Prevention of Viral Respiratory Infection; colds, flu, SARS, H5N1, v. pneumonia

[anthropositor]

Hi mnm mom,
I looked over the nasal drops and the nasal gel, which comes in 1/2 oz tubes (price not listed).  My guess is it will be costing somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 a pound.  Leaving cost aside, and the saline content (which is not as high as some products I have seen), I still have some concerns.  I'll select one to talk about here.  Both the gel and the drops are water-soluble.  The initial effect is moisturizing.  This is good.  But, unless you apply them frequently during the course of the day, they will ultimately evaporate off their water content and, judging from other similar products I have tested, cause a serious problem.  After the water content is gone, the remainder becomes rather firmly attached to your nasal hairs, with many airborn particles accreting into a sort of concrete which is difficult to remove without some of those hairs being RIPPED OUT BY THE ROOTS, leaving a crater of immense size from the point of view of the invading viruses. 

When one has engaged in my procedure, as outlined, both moisture and oil have had their efficacious effect, and none of these filtering hairs will require such traumatic removal.
Anthropositor

[anthropositor]

...I was WRONG in my guesstimate of the price of the above-mentioned nasal gel.  Turns out to be $114.88 per pound, plus tax, in 1/2 oz tubes.  So my guesstimate was a bit more than twenty percent under the actual cost!  But the packages are really pretty.  But all-in-all, still a much better deal than some Jordanian MUD I priced a short while back (with shipping, about $70 per kilo), since all the mud people did (presumably) was screen the mud for lumps, bring it to a boil, and plop a kilo into a jar.  The nasal gel, on the other hand, has at least ten entirely un-necessary ingredients.  Quite a bonus!
Anthropositor

[anthropositor]

Hi Guys,
I'll be gone a few weeks.  Time for some concentrated work.
Anthropositor

[anthropositor]

Found another library in Nebraska so I'm back on for a few minutes before I head back home.  I just thought I'd check the thread for any questions or comments.  Any new folks been trying the procedure?
Anthropositor

[anthropositor]

Has anyone here used Neem oil for anything?
Anthropositor

[anthropositor]

The risk of colds and flu is very low right now in my part of the world (southern USA).  Hay fever is reducing to a low ebb as well.  But the household allergen season is always going, more or less.  The biggest culprits seem to be pet fur, dander and saliva; airborne dust, particularly after vacuuming, and powdered cleansers, detergents and talcs.  A previous allergy sufferer just told me that she no longer feels she needs her air-ionizer anymore.  She spent about $350 for this piece of equipment, four or five years ago.  There is no question that the ionizer is high priced, but now that she has it, there is no good reason to stop using it, or to sell it for a dime on the dollar at a yard sale.  Ionizers DO electrostatically remove a considerable amount of microscopic particulates from the air.  I don't know if I would reccomend an ionizer to someone without special needs, because of the high price.  But certainly, if you have one already, keep it in operation even if the oil swabbing eliminates the obvious need for it.
Anthropositor

[anthropositor]

Going back to outdoor airborne allergens, I wonder how much of the problem can be traced back to human interference.  I know that with some species of trees, landscape engineers select gender in their plantings, particularly in urban environments, to reduce the inconvenient dropping of seed pods on sidewalks and so on.  The male trees they plant don't drop those pesky pods, and no one is complaining about stepping on the tons of extra pollen these trees generate instead of the pods.  There was a time when doctors would advise patients with serious respiratory difficulties to move to Arizona for the air.  The population grew explosively and apparently they brought a lot of non-native vegetation with them.  Arizona's no longer known for its pristine air.
Anthropositor

[anthropositor]

August is a very slow month for viral transmission, but some people are sill having some allergic reactions to airborn allergens.  So Hay Fever sufferers, the procedure will still do you a lot of good.  I renew my encouragement to share your experiences with the rest of us.
Anthropositor

[Polkadot]

This is something that I would like to try, but I occasionally have problems with acne. It seems like the oil would cause break-outs. I could give it a try and see what happens. Why do you not recommend vaseline? 
 thank you, baby dot.

[anthropositor]

Hello Baby Dot,
You bring up two important questions.  With regard to petroleum jelliy (like Vaseline), "baby oils," and other mineral oils, I have answered this question in several of my other posts (which can be found by going to my profile).  I will sum it up again.  Petroleum Jelly, baby oils and mineral oils are by-products of the production of gasoline.  (This does not, in itself, make them bad).  When I first designed this procedure, I considered them, but for a variety of subtle reasons, rejected them in favor of vegetable oils, of which there is a considerable array.  Although other people have done this procedure with petroleum jellies and oils, none have come up with a compelling reason for the substitution, and the ones that I have known have all changed over to the vegetable oils.  If you wish to use Vaseline, I doubt that you pose yourself much risk in doing so.  But I have not subjected the petroleum products to the years of testing and use that I have applied to the whole family of vegetable oils.  I have not tested animal fats either, so if you should decide to try lard or butter, let me know how it works out for you.  I am not suggesting you try either lard or butter.

If your occasional problems with acne ever occur in the upper lip area below the nose, then you should take an extra minute after doing the procedure to cleanse that area of any surplus oil until no more comes down from the nasal passages.  Use the same acne and cleansing products that you are comfortable using on the rest of your face.

If you are frequently troubled with pimples up inside the nasal passages, you should discuss your situation with your physician before proceding.  Pimples are very rare up inside the nasal passage, but they can occur.  If you are not prone to them, you should not avoid this healthful procedure on the remote chance that you might get a pimple up inside the nose.  Thank you for your interest.  Please let us know how it works out for you.  To your health.
Anthropositor

[Polkadot]

 Hi anthropositor,
 There's a good chance that I might have a difficult time explaining to someone why I'm sticking butter up my nose!!! 
I will give the oil a try and let you know how it works out. I do occasionally break out there right on the inside, but I think if I'm careful I shouldn't have a problem. I'll let you know. Thank you, baby dot.

[Alohamora]

Baby dot,

I'd suggest trying coconut oil before any other vegetable oils, as it is a little less likely to clog your pores and cause a breakout.

[Polkadot]

 Hi anthropositor,
 Well.....that didn't go so well. Alohamora, just now reading your post.....oops, too late. I have a few very small bumps right on the inside. I was afraid that might happen. My skin is just so sensitive. I'll wait for this to heal and then maybe try the coconut oil. I'll let you know how that goes. Thank you,
  baby dot

[anthropositor]

OK Hay Fever people in North America.  It is now mid-August, time to regularly do the procedure once a day.  Ragweed, one of the really miserable allergenic plants affecting  a very large number of people is commencing the release of  pollen.  If you see a person suffering with hay fever, try for twice a day.  If you see several people suffering, go for three times or more.  Take the pre-emptive action BEFORE the symptoms begin. 

If anyone happens to wander over to the fledgling Hay Fever Forum, you would do them service if you let them know.  Got to budget my time until my cat is out of danger.

[anthropositor]

Hi anthropositor,
 Well.....that didn't go so well.

Hi Polkadot,
What didn't go so well?  What did you do?  What didn't work out?  Why?
Anthropositor

[Polkadot]

 Hi anthropositor,
 I used vegetable oil but it made me break out - not too bad, just a couple of small bumps right on the inside part of my nose. It's kind of difficult to explain the location - not deep inside, I can see the bumps. I wiped off the excess oil in that area, but it still happened. They were just real tiny pimples, and have already just about healed now. Alohamora recommended coconut oil as it's less likely to clog pores. Next time, maybe I should try this or maybe even the vaseline.
 Thank you,
   polkadot

ps - you ask many questions...I like that.
   "Why?" is always my favorite question to ask of others.
And this one, "What did you do?" for some reason, I get asked that question from others an awful lot!!! 

[anthropositor]

Hi Polkadot,
I agree with Aloha.  Coconut oil is just a superb oil for this purpose.  What variety of vegetable oil did you use?  Did the cleansing portion with water only on the swabs go well for you?  Vaseline sucks but 1 or 2% of those who do the procedure use it.  Better to use Vaseline than not to do the procedure.

Wait a full two weeks after your nose is fully healed to do the full procedure again, but continue the gentle swabbing with the fresh-water soaked swabs in the meantime.  I expect your troubles will completely disappear with the coconut oil because you can put a little chunk in while it's in its refrigerated solid form and it wil very quickly liquify and run right back the nasal passage without any further swabbing at all.  (You are doing this part lying on the bed, right?)
Anthropositor

[Polkadot]

 Hi Anthropositor,
 I used wesson vegetable/canola oil. I didn't think to keep doing it with just water only. I really don't like the way it feels, it's too weird. Maybe I'll get used to it. But, why do it with water only? Doesn't seem like that would do too much. What does anthropositor mean? I laid down on the floor because I sit on the floor a lot. That and I didn't want to get any oil on the bed. I already get flakes there. (psoriasis). I don't think I could handle flakes and vegetable oil, that's all too much. I'll wait awhile and try it again with the coconut oil. Where do I get that? I live in a small town.
 Thank you,
   polkadot

[anthropositor]

Hi Polkadot,
Rapeseed (canola) oil is one of my least favorite oils.  It has been genetically manipulated, and therefore doesn't appeal too much to me.  But my objection is not strenuous.  I am not a fanatic about GM foods.  We eat them all the time without realizing it. 

I am pretty vigorous about the huge international companies that think it is a good idea to produce genetically modified seed designed to produce only a single crop with seeds that will not germinate for a second crop so that the international conglomerate can make more money from third-world farmers who must continue to buy seed from said scoundrels.  

I put them in the same class as the international baby formula companies which for many years have supplied doctors with cases of baby formula to give to new mothers for their infants -- just enough so that the mother will dry up and be a captive customer for formula which at normal price will break the budget of her impoverished family.  The desperate mother now resorts to attempting to stretch the formula by adding flour, starving her child slowly.   Grrrrrr!  Have any of these rapacious whit-collar criminals seen the inside of a jail cell for these genocidal policies?  Not to my knowledge.

Most anthropologists are pretty happy with the perspective that they should go study primitive societies who have not yet discovered the benefits of modern civilization.  Chauvinistic notions pervade the field.  I'm not going to extend my remarks further.  I examine modern societies with a view to identifying our most serious problems before they lead to the ultimate end of our existence.
Anthropositor

[Polkadot]

 Hi Anthropositor,
 I found where I can get the coconut oil, but I'll wait a few weeks before trying this again. I think the coconut oil will work much better. I'll let you know how it goes.
   polkadot