How I am Avoiding my Yearly Sinus Infection While Still Working at School With Children

Hello Joyful Speechies,

It's not just coming... IT'S HERE.

"The Sickness" has already taken out a few of my SPED teachers and many students. Scream with me, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" The various colds and flus have gathered together since school opened a month ago and the germs have covered every inch of our school. Or so this is how I imagine it. A blanket of germs engulfing every surface.

I have been the un-wanted receiver of an earth-shaking sinus infection for the past 5 Octobers. FIVE. And let me tell you, "sinus infection" is such a misnomer. It should be called the "Exhausting-Nose-Plugging-Pressure-And-Headache-Head-Explosion-No-Sleep-Body-Aching-Face-Swollen" Infection.

No. Joke.

I feel you, Hermione Granger.

Turns out we need air to LIVE. A sinus infection takes away our beautiful power to breath and therefore causes all these other lovely side effects.

I don't want to use TWO sick days immediately into the school year. No more! I'm taking action. And I'm already kind of a germaphobe at school, so this is saying something!



And now, I'm no doctor, so whatever I say you can take with a grain of salt. But here is how I'm attempting to avoid Urgent Care this year...

1. Airborne Dual Action. I've been taking it every. single. day. since about September 28.

Airborne Dual Action

2. Blowing nose after hot showers. This was recommended to me by one of my professors in school. Get rid of those stagnant germs living in your nose!

3. NeilMed Sinuagtor. It's like a Netti-Pot, but powered up! And Netti-Pots never work for me, but this thing does! I cannot believe this thing doesn't have five stars on Amazon, but I guess to each his own!

NeilMed Sinuagtor

4. Washing my hands and using hand sanitizer all day, every day. Bye, bye, germs!

5.  Clorox wiping the heck out of my room. Computer? Yep. Door handles? Yep. Table tops, chairs, desks, door? Yep, yep, yep, yep! I heard they make Hydrogen Peroxide wipes/cleaner were actually the best to get rid of germs, but I've never tried them.

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes - the green kind is my favorite!

Clorox Hydrogen Peroxide Wipes

6. Oil Diffuser - A second grade teacher recommended this to me. Apparently there are essential oils that actually kill off germs. She has one in her classroom and highly recommended it to me. So naturally, I immediately got this cute panda one and a larger color-changing one. This Four Thieves stuff is actually supposed to KILL the germs.

Panda Diffuser

HAMSWAN Essential Oil Diffuser

Four Thieves Bandits Anti-Germ Powerful Germ Killer Essential Oil Blend

7. Nasal Steamer - This is something I got to steam my face before doing at-home facials, and it came with this bonus nasal steamer. Sweet! I just put my nose near the stream of hot steam and then blow my nose. It's very similar to stepping out of a hot shower. Plus, you can also give yourself a little facial afterwards with a nose strip or a face mask. Bonus "you-time!"

Beauty Chic Facial Sauna (and Nasal Steamer!)

8. Focusing on the MOST important basics - Get sleep, water, and try to not be stressed. I usually get sick right after I run myself into the ground by working too much and not sleeping. The mission is to sleep and let my body heal and keep the immune system up and running!

And should the worse thing happen ever- I receive a Sinus Infection, I will be taking Mucinex-D (for you know-the mucus), Ibuprofen (for the swelling), drinking TONS of water (to help with drainage), likely contacting Urgent Care for some good old antibiotics, and praying I won't have to use the usual TWO precious sick days.

Joyfully,