infections, bottle cleaning

[Guest guest]

Hi,I think I'm on my way to another sinus infection, though I just got off antibiotics a few weeks ago. I'm otherwise very healthy, haven't been around sick people, don't have allergies that the normal tests reveal, and so I don't know why I keep getting these infections. Never had any before sinus surgery. I'm hoping I'm wrong and that this yellow snot won't develop into anything, but since my surgery last Sept I've had one infection after another. No fungus was found when they did the surgery (wow, Becky, glad you're fine now and had no bad results!) and I live in a dry environment. The doctor said it was because I have polyps, but the previous three infections were post-surgery and pre-polyp so that doesn't make sense to me.Anyone have any suggestions? I was also wondering if alcohol is as good as bleach for cleaning the spray bottle? I don't like using bleach as I'm terrified of getting it on my clothes. I rinse the bottle with 70 % alcohol after each use, and then rinse it with distilled water. I'm still suspicious that the bottle is somehow the cause of these infections -- I didn't used to rinse it as often as I do since reading asfy's post on how these bottles are often source of bacteria. Sometimes, because I use distilled water instead of tap water to rinse the bottle, I'm not sure I've got all the alcohol out (less pressure and volume than from a tap), but while that might irritate my nose, I doubt if it would cause infections. Thanks all.Joan

[Guest guest]

Hello Joan,You could have allergies, which help infections settle in ; or you also may have a biofilm on some nasal or sinus mucosa, which can give rise to chronic infections ; or it may be a passing virus.Regarding disinfection, alcohol is good but not as good as bleach or H2O2, but you do not really need to pour it in large amounts ; it will be good enough to fill the bottle with tap water plus a few drops of bleach with a pipette, then working the device so that this solution moves through every tube, part and corner of it. Let it dry, then rinse it with bottled water before use to clear out bleach residues (do not use tap water for this, as you may put contaminants back in). H2O2 does not require this extra-rinse before use.More generally, one has to keep in mind that there are no less than 6 components in this hygiene problem :- the bottle itself, with its interior (in contact with the liquid) and exterior (in contact with the hands and nostrils),- the irrigation solution,- the cleaning and rinsing water,- the hands,- the nostrils,- and whatever surface the clean device is laid to rest upon.Any contact between two of the above can result in a germ transfer, so, as we can see, the potential for contamination is not negligible. An example of a good routine could be : washing hands before irrigating, using bottled water or saline for irrigation, cleaning the device with tap water plus bleach or H2O2, letting it dry on a clean surface, briefly washing out bleach remains with bottled water.Also note that bleach, though excellent, is not an ultimate disinfectant ; some pathogens, such as some parasite cysts, resist chlorination and can be killed only with other agents such as ammoniums.>> Hi,> I think I'm on my way to another sinus infection, though I just got off antibiotics a few weeks ago. I'm otherwise very healthy, haven't been around sick people, don't have allergies that the normal tests reveal, and so I don't know why I keep getting these infections. Never had any before sinus surgery. I'm hoping I'm wrong and that this yellow snot won't develop into anything, but since my surgery last Sept I've had one infection after another. No fungus was found when they did the surgery (wow, Becky, glad you're fine now and had no bad results!) and I live in a dry environment. The doctor said it was because I have polyps, but the previous three infections were post-surgery and pre-polyp so that doesn't make sense to me.> Anyone have any suggestions? > I was also wondering if alcohol is as good as bleach for cleaning the spray bottle? I don't like using bleach as I'm terrified of getting it on my clothes. I rinse the bottle with 70 % alcohol after each use, and then rinse it with distilled water. I'm still suspicious that the bottle is somehow the cause of these infections -- I didn't used to rinse it as often as I do since reading asfy's post on how these bottles are often source of bacteria. Sometimes, because I use distilled water instead of tap water to rinse the bottle, I'm not sure I've got all the alcohol out (less pressure and volume than from a tap), but while that might irritate my nose, I doubt if it would cause infections. > Thanks all.> Joan>

[Guest guest]

Thank you so much for these instructions. Am going to try tap water with H2O2 as it seems easier for me to work with than bleach. Will try the pipette too. I wonder, from your last post, if it would be better to use a hand sanitizer than soap. On Aug 6, 2010, at 4:01 PM, asfy wrote:

Hello Joan,You could have allergies, which help infections settle in ; or you also may have a biofilm on some nasal or sinus mucosa, which can give rise to chronic infections ; or it may be a passing virus.Regarding disinfection, alcohol is good but not as good as bleach or H2O2, but you do not really need to pour it in large amounts ; it will be good enough to fill the bottle with tap water plus a few drops of bleach with a pipette, then working the device so that this solution moves through every tube, part and corner of it. Let it dry, then rinse it with bottled water before use to clear out bleach residues (do not use tap water for this, as you may put contaminants back in). H2O2 does not require this extra-rinse before use.More generally, one has to keep in mind that there are no less than 6 components in this hygiene problem :- the bottle itself, with its interior (in

contact with the liquid) and exterior (in contact with the hands and nostrils),- the irrigation solution,- the cleaning and rinsing water,- the hands,- the nostrils,- and whatever surface the clean device is laid to rest upon.Any contact between two of the above can result in a germ transfer, so, as we can see, the potential for contamination is not negligible. An example of a good routine could be : washing hands before irrigating, using bottled water or saline for irrigation, cleaning the device with tap water plus bleach or H2O2, letting it dry on a clean surface, briefly washing out bleach remains with bottled water.Also note that bleach, though excellent, is not an ultimate disinfectant ; some pathogens, such as some parasite cysts, resist chlorination and can be killed only with other agents

such as ammoniums.>> Hi,> I think I'm on my way to another sinus infection, though I just got off antibiotics a few weeks ago. I'm otherwise very healthy, haven't been around sick people, don't have allergies that the normal tests reveal, and so I don't know why I keep getting these infections. Never had any before sinus surgery. I'm hoping I'm wrong and that this yellow snot won't develop into anything, but since my surgery last Sept I've had one infection after another. No fungus was found when they did the surgery (wow, Becky, glad you're fine now and had no bad results!) and I live in a dry environment. The doctor said it was because I have polyps, but the previous three infections were post-surgery and pre-polyp so that doesn't make sense to me.> Anyone have any suggestions? > I was also wondering if alcohol is as good as

bleach for cleaning the spray bottle? I don't like using bleach as I'm terrified of getting it on my clothes. I rinse the bottle with 70 % alcohol after each use, and then rinse it with distilled water. I'm still suspicious that the bottle is somehow the cause of these infections -- I didn't used to rinse it as often as I do since reading asfy's post on how these bottles are often source of bacteria. Sometimes, because I use distilled water instead of tap water to rinse the bottle, I'm not sure I've got all the alcohol out (less pressure and volume than from a tap), but while that might irritate my nose, I doubt if it would cause infections. > Thanks all.> Joan>

[Guest guest]

A good wash with soap sounds fine, as long as it is a soap bottle with a pump

and not a block of soap, which may retain germs. Also, drying one's hands with a

disposable paper is preferable to drying them with a towel, which may also

retain gems. After that, all depends on the hygiene level you want to achieve :

a surgeon preparing for an operation would wash for a long time, or use an

alcoholic solution, but I am not sure pushing it at this level would be

consistent with the hygiene level necessary for irrigation.

If you use H2O2, you may want to use more than you would use with bleach, as it

is less potent. If it turns out you use more H2O2 than you would like to, you

can switch to alcohol, but in larger amounts.

> > >

> > > Hi,

> > > I think I'm on my way to another sinus infection, though I just got off

antibiotics a few weeks ago. I'm otherwise very healthy, haven't been around

sick people, don't have allergies that the normal tests reveal, and so I don't

know why I keep getting these infections. Never had any before sinus surgery.

I'm hoping I'm wrong and that this yellow snot won't develop into anything, but

since my surgery last Sept I've had one infection after another. No fungus was

found when they did the surgery (wow, Becky, glad you're fine now and had no bad

results!) and I live in a dry environment. The doctor said it was because I have

polyps, but the previous three infections were post-surgery and pre-polyp so

that doesn't make sense to me.

> > > Anyone have any suggestions?

> > > I was also wondering if alcohol is as good as bleach for cleaning the

spray bottle? I don't like using bleach as I'm terrified of getting it on my

clothes. I rinse the bottle with 70 % alcohol after each use, and then rinse it

with distilled water. I'm still suspicious that the bottle is somehow the cause

of these infections -- I didn't used to rinse it as often as I do since reading

asfy's post on how these bottles are often source of bacteria. Sometimes,

because I use distilled water instead of tap water to rinse the bottle, I'm not

sure I've got all the alcohol out (less pressure and volume than from a tap),

but while that might irritate my nose, I doubt if it would cause infections.

> > > Thanks all.

> > > Joan

> > >

> >

> >

>