40 Hours A Week In The Desert
December 31, 2014 2:03 PM Subscribe
I need tips to cope with dry air in the winter - at my workplace.
I have accepted that my sinuses somehow think that they are orchids and require a measure of humidity to be happy (otherwise they crank into overdrive and I'm left with serious nasal congestion and a cough). This is easy at home - I have a vaporizer or two which I run in my room at night, and carry out to the living room if I'm going to be home and really need it, and that keeps things at bay.
But I'm heading into my first winter at the place I work now, and the air is HORRIBLY dry and my sinuses are indeed suffering. It was actually uncomfortable to just breathe yesterday. I've been coping by drinking steamy-hot water from the water cooler when I feel I need it - which has thus far been on an hourly basis. I've also been squirting a saline spray up my nose every hour or so. It helps a BIT, but not much.
Other people grumble that the air is dry, but it's one of those "nothing we can do" situations. I don't think another vaporizer in the office will help - it's an open-plan office, and is a much bigger space than at home.
Any tips?
I have accepted that my sinuses somehow think that they are orchids and require a measure of humidity to be happy (otherwise they crank into overdrive and I'm left with serious nasal congestion and a cough). This is easy at home - I have a vaporizer or two which I run in my room at night, and carry out to the living room if I'm going to be home and really need it, and that keeps things at bay.
But I'm heading into my first winter at the place I work now, and the air is HORRIBLY dry and my sinuses are indeed suffering. It was actually uncomfortable to just breathe yesterday. I've been coping by drinking steamy-hot water from the water cooler when I feel I need it - which has thus far been on an hourly basis. I've also been squirting a saline spray up my nose every hour or so. It helps a BIT, but not much.
Other people grumble that the air is dry, but it's one of those "nothing we can do" situations. I don't think another vaporizer in the office will help - it's an open-plan office, and is a much bigger space than at home.
Any tips?
I'm a fan of the neli-med nasal gel stuff. Can keep dryness from getting awful and a little longer lasting than the saline mist. And yeah I'd get a desktop humidifier.
posted by jessamyn at 2:09 PM on December 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by jessamyn at 2:09 PM on December 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
I use this little humidifier - it's pretty inconspicuous.
posted by winna at 2:22 PM on December 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by winna at 2:22 PM on December 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: My only threadsitting comment - my concern with the little humidifiers is that any humidity they'd generate would be sucked up into a big cavernous room too quickly to do me any good. How do those little personal humidifiers do in an open-plan office?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:22 PM on December 31, 2014
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:22 PM on December 31, 2014
They're not bad if you keep them right near you, but not as good as if the space were smaller. You'd still need Chapstick but not applying it every thirty seconds in my experience.
posted by winna at 3:53 PM on December 31, 2014
posted by winna at 3:53 PM on December 31, 2014
Chapstick the inside rim of your nose.
It's gross-ish, but it does wonders for me. I guess it's something about my body not losing that moisture to the atmosphere makes it easier for my sinuses to deal.
posted by bilabial at 4:52 PM on December 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
It's gross-ish, but it does wonders for me. I guess it's something about my body not losing that moisture to the atmosphere makes it easier for my sinuses to deal.
posted by bilabial at 4:52 PM on December 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Chapstick as mentioned above, or vaseline in the nostrils, which is an air travel trick that I've tried. Don't know if it ACTUALLY helps but some people swear by it for keeping moisture up in the nostrils.
posted by ch1x0r at 5:03 PM on December 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by ch1x0r at 5:03 PM on December 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
Ayr's nasal gel is wonderful for dry air/winter. Please work on keeping yourself very hydrated.
posted by heathrowga at 6:01 PM on December 31, 2014
posted by heathrowga at 6:01 PM on December 31, 2014
If you don't mind looking like a dork, a surgical mask may work.
posted by telophase at 6:12 PM on December 31, 2014
posted by telophase at 6:12 PM on December 31, 2014
Oh yeah vaseline or Aquaphor in the nostrils helps keep me from getting nosebleeds in the winter.
posted by radioamy at 7:01 PM on December 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by radioamy at 7:01 PM on December 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
My routine for dry weather: rinse nose out with saline nasal spray (spray, then blow nose), then spray again and let it go down the back of your nose/throat; get some Aquaphor on a qtip and roll it all over the inside of your nose. Really works for dry weather/allergies/avoiding getting other people's colds.
posted by CrazyLemonade at 12:03 AM on January 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by CrazyLemonade at 12:03 AM on January 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
If you're going to go the Vaseline etc route, a more natural substance that seals in moisture is coconut oil (you won't necessarily be smelling coconut all day). It doesn't add moisture, but it does a good job of sealing in the moisture that's already there.
posted by vignettist at 6:38 AM on January 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by vignettist at 6:38 AM on January 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you're going to be using vaseline or something similar in your nostrils, it's good to at least be aware of the potential for lipoid pneumonia. It's rare, but creepy enough that I use water-based moisturizers for anything besides short term use.
posted by deludingmyself at 11:35 AM on January 1, 2015
posted by deludingmyself at 11:35 AM on January 1, 2015
my doctor said not to do the vaseline in the nose thing for fear of inhaling teeny petro-particles which uh somehow is the worst thing in the world or whatever. Which sucks because it really does feel so good.
posted by fingersandtoes at 12:37 PM on January 1, 2015
posted by fingersandtoes at 12:37 PM on January 1, 2015
Another thing that might help a bit is to stick your head under a towel and breathe in the steam from a pot of just-boiled water. Add a drop of essential oil if you like. It's the most intense humidity ever. When I'm dealing with a cold or allergies, this is my last step before I finalize my hair and makeup and walk out the door to go to work. I get about three good hours from it.
posted by Bentobox Humperdinck at 2:38 PM on January 2, 2015
posted by Bentobox Humperdinck at 2:38 PM on January 2, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by harrietthespy at 2:09 PM on December 31, 2014 [3 favorites]