09/09/2010: Sheree from Hammond, La, Us: "Hi I a question for TED. My son is 8 yrs. Old and he has enlarged turbinates in his nose. History of allergies and I have tried diligently to use vit c and extra good everyday liquid vitamins. I always use natural products from the health food store to treat him like bio allers under the tongue for the conditions to make him immune to pollen and mold. The turbinates caused hard breathing at night for months of trying natural remedies, desperate, I went to ENT who suggested 2 month nasal steroids 2Xday 4 sprays. 3 weeks now, no difference in size of turbinates. I am stopping these steroids b/c I feel they are dangerous.

Someone suggested baking soda in his nose on the turbinate with water on a q-tip b/c it is alkaline and he is probably acidic and that the BS will shrink the turbinate. I tried to get it in his small nostrils but decided to mix with water and spray into his nose. Will that hurt him or have any negative side effects on an 8 yr. Old? If safe how much water and BS to mix for the formula? Do you know any way to shrink these naturally or am I on the right track with the BS?

Thanks, Sheree"

09/09/2010: Sheree from Hammond, La, Us replies: "Hi I posted to Ted Sept. 9, 2010. How do I know if he got it? Thanks, Sheree"

EC: Hi Sheree,

Every question that is directed to Ted is emailed to him as soon as it is posted on the site. He typically answers questions in email batches a few times a month.

12/09/2010: Brooke from Montgomery, Tx, Usa replies: "Hi Sheree,
I would suggest Finger Surgery by an Osteopath. I have looked up a few articles and have them here:

http://www.meridianinstitute.com/eamt/files/articles/artricha.html

That article explains about the nose and different ways to manipulate the turbinate

The next article explains how he needs a lymphatic drainage of the nasal cavity.

http://www.meridianinstitute.com/eamt/files/millard/millch13.html

Here is the Osteopath Association link
http://www.osteopathic.org/Pages/default.aspx

When you call the Association, tell them you need an Osteopath from the "old school of thought" - the type that uses massage instead of medicine. Today's Osteopaths unfortunately think that it was a Quack Medicine, but I believe in them. Hope this helps your son! I hate to see anyone suffer, especially a child."

12/09/2010: Brooke from Montgomery, Tx, Usa replies: "I did even more research and found that you might even be able to try it yourself. Type in your search engine: finger surgery, osteopath, nose, turbinates

Go down to "An Osteopathic Approach To Diagnosis and Treatment"
Then go to page 614 of that book. It gives explicit instructions on the Technique for Drainage of The Nasal Passages

It is a simple massage of the nose that I might try first. When or if you do decide to do that, then I would only do it for 3 minutes at a time, and only 5 days. If nothing happens, then go and see an Osteopath. Please let me know if that helps!"

04/03/2011: Umm from Madina, Madina Province, Saudi Arabia. replies: "Re -blocked nostril;

I have had a blocked nostril for 3 days. If I put some saline drops it unblocks for sone minutes and then gets blocked again. I was disheartened to find that there is only 1 post on here about it. Perhaps it is not a common problem. I checked the google book someone suggested here and the particular page (614) is not there. I dont have access to homeopaths or osteopaths where I live. I can only go to see a doctor and I'm 100% certain I would be given some antibiotics and nothing else if I do go. Pls if anyone here knows some home remedy that may help me, kindly reply."

04/03/2011: Gtcharlie from Los Angeles, Ca, Usa replies: "Hi, Umm!

You didn't mention if the blockage is due to infection, or due to allergy or something else. I would suggest you to try the following: cup your hands gently and use the side tips (facing you) of your index finger, with an up/down motion, rub the outside bottom of your nose where both spots connect to the face. Apply a little pressure until the base of the nose become warm to a bit hot. You should notice your nose would have opened up a bit by then. If it works, keep doing it as a habit. It will help the blood flow and strengthen the muscles inside.

This is a Chinese acupuncture procedure that cost nothing other then your own effort. Hope it would help.

Good luck!"

04/03/2011: Debbie from Melbourne, Australia replies: "I would try to unblock your nose by putting 1 tsp of cayenne pepper in a cup of water that has been boiled. Wait a minute while the water cools a bit and then drink. The same can be said for very hot spicy food."

03/07/2012: Danilo from Miami, Fla Usa replies: "To gtcharlie from los angeles..Hey it really works about the pressure on your nose to get rid off yor allergic blocked nose. I rub the the outside bottom of my nose, for awhile and the blockage was gone (70%), wow, I was going to get some medication at the pharmacy I couldn't breathe- feeling much better.

Thanks for the tip GTCHARLIE from los angeles..Thanks again."

04/08/2012: Genevieve from Huntington, New York replies: "The following two things worked for me as relief from a miserably stuffy nose:

http://www.mind-energy.net/archives/90-Get-rid-of-stuffed-or-running-nose-without-drugs.html

http://www.chinese-holistic-health-exercises.com/do-breathing-exercises-at-home.html"

07/08/2012: Emmy from Palmer, Alaska: "My husband battled nasal polpys for three years and was finally diagnosed with churg-strauss syndrome, a type of vasculitis that involves inflammation of blood vessels, an auto-immune disease. It can be fatal if left untreated. He tried everything to rid himself of the polpys, from hydrogen peroxide, to an anti-inflammatory diet, colloidial silver, and nothing helped his polpys except prednisone. He also developed cough-variant asthma a year after the polyps began. In all our research, we hadn't found any answers for him until his health worsened to the point where he couldn't go to his job. Churg-strauss eventually starts affecting your organs and my husband's had just started this stage. Thank God we were sent to a doctor who figured it out. For those suffering endlessly from polyps or cough-variant asthma, this was our answer, which was not what we expected."

[YEA]  12/02/2012: Jennifer from San Francisco, Ca: "I've been hesitant to write this post, because I don't want to jinx myself. But this site has helped me in so many ways, I feel compelled to share my success.

I suffered with nasal polyps for about two years. During that time my body was under a great deal of stress from thyroid and adrenal issues. My polyps were concentrated on one side of my nose, and kept me from being able to breathe through my nose at all when lying down. I tried a few of the suggestions on this site without any luck, and had given up for the most part.

But about five months ago I stopped eating dairy and gluten to help my thyroid and adrenal problems. After about two months the polyps seemed to loosen one day, and I felt them drain down my throat. It has been three months since then, and I have not felt any sign of their return. I can't be sure what it was that caused the polyps, but because I have tried cutting gluten before without result, I believe it was the dairy. I only hope that this helps someone else solve their polyp problems. I will never take the ability to breathe out of my nose for granted again."