Guest guest Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 : A dilute solution of bleach can be used. this will eventually destroy the gaskets but the water piks are not designed to last forever and you don't want mold and bacteria in the system. Be sure you flush some through the pik and tubing itself . Then flush with boiled water. Do this frequently. There is a fungicide/pseudomonascide that I use but I have to be oh so careful due to my samters and my vasculitis. Carol cleaning irriagtor? How do people clean their irrigators? I am using a Waterpik and all Ido is rinse it with a full reservoir of clean water after each time Iuse it, but I am wondering if there is more I should do to keep itclean? I don't want to put something through it that will irritate mysinuses (obviously!). Thanks! K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 Why boiled water? I use tap water to irrigate. Thanks, K. Re: cleaning irriagtor? : A dilute solution of bleach can be used. this will eventually destroy the gaskets but the water piks are not designed to last forever and you don't want mold and bacteria in the system. Be sure you flush some through the pik and tubing itself . Then flush with boiled water. Do this frequently. There is a fungicide/pseudomonascide that I use but I have to be oh so careful due to my samters and my vasculitis. Carol cleaning irriagtor? How do people clean their irrigators? I am using a Waterpik and all I do is rinse it with a full reservoir of clean water after each time I use it, but I am wondering if there is more I should do to keep it clean? I don't want to put something through it that will irritate my sinuses (obviously!). Thanks! K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 :People with samters have nasal polyps and abnormal mucosa and abnoral cilliary motility and an abnormal ability to fight off infection so you don;t want to use tap water that is filled with water loving bacteria like pseudomonas and aeromonas that you can introduce into a mucous filled haven to establish and grow. The nose is not sterile but you do not want to make the situation worse. I assume that you don't use tap water alone but make a saline solution with bicarb? There is also a solution that helps to enhance ciliary motility that is quite soothing as well that some people who irrigate like that is on the market. Just don't use tap water ( bad idea) Carol cleaning irriagtor? How do people clean their irrigators? I am using a Waterpik and all Ido is rinse it with a full reservoir of clean water after each time Iuse it, but I am wondering if there is more I should do to keep itclean? I don't want to put something through it that will irritate mysinuses (obviously!). Thanks! K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 I don’t use a waterpik as they’re not available where I live but my ENT suggested using an ear syringe which works just as well I’d say. To clean it I always rinse it thoroughly after each use and every few days soak it in a baby bottle sterilizing solution. Works well. From: samters [mailto:samters ] On Behalf Of Keefer Sent: Monday, 26 March 2007 1:36 AM samters Subject: cleaning irriagtor? How do people clean their irrigators? I am using a Waterpik and all I do is rinse it with a full reservoir of clean water after each time I use it, but I am wondering if there is more I should do to keep it clean? I don't want to put something through it that will irritate my sinuses (obviously!). Thanks! K. -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.17/732 - Release Date: 24/03/2007 4:36 PM -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.17/732 - Release Date: 24/03/2007 4:36 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 Carol I haven’t heard of anything to add to the water to help, could you possibly give me the name please so I can see if I can buy it here? My husband who also has sinus problems was using Sinex daily and when he visited his doctor it was shown that the sinex had actually raised his blood pressure so he’s been banned from using it now. I knew that using it regularly wasn’t good but didn’t realize this was the affect it had. He’s 62. From: samters [mailto:samters ] On Behalf Of Carol Sent: Monday, 26 March 2007 6:36 AM samters Subject: Re: cleaning irriagtor? :People with samters have nasal polyps and abnormal mucosa and abnoral cilliary motility and an abnormal ability to fight off infection so you don;t want to use tap water that is filled with water loving bacteria like pseudomonas and aeromonas that you can introduce into a mucous filled haven to establish and grow. The nose is not sterile but you do not want to make the situation worse. I assume that you don't use tap water alone but make a saline solution with bicarb? There is also a solution that helps to enhance ciliary motility that is quite soothing as well that some people who irrigate like that is on the market. Just don't use tap water ( bad idea) Carol cleaning irriagtor? How do people clean their irrigators? I am using a Waterpik and all I do is rinse it with a full reservoir of clean water after each time I use it, but I am wondering if there is more I should do to keep it clean? I don't want to put something through it that will irritate my sinuses (obviously!). Thanks! K. -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.17/732 - Release Date: 24/03/2007 4:36 PM -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.17/732 - Release Date: 24/03/2007 4:36 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 Carol, Thanks for the suggestions, but I wanted to throw in some of my history (and hence why I am sticking with tap water) since I think it has been awhile since I have really had anything to say. I have been using the Waterpik for a year, I bought it in March 2006, and have been irrigating twice a day since my surgery which was December 2005. I use a solution of ~2 teaspoons Kosher salt + slightly more than ½ teaspoon sodium bicarbonate in 36oz (1000mL) of warm tap water. And since last March I have been flushing this through my sinuses with the Waterpik, twice a day. I have not had a sinus infection since August 2006 (and therefore I have been antibiotic and prednisone free since then. I think it has been a bit longer since I was on prednsione) when I was finally on a long enough course of antibiotics to kill the recurrent infection I was having every couple months. I am actually doing significantly better now than a year ago and can smell the vast majority of the time and my sinuses are pretty clear and other than the annoying liquid that likes to drain out when I bend over, I am doing really well. I am of the theory that if I can drink the tap water, I can flush it through my nose, and both my allergist and my ENT agree with this notion. I should probably clean my Waterpik with something other than plain tap water, but for now I am not going to change what I irrigate with. And part of me wonders if cleaning the Waterpik will cause problems… after all, as I realized this weekend, it has been a year and I’ve never cleaned it… I am also not one of those people who tends to be paranoid about germs. And I also don’t tend to get sick. Other than sinus infections through the first part of last year (which I partly blame the allergy shots for making me really stuffy and therefore encouraging the sinus infections) I can’t even remember the last time I was sick with a cold or anything like that. And there have been plenty of nasty things going around the office this winter that a lot of other people got. Thanks though for the suggestion on how to clean my Waterpik. As I think many of us have seen from being on this list, there are many different ways of dealing with this disease and what works for one, won’t work for another. K. Re: cleaning irriagtor? :People with samters have nasal polyps and abnormal mucosa and abnoral cilliary motility and an abnormal ability to fight off infection so you don;t want to use tap water that is filled with water loving bacteria like pseudomonas and aeromonas that you can introduce into a mucous filled haven to establish and grow. The nose is not sterile but you do not want to make the situation worse. I assume that you don't use tap water alone but make a saline solution with bicarb? There is also a solution that helps to enhance ciliary motility that is quite soothing as well that some people who irrigate like that is on the market. Just don't use tap water ( bad idea) Carol cleaning irriagtor? How do people clean their irrigators? I am using a Waterpik and all I do is rinse it with a full reservoir of clean water after each time I use it, but I am wondering if there is more I should do to keep it clean? I don't want to put something through it that will irritate my sinuses (obviously!). Thanks! K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 Breathe Ease Nasal Moisturizing and Irrigation Solution- great stuff. I use it myself. www.naturalsinushealth.com Carol cleaning irriagtor? How do people clean their irrigators? I am using a Waterpik and all Ido is rinse it with a full reservoir of clean water after each time Iuse it, but I am wondering if there is more I should do to keep itclean? I don't want to put something through it that will irritate mysinuses (obviously!). Thanks! K. --No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.17/732 - Release Date: 24/03/2007 4:36 PM --No virus found in this outgoing message.Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.17/732 - Release Date: 24/03/2007 4:36 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 Thanks Carol. Unfortunately it’s not available here, just spoke to the chemist on the phone. From: samters [mailto:samters ] On Behalf Of Carol Sent: Monday, 26 March 2007 11:39 AM samters Subject: Re: cleaning irriagtor? Breathe Ease Nasal Moisturizing and Irrigation Solution- great stuff. I use it myself. www.naturalsinushealth.com Carol cleaning irriagtor? How do people clean their irrigators? I am using a Waterpik and all I do is rinse it with a full reservoir of clean water after each time I use it, but I am wondering if there is more I should do to keep it clean? I don't want to put something through it that will irritate my sinuses (obviously!). Thanks! K. -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.17/732 - Release Date: 24/03/2007 4:36 PM -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.17/732 - Release Date: 24/03/2007 4:36 PM -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.17/732 - Release Date: 24/03/2007 4:36 PM -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.17/732 - Release Date: 24/03/2007 4:36 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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