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First-Person Stories (March 2010)

My musings on life's wonder and mystery... and, of course, stuff about sinus and allergy concerns.

Please scroll down to view past entries.

March 28, 2010

There was an amusing article today about the vice president of the United States, Joe Biden, caught uttering a curse word while talking softly to Barack Obama. He said, "This is a big f-ing deal" regarding this week's healthcare vote. No doubt many would consider this slip inappropriate but language experts point out how normal it is for people to swear in everyday speech.

Reading this reminded me of a recent research study that shed a positive light on swearing as a vehicle for emotional release and that it actually reduced pain. Very interesting. And then, as if to emphasize the point, a friend shared this humorous video with me. It's one of the spiritual practices we can adopt to develop inner relaxation, which centers around the you-know-what word. Judge for yourself.

March 24, 2010

As mentioned in the earlier post, the spring is here and that means sounds of sneezing, coughing, nose blowing, and possibly cursing are heard all over the world due to pollen allergy. It's unfortunate because it is a time to enjoy the beautiful blooming flowers and lush greenery outside. So why must we suffer? Understanding clearly what pollen is and what could be done to minimize its impact on those affected would be useful.

Provided by the Allergies Health Channel on eMedTV.com

Check out the daily pollen count in your area here.

March 17, 2010

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day? I am not Irish but a good friend lives in Ireland and green is my favorite color. And one of my favorite teas is... guess what? Yep, it's green tea! I am sure many people know about the awesome benefits of green tea already. But, just in case, for some folks who aren't fans yet, here is a list of what makes green tea so appealing:

High in antioxidants, which can promote stronger bones, lower cholesterol levels, and lower rates of heart disease and some types of cancer.
Antibacterial - a 2008 study from Egypt suggests that drinking green tea enhances the effects of antibiotics, even against drug-resistant bacteria and “superbugs.”
A good source of EGCG, a polyphenol that may help to reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, prevent cancer, and boost the immune system.
Blocks DNA damage from UV light in studies involving human skin cells.

It's reported that to reap the benefits of green tea, you need to drink 2-3 cups per day. Also, adding some lemon is an easy way to increase it's health benefits.

Source: Andrew Weil, M.D., and fitsugar.com

March 14, 2010

News keep pouring in with warnings that this year's spring allergy season is much worse than years past. Well, where I live, with dense vegetation, I am already experiencing the misery of pollen allergy. Despite my best efforts to keep myself protected, symptoms surface. Even if the time spent outdoors is as brief as 10-15 minutes.

So how are you preparing for this dreaded time or what are you doing to manage your allergy symptoms? I am coping pretty well with, first and foremost, a neti pot. It is one of the most valuable tools for sinus and allergy sufferers, in my opinion. There are more frequent medical articles and allergists espousing the neti pot's benefits. So coming from someone who deals with chronic allergic rhinitis, I strongly recommend that you try a neti pot to cleanse and heal your sinuses and nasal passages. Trust me, you will breathe whole lot better immediately afterward... isn't that a good enough incentive? Click here to see how you use a neti pot.

March 11, 2010

Eating out for people with food allergy is a challenge to say the least. Unfortunate encounter with a restaurant and its food could land you in an emergency room. So, it's good to discover another new website that provides useful features to manage food allergy.

AllergyEats.com is an online guide to locating allergy friendly restaurants and the membership is free. The website lists over 600,000 restaurants in the United States and is searchable by geographic location. It also includes menus, industry certifications, and other information that could be valuable to food allergy sufferers.

AllergyEats is endorsed by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) of Washington, the AAFA New England Chapter of Boston and the Gluten Intolerance Group of Auburn, WA, among others. To get more details, check out the site here.

March 07, 2010

A Japanese company offers anti-pollen allergy ringtone. Hard to believe? I know but hey, it's Japan - a country known to come up with some pretty amazing, innovative, and zany technological gadgets. So how does it work? Seems simple enough. When you suffer from pollen allergy, you download the ringtone, stick your cell phone to your nose and allow the "Hana Sukkiri Melody" (Hana Sukkiri means "cleared up nostril") to do its job.

The site promoting the ringtone states, “The ringtone will make a nose has resonant frequency with pollens adherent inside your nasal cavity, so eventually pollens fall down.” Got you interested? Click here to learn more. Who knows, this application might lead to another reason why you won't be able to live without your cellphone.

March 04, 2010

Did you know that sneezing and coughing can cause some serious injuries? I mean, I've experienced minor discomforts like facial pain or chest tightness and sore throat but nothing like what's described below.... Beware, folks!

A sneeze can rupture your ear drums, break your spine or straight up murder you. It's like Mortal Kombat inside your face. People have slipped discs in their backs, broken ribs and triggered heart attacks from a simple sneeze. And keep in mind, we're not talking about fragile people who were also at the end of a long battle with a terminal disease. These were just normal people, going about their normal lives, until they got a whiff of pepper and woke up six hours later in a dumpster laying atop their shattered limbs.

There are also cough induced rib fractures, rupturing of the diaphragm and even abdominal herniation. That's a broken rib, a ripped diaphragm and part of your torso leaking out a little, all because you coughed. It's not even rare; it's mentioned that "each individual injury is well documented in the literature," meaning these kinds of things happen all the time. The rib fracturing and hernias happen often enough that the Wikipedia pages for each affliction list coughing as "a common cause." The page actually describes a man who had all these things happen at once. Yep! You're basically one coughing fit away from beating the crap out of your insides.

Source: cracked.com, 6 Things Your Body Does Every Day (That Can Destroy You)

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