harsh on the lungs if it goes straight in there," Dr Mezher continued. "So, when it takes an alternative route through the sinuses, it helps to be warmed, humidified and cleaned to make it high quality once it hits your breathing pipes.
"But the air also contains bacteria and if they take hold in one of these little pockets, it's very hard to get rid of them." This bacteria build-up often leads to an infection referred to as sinusitis.
Although symptoms usually clear on their own within four weeks, it's not a particularly desirable condition, causing a reduced sense of smell, and an incredibly runny nose with green or yellow mucus in some cases. Those who suffer from hayfever are also more prone to this infection, according to Mayo Clinic, but a sinus rinse may help relieve its symptoms.
Dr Mezher went on: "Now, most people when they get sinusitis, they think of doing things like steroid sprays and decongestants... And, when you spray, that's alright it can increase the size of this canal that opens into the sinus, but it's much better to actually just wash them out and you can use that together with steroid sprays.
"Also if you give antibiotics, it can help kill the bacteria, but unless this fluid is gone, it's easy to get re-infected."
If you're keen to try a sinus rinse at home, the NHS recommends using a homemade salt water solution for the best results. Its step-by-step guide is set out below.
How to clean your sinuses with salt water:
Boil a pint of water and leave this to cool down
Add one teaspoon of salt and another teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
Cup your palm and pour a small amount of the solution into it
Sniff this into one nostril at a time while breathing through your mouth. Allow the water to pour back into the sink and try not to let it go down your throat
Repeat this three times a day until your nose feels more comfortable
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