Chiq Boutique

Still Raving ’bout the Same Stuff

This is just a postscript to yesterday’s train of thought.  I have some stories that would explain why I am a firm believer in the power of salt over phlegm.

When my husband was working at a nursing home, there was a patient who was turning blue.  He had a tracheostomy, an opening in the throat for breathing.  The nurses kept suctioning his tracheostomy, but his oxygen saturation never went up. My husband got some NSS(Normal Saline Solution), poured it down his throat and suctioned away.  That was the only thing that saved him.

Now I understand why old people in the Philippines would recommend a dip at the beach to chase away a cold.  When I was in college, my friends and I went swimming.  After some time in the water, a friend discreetly told me that I had something under one nostril. I brushed it away with my hand and discovered, to my horror, that it was a big ball of gooey, yellowish phlegm.  I acted like it was the most natural thing in the world, but all I wanted to do was crawl under a rock and not come out for god knows how many years.  On an embarrassment scale of 1-10, it was an 11.

There’s nothing like salt. It’s been such a big help to me and my baby. Below is a salt solution recipe I got from WebMD.  You can make your own if you have the time and if you don’t want to spend around 3-5 dollars.

Cleaning nasal passages with salt water

Instead of using a decongestant medicine to relieve a stuffy nose, you can try using a saltwater solution (saline solution). This solution may help you for a short period of time by:

• Removing mucus from the nose.
• Reducing nasal stuffiness.

To make the solution, mix ¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) of salt and ¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) of baking soda in 6 fl oz (175 mL) of warm water. 

Gently squirt the solution into your nose. Aim the water toward the back, not the top, of your head. The water will run through the nasal passages and into the back of your throat. Spit it out t hrough your mouth. It will not hurt you if you swallow some of the water. To squirt the solution, you can:

• Use an all-rubber ear syringe, which you can buy at a drug store.
• Use a medical syringe without the needle.
• Pour the solution into your hand and “snuff” it up through your nose, one nostril at a time.
• Pour the solution in a plastic bottle, such as an empty nasal spray bottle.