# All right, eyeballs, just do us both a favor and blow right out of my skull. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 18, 2005, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-right-eyeballs-just-do-us-both-a-favor-and-blow-right-out-of-my-skull/295125 "2005-03-18T09:19:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-right-eyeballs-just-do-us-both-a-favor-and-blow-right-out-of-my-skull/295125/1 "2005-03-18T09:19:53Z")
Maybe that will relieve some of this godawful pressure that keeps building and building and BUILDING and **BUILDING** until I’d gladly stick a roto-rooter up my nose to clear out whatever evil mutant snot is causing this. I want to go home and go to bed. Fucking sinuses. ---
**Author:** ![Idlewild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8491ac/32.png) [@Idlewild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idlewild)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-right-eyeballs-just-do-us-both-a-favor-and-blow-right-out-of-my-skull/295125/2 "2005-03-18T12:43:20Z")
My sympathies. I’m right there with you. The only thing that’s given me a blessed bit of relief is candied ginger of all things. I did read that humming helps circulate air through the sinuses. Mind you this didn’t provide me with any noticeable relief but it did give me a good reason to annoy the people in the cubes near me. I’m taking today off sick. There’s only so much trying to concentrate through this that I can take! ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-right-eyeballs-just-do-us-both-a-favor-and-blow-right-out-of-my-skull/295125/3 "2005-03-18T13:36:05Z")
IANAD, but whenever I get this awful sort of congestion, I try to eat something that’s overly spiced (or, if I really want to die, a dash of cayenne pepper). The effects are two-fold: 1) it seems to clear my sinuses (for a short time at least) or 2) the burning sensation distracts me from the head-explody. Of course, there are the times when I just end up with a half-melted tongue and a vice on my head. That really sucks. YMMV, don’t sue me if you die, etc. ---
**Author:** ![DogMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@DogMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DogMom)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-right-eyeballs-just-do-us-both-a-favor-and-blow-right-out-of-my-skull/295125/4 "2005-03-18T14:37:36Z")
OH, man, I hate that. Have you tried [Nasal Irrigation](http://www.onlineallergycenter.com/nasalirrigation/)? He talks about using a “WaterPik” attachment but you can use one of those ear bulbs instead. It REALLY helps me. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-right-eyeballs-just-do-us-both-a-favor-and-blow-right-out-of-my-skull/295125/5 "2005-03-18T14:47:37Z")
I’m having a fit. A sneezing fit. Bah friggin’ humbug. ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-right-eyeballs-just-do-us-both-a-favor-and-blow-right-out-of-my-skull/295125/6 "2005-03-18T16:06:07Z")
> [@DogMom](#): > > OH, man, I hate that. Have you tried [Nasal Irrigation](http://www.onlineallergycenter.com/nasalirrigation/)? He talks about using a “WaterPik” attachment but you can use one of those ear bulbs instead. It REALLY helps me. Actually, I just snort warm water from my hands in the shower\*, and save the $3.98 on the ear bulb for scotch. \*disclaimer: One nostril at a time, of course ---
**Author:** ![mattmorgan64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@mattmorgan64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mattmorgan64)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-right-eyeballs-just-do-us-both-a-favor-and-blow-right-out-of-my-skull/295125/7 "2005-03-18T16:25:11Z")
One time I was so congested, and I blew my nose so hard, a big yellow lugie came flying out of the corner of my right eye and landed on the bathroom counter. Scared the hell out of me at first, but then I saw my eye was still socketed, and I could also breath much better. Nowadays I kinda hope it happens again, but I think you can only have something this cool happen once in a lifetime. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-right-eyeballs-just-do-us-both-a-favor-and-blow-right-out-of-my-skull/295125/8 "2005-03-18T17:36:43Z")
The last time I posted about my sinus problems, I killed the thread. ☹ So I’ll just offer my sympathies, and some advice: Viva paper towels are better at handling this stuff than regular facial tissues. Just don’t try to put one in your nose; they smell funny. ---
**Author:** ![Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gut)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-right-eyeballs-just-do-us-both-a-favor-and-blow-right-out-of-my-skull/295125/9 "2005-03-18T17:49:26Z")
I’ll add another vote for nasal irrigation. I just use a sports water bottle filled with warm water and table salt. I know you’re not supposed to use table salt but I don’t have any sea salt and never bothered to find any. Anyway, I have to tilt my head sideways for it to work with the water bottle and it makes a hell of a mess in the bathroom sink. Good luck, feel better soon. ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-right-eyeballs-just-do-us-both-a-favor-and-blow-right-out-of-my-skull/295125/10 "2005-03-18T22:39:14Z")
> [@mattmorgan64](#): > > One time I was so congested, and I blew my nose so hard, a big yellow lugie came flying out of the corner of my right eye and landed on the bathroom counter. Scared the hell out of me at first, but then I saw my eye was still socketed, and I could also breath much better. Nowadays I kinda hope it happens again, but I think you can only have something this cool happen once in a lifetime. :eek: Dude! TMI! TMI! Cool story though. I’d heard of nasal irrigation but wasn’t sure how one went about doing it. It doesn’t sound pleasant, but I think I’m just about desperate enough to try anything. I sneezed so hard last night I thought my tonsils were going to shoot out of my nose. ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-right-eyeballs-just-do-us-both-a-favor-and-blow-right-out-of-my-skull/295125/11 "2005-03-18T23:32:29Z")
Another vote for nasal irrigation. Once you have it down, it’s magic. Do it every couple of hours or so until your sinuses feel better., ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2005, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-right-eyeballs-just-do-us-both-a-favor-and-blow-right-out-of-my-skull/295125/12 "2005-03-19T08:28:16Z")
Okay, I tried the nasal irrigation tonight, using a mixture of baking soda, salt, hydrogen peroxide, and cool water, like **DogMom** ’s link said, but I didn’t see any difference. I’m guessing I was doing it wrong. How do you get it up into your clogged sinus cavities without choking or having it all run right back out your nostril? ---
**Author:** ![mattmorgan64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@mattmorgan64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mattmorgan64)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2005, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-right-eyeballs-just-do-us-both-a-favor-and-blow-right-out-of-my-skull/295125/13 "2005-03-19T08:30:58Z")
> [@Marlitharn](#): > > Okay, I tried the nasal irrigation tonight, using a mixture of baking soda, salt, hydrogen peroxide, and cool water, like **DogMom** ’s link said, but I didn’t see any difference. I’m guessing I was doing it wrong. How do you get it up into your clogged sinus cavities without choking or having it all run right back out your nostril? Good god, whatever happened to good old neo synephypherine? ---
**Author:** ![Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gut)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2005, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-right-eyeballs-just-do-us-both-a-favor-and-blow-right-out-of-my-skull/295125/14 "2005-03-19T16:59:56Z")
I tilt my head sideways, almost 90 degrees and squirt the water up my nose with the water bottle. Head tilted to the left, bottle up right nostril, squeeze, water streams up right nostril and out left nostril. Then do the other side. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-right-eyeballs-just-do-us-both-a-favor-and-blow-right-out-of-my-skull/295125/15 "2005-03-20T00:27:56Z")
Ah. I was doing it wrong. Thanks.