Random 5 for September 14, 2025 – Nasal washes, health, co-workers, birds, aging

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flower deck box

Who thought of that? – I have some vague symptoms and am working through causes. After three doc appointments, the first thing to check out was sinus issues. I don’t have runny nose symptoms, just pressure and headaches (and grumpiness but that’s not related to a specific illness). The scope showed inflammation but nothing more serious. I was put on a course of prednisone and given a nasal rinse kit. Who on earth thought of doing that! I put a medicated saline solution up one nostril and it comes out the other. It’s not painful but weird and uncomfortable. Feels like I’ve been swimming but without the fun, chorine smell and ice cream stand. The other weird thing is that there must be nooks and crannies in sinuses (just like English muffins!). After I’m done and cleaned up, I can be talking to the beloved husband and a stream of medicated water comes running out of my nose. So far, it’s only happened with him but it’s weird. My nose is incontinent!

Curtesy of Getty Images — I’m not doing the pot but a bottle 

A side note – Some people do the neti pots as a proactive health thing but not me. I don’t do colonic cleanses, go on fad diets or take lots of supplements. I try to say moderate in all I do. So far it’s worked for me. I’m supposed to do this sinus wash thing twice a day for three months and go back. I’m not sure I will last that long. It’s kicking up memories of swim class in high school and not the good ones.

Speaking of health interventions – Someone I worked who did all the fad health things — the cleanses, intermittent fasting, novel diets. He was a little overweight and paunchy for his young age (under 30). There would be piles of spit out seed hulks on a napkin on his desk (gross!) instead of other snacks. What he didn’t try was good old-fashioned exercise. A gym membership would have helped a lot more but that’s just me being judgmental.

I’m sorry hummers – I started the outdoor fall cleanup yesterday. I dismantled three of my four deck railing boxes that were home to flowers that the hummingbirds like. I left one intact just in case there were any birds in the area that hadn’t migrated. Later I saw one hummer flying around where the other two boxes were. I hope he found the one I saved for him. The regular bird feeder is out there and will remain throughout the winter.

Changes keep changing – This whole aging thing has been a revelation. There are things you expect but many more you don’t expect and It’s different for everyone. I’ve been losing interest in food. It’s not that I don’t like to eat, it’s more that food doesn’t meet my expectations or memories of what it should taste like. I have always enjoyed cooking but these days it’s more of a need to do than a creative experience.  I miss that!

So how was your week?

 

65 thoughts on “Random 5 for September 14, 2025 – Nasal washes, health, co-workers, birds, aging”

  1. I don’t think I could stand the sinus wash thing. I would drown. They even do that with babies and say they don’t seem to mind.
    I’ve been seeing articles saying to put out hummingbird feeders as it is time for them to migrate. Mine is still in the garage as they were not coming around and it was too much trouble to keep it cleaned. Maybe I should give it another try.

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    • Well, the sinus wash is down to once a day and I don’t think I’ll make the three months. I don’t have congestion and after a week haven’t seen any difference.

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  3. I know that this aging thing isn’t for the weak. I am alternately fascinated, then exhausted by how and what I want to do now. I hope your docs find the root of your sinus probs.

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    • We’re not sure it’s a sinus problem. Allergy test came back clean. No allergies. Even I was surprised because my nose gets snotty when I work in the yard too long. Eyes? Ears? Running out of parts. Maybe I should crowd source this!

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  4. I’ll be blunt: aging sucks. There, I’ve said it. It really really does. But as everyone tells me, consider the alternative.

    Poor hummingbirds, but I get it. Same thing over here.

    I have to say, I am still laughing though about your nose being incontinent. LOL!

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  5. I tried the neti pot cleanse once and once only. The way my septum is shaped, it tended to curve the liquid straight into my ears. Then I had an ear problem. Not fallin’ for that again.

    Would be nice if I lost interest in eating without it being because I’m sick. I’m finding it sooo difficult to keep weight off as I age. It’s not like I eat a lot when I eat. I do snack, but not heavily, and I exercise 5 days a week. I don’t get it.

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  6. I’ve done sinus rinses and no they aren’t fun, but it’s SO helpful! I was surprised by all the hidden ‘chambers’ in there too……lol

    I encourage to keep at it despite the discomfort. Be sure to use warm (not hot!) water to mix your saline pouches with – that makes it much more comfortable!

    Good luck!

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    • I’ve been warming them up. It’s that weird feeling of water up the nose that I’m not enjoying. Twice a day is getting to be a little much too but still plugging away at it.

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  7. Several years back I was having allergy type issues, and my daughter suggested the sinus rinse with a bottle. It helped, but I kept having the issue. The ENT doctor said I have eustachian tube issues in one ear and said if the rinse helps open it up, that beats surgery which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. So I’m a user and have gotten use to it because it works most times for me. Fun? No. 🙂 I still have my hummingbird feeder out but haven’t seen one over the weekend. I’ll bring it in soon. As for food, I find that I enjoy food when we have company to chat with. The rest of the time, it is just food that we need to eat in order to absorb the pills we all take at this point in life. Cooking it has become a chore like cleaning. I do it regularly but can’t say I enjoy it. Maybe we’ve just done it for too many years. 🙂

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    • When I went to the ENT they made an appointment with an ear specialist for December (soonest I could get in) so we’ll see. I don’t have the congestion or continuous runny nose I get with allergies but the headaches and somewhat runny nose. I’m getting a dry eye treatment at the end of the month as that’s not helping either. I’ll continue to use the rinse (definitely not fun but I’m getting faster) and hope for results.

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  10. That nasal stuff sounds awful. I could not handle that. We are debating if it is time to bring our hummingbird feeder in or not. We don’t want any to stay for the winter, but the traveling ones might need a rest stop.

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    • I saw one here over the weekend but since I took down most of their favorite flowers, he didn’t hang around long. I’ll clean up the last one in maybe two weeks or sooner if the flowers don’t bloom.

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  11. I hope that one hummingbird didn’t get left behind.

    I haven’t lost my appetite, but lately I get full and tired of eating halfway through the meal. Also, as you said, the food often doesn’t meet my expectations.

    I recently bought something for a nasal spray. I haven’t started using it, though. Maybe it will help my cough and post-nasal drip.

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    • Same food issues here. Stuff I loved is just meh. I don’t eat near as much either. My husband doesn’t either. At this point we share a piece of meat rather than have one each.

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  13. I share your issue with losing interest in food. All my favorite comfort foods have let me down. White Albacore tuna in a can is disgusting—has been for 3 years or so. I loved tuna salad and tomato sandwiches and tuna noodle casserole… ick now. And the rest of my favorite meals, my stomach isn’t happy with hardly any of them now. Could our taste buds be getting old too? Now I just want to eat a bowl of buttered noodles or rice. Not the healthiest choices. And Jerry’s chili. And Pepperidge Farm fish pretzels dipped in vegetable dip from Philly Cheese. I have never experienced a nose/sinus wash. If I thought it would bring back my taste buds or whatever is happening, I’d give it a try. I do hope you find the cause of your vague symptoms and it’s an easy fix.

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  14. Let’s face it – it sucks getting older! I say this as I sit on the couch where I’ve been for the past 3 days recuperating from some kind of infection, sipping chicken noodle soup and taking antibiotics. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been this kind of achy sick so I’m feeling extremely sorry for myself. Luckily there’s a baseball game on everyday. The Blue Jays just got 8 hits in the last inning, so Jays go! I’m only a baseball fan when it gets close to the playoffs. I never understood the appeal of those Neti-Pots. I remember when they first came out and some drug sales rep demonstrated one over the sink in the ER dept and thinking who the heck thought of that? But some people say it helps.

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  16. I’m glad you haven’t gone off the wall with health binges. I stick to the middle of the road, too.

    My sense of smell is fading, and I miss it. I think that’s why food doesn’t taste as good as it used to.

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  18. That beautiful flower box is likely to draw hummers and perhaps other pollinators for a nosh. I can totally understand that.

    Those neti pots work but I can’t think of anything more weird or strange feeling. Hope you ate some ice cream after your nasal cleanse.

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  20. WOW……I can only handle one incontinent part of my body at a time so I hope my nose doesn’t start acting up. Good luck with your nose adventure though – hope it works for you. Aging is not really what I thought it would be…..I kind of pictured rocking chair/warm sweater/good book or maybe nap/gorgeous gray hair (mine is sort of gray-ish here and there but is also thinning A LOT)……you know – that Granny image we see in books. Well so far it “ain’t happenin’ ” ! Oh well, I’m still on the right side of the soil as they say. Sigh.

    Hugs, Pam

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  21. I do the nasal rinse at night, before nasal spry for allergies. I still get a stuffy head, but it cuts down on the morning phlegm where I, who never once had a cigarette, sound like a 3-pack a day smoker. Hopefully your stuffed head goes away. Our hummingbirds are year-round, but happiest when the orange and lemon tree are blooming.

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  23. The neti pot and I are old friends. When tree pollens hit in the spring, the neti pot comes out. It is a wierd feeling, but it helps some. I have my bottle of distilled water handy for the whole spring season, along with my other allergy meds. Love how the world looks when the trees bloom after winter, but my nose does not.

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