Dry Nose

Most commercial nasal gels and sprays contain Benzelkonium Chloride. Benzelkonium Chloride paralyzes cilia, the tiny hairlike structures in mucosa that move debris along. http://books.google.com/books?id=5y7BotzOz_AC&pg=PA277&lpg=PA277&dq=benzalkonium+chloride+paralyzed+cilia&source=bl&ots=-DjtN7CVyd&sig=W2f_tJCuUiXksLTfGvyoJ_1jqrQ&hl=en&ei=I8yvSqn4NoGEMrvW9fIN&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=benzalkonium%20chloride%20paralyzed%20cilia&f=false

Commercial nasal care products are full of other chemicals harmful to mucosa: http://www.ent-consult.com/salineadditives.html

It’s a vicious cycle. I never required any nasal products until a “healer” destroyed my nose. I soon discovered more potential damage in the form of products designed to relieve the symptoms created by a doctor. I tried many alternative products, and the following are those that worked best for me.

On this page, I discuss interventions that helped me following a turbinate reduction. Each is something individuals are free to make decisions about. Nothing requires a prescription.

I am not a doctor. Neither do these products and practices have the potential to harm you as much as a turbinate reduction.

Estrocare 25: is a combination of natural plant estrogens such as Black Cohosh and Damiana, and other natural medicinal ingredients, antioxidants and moisturizers. It contains shea butter and grapeseed extract. Plant estrogens do not increase the risk of cancer.  There are no parabens or unhealthy preservatives in this product. I have put it right in my nostrils. It is moisturirizing and I believe it has helped to heal my mucosa. Estrocare 25 can be purchased at: http://www.easyhealthzone.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=estrocare+25&Search.x=12&Search.y=11

Glycerin: “… is invaluable as a natural source ingredient with emollient like properties which can soften and soothe the skin and it assists the outer epidermis in retaining moisture.” http://www.botanical.com/products/learn/vegetable-glycerine.html. Glycerin makes a dry nose feel much better, when massaged into the nostrils. It is the least expensive of the non-chemical nasal moisturizers. I purchased a 6 ounce bottler at CVS for $5.

Humidify: Use the best humidifier you can afford. I am told that is the Air-O-Swiss, available at a discount on Amazon.com.

Irrigation: In the early months, irrigation made my nose and sinuses feel drier. As my mucosa began to re-grow and heal, I found it soothing. For me, it is the only effective way to clear bacteria, fungi, and other debris, as the mucosa will not grow back in my sinuses. Here is a good site about nasal irrigation: http://www.doctorhoffman.com/ydouche.htm. I make my own saline. Here is the recipe: 2 t. salt. 1/2 t. baking soda, mixed into one quart of distilled water. I microwave 8 oz. of the mixture in a glass measuring cup, 30 seconds, then pour it into a Neilmed lavage bottle (available at most drug stores). Be sure to wash the bottle well after each use. If you don’t want to mix your own saline solution, you can buy prepared packets at the pharmacy. A good, moisturizing brand is Dr. Grossan’s Breathe-ease XL, available online: http://www.grossan.com/breatheease.html.

Manuka Honey: “Manuka Honey has been researched by Dr. Peter Molan
Senior Lecturer, Biochemistry Department, Waikato University, New Zealand for over 20+ years. Dr. Molan found that manuka honey seems to naturally destroy staph aureus, streptococcus, h. pylori (helicobacter pylori) as well as MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staph Auereus and VRE (Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci).” It is used for wound healing in European hospitals. It also provides the best nasal moisturizer I have found. This site provides a wealth of information about Manuka Honey, and sells an excellent product: http://www.manukahoneyusa.com/. A few warnings: Manuka Honey is acidic. It can cause a burning sensation. You have to be careful using it in the nose. Read about UMF ratings. I use a UMF 17. I swab it into my nostrils, not into my nasal passages. I can’t explain why this works. Fumes? The tissue inside the nostrils is epithelium—or skin. The mucosa in inside the nose, but it does work. I suggest reading the site, and proceeding in an educated way.

Naso-Heel Rhinitis Remedy: “For the treatment of symptoms of rhinitis with or without sinusitis including sinus congestion, sinus pressure and pain and dry mucous membranes.” http://www.nutritiondynamics.com/products/homeopathics/heel/Nasoheel.htm. I went through many bottles of this homeopathic remedy in the months when I had crusts in my nasal cavity. I credit it—at least partially–with sparing me from atrophic rhinitis.

Saline Spray: I carry with me, at all times, a small glass nasal spray bottle filled with saline. It is the same mixture I prepare for my irrigations. Nasal spray bottles are hard to find. When you do find them at pharmacies, they are not very good. I found nice amber glass bottles with pump spray tops at YinPo: http://1-800-medical.com/nasal/nasal.htm. Choose the best spray applicator available. This is the only online company I found where you can buy as few as a dozen bottles. A dozen is not too many.

Siccalix: An effective nasal gel moisturizer. It can only be purchased, at this time, in Switzerland, through pharmaworld.com: http://www.pharmaworld.com/ You have to register before you can order. The site does not say how much the product costs. When I ordered a year ago, it was $11.95 for a 20 gram tube. It lasts me several months. The listed ingredients are salt, dexpanthenolum and sorbitolum. Shipping was forty dollars, so I ordered 6 tubes. After currency exchange, the total came to about $112.

Vane-Eaze—A lotion with Horse Chestnut and other plant materials that brings blood flow to an injured area. It stimulates circulation. I have put some in my nostrils and it feels energizing.

Nature’s Door

548 Mohawk St
Columbus, OH 43206-1138

(614) 221-9030‎

Yerba Santa: “Yerba Santa helps restore the mucosal function and stimulates the production of saliva to reduce dry mouth. Yerba Sante acts as a respiratory stimulant.” http://www.mexgrocer.com/home-remedies.html. I sometimes make a tea fo it and add it to my irrigation and nasal saline spray. It ca be purchased at Mountain Rose Herbs:  http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/yerba_santa.php.

In the first year, I also used a lot of different fats and oils in my nose. I don’t anymore. Not only can they cause lipid pneumonia, but research has shown that they are not absorbed over time when put in the nose.