iJah wrote:

thanks Dr. Grossan.

So, i guess smoking has an irritant and stimulant effect at the same
time, if I understand correctly.

I will try irrigating more often. I was only doing that about once a
week, because I don't actually have any congestion/infection, just
rampant inflammation and dryness. maybe irrigating more often will
help with the dryness too. anyway, i hope if i irrigate more often,
cutting back on smoking will not cause so much 'rebound congestion'.

thanks again.

What exactly is the "sandpaper effect"? Please describe.

Do you mean the irritation caused by the smoke? I don't see how possibly
irritation could cause the sinuses to feel better. I'm sure that if I
smnked, my sinuses would feel much worse.

Well, nicotine is a drug. It's possible that there is some chemical effect
of nicotine, especially for someone who's body is addicted to it, that helps
control inflammation, and that withdrawal from the substance you are
addicted to increases inflammation.

You might wish to ask about that at sci.med.pharmacy, where pharmacists and
pharmacy students tend to write, and do a Google search with the words
"nicotine" and "inflammation".

If you wish to wean gradually off the nicotine, I would suggest one of those
nicotine patches, which would give you the drug, without the irritating
smoke going into your nose, throat, sinuses, and lungs. (Any kind of smoke
is irritating.) Ask your doctor about it.

But definitely work on giving up smoking. Even if in the short term you feel
worse, it certainly will be better in the long term. I can't understand
anyone smoking, but especially someone with chronic sinus problems

Really??? Irrigation as a cure for smoking? Do you have any scientific
evidence to prove that? Articles in medical journals? Or trying to increase
sales of your products through finding a new "use"?

Of course irrigation helps wash out excess mucous, therefore helping to
alleviate the symptoms of us sinus sufferers. (Until a few hours later, of
course, when the thick mucus has overwhelmed us again.) But I never heard of
irrigation helping people to quit smoking. If there is some impartial
scientific evidence of that, please show it.

In fact, going a little OT here, I saw an ENT today ( a well-known one), as
my sinuses have been especially bad lately. He prescribed an antibiotic and
a Medrol dose pack. However, when I told him I irrigate, he said I should
irrigate LESS, no more than once or twice per week! He said that irrigation
can be irritating to the mucous membranes, and dry them out.

He might have a point there, but I cannot imagine following those
directions. My nose and sinuses get so full of very thick mucous, constantly
dripping into my throat, and the irrigating I do, a few times a day,
although time-consuming and a hassle, definitely makes me feel better, by
washing out that sticky gunk. I would be miserable if I only irrigated once
or twice per week. So, I'll probably continue as I've been doing.

But as I said, this doc is a nationally known prominent ENT, and there could
be something to what he says. It could be that irrigation is in itself
addictive, that it makes one feel better by washing out the gunk, but in
doing so irritates the membranes, so that more junk keeps on coming.

I don't know, there are definitely differences of opinion in the
otolaryngologic community (?) regarding irrigation.

In any case, although in my case and many others (writers here, for
instance) it certainly helps with symptoms, I really don't think that
irrigation is a "cure" for anything, and just might have some negative
effects as well. I certainly have never heard of irrigation as a tool for
quitting smoking!