Expert Pharmaceutical Reviews

I've been battling a sinus infection off and on for the last few weeks, and with the first round of antibiotics making less progress than Sir Walter Raleigh did in Roanoke (I love colonist humor, even if you don't), I've been taking on all comers with other remedies, both medical and otherwise. I'm talking everything from Sudafed and Saline spray to self-applied acupressure and waterless vaporizers. I'm not sure how someone versed in logic managed to fall for that last one considering the product name itself is a contradiction, but I'm a sucker for good marketing as much as the next guy. And the next guy is an idiot.

After numerous failures, I finally decided that instead of taking pills, sitting in saunas and imagining my life with clean sinuses, it was time to go on the offensive with these Neti Pots I'm hearing so much about. Hell, it seems to be turning into a viral sensation given the amount of search results the term attracts on YouTube. The kit comes with an instruction booklet that's about the same size as the one for my TV and includes 50 packets of their exclusive blend (it's table salt).

The gist: you tilt your head and dump salt water into one side of your nose, it runs through and cleanses your nasal passages, then flows out the other side. Then you repeat on the other side. Frankly, it sounds ridiculous, because most people do this by accident a few times a week in the shower and, unless you wear nose plugs, you do this every time you go swimming. I don't hear about those being suggested as cold remedies. I guess I should know better than to question the gods of alternative medicine (I just assume they're polytheists) though, because I haven't breathed this clearly in weeks. Granted, I've kind of been leaking salt water out of my nose for the last hour, but it's a small price to pay to enjoy the crisp and fragrant autumn air of Los Angeles. Also, you don't have to prove to the cashier that you're not a meth-cooker to buy this. That's always embarrassing.

I highly recommend this if your breathing feels off, or if you just want to impress your friends. Other effective solutions involve living somewhere with clean air, sleeping upside down, and invasive surgery.