Health Gazelle: Xylitol Saline Solution

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Xylitol-Saline Solution

Based on an article about research on xylitol, its germ-killing properties, and the potential benefit to Cystic Fibrosis patients, I developed a modified sinus solution using xylitol and saline. Xylitol is a simple sugar, the same one found in some kids' chewing gums for preventing cavities.

Recipe l How to Irrigate l Daily Care l Travel Tips

I found that the saline solution always burned (for me), just not as bad when I was relatively well. If it burned really badly, I would repeat it every few minutes until the burning was vastly reduced. So, with a little help from my friends, I came up with a new and improved solution, based on some of the recent research into Cystic Fibrosis:

Recipe:

Put 1/4 cup of xylitol crystals in a one quart GLASS jar.
Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of "canning" or "pickling" salt. (Do not use table salt. It is too harsh, due to the chemical additives it contains.)
Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sodium carbonate (baking soda) as a "buffer" and for its ant-acid properties.
Add one quart of water (distilled or filtered and boiled)
Shake or stir well. Discard after one week.

I find the mixture of salt and xylitol to be the most effective for me. A saline solution with a high salt content is very harsh - it really burns when you use it and it can strip the mucous membranes, leaving you inadequately protected against germs. But a solution with a lot of xylitol and a little salt is not. In my experience, the xylitol also kills germs better than the salt. But the xylitol does not have the anti-inflammatory properties of the salt. When I tried using a solution of just xylitol in water, it was not as effective for me as combining the two.

Also, my son is much more amenable to using this solution for treating his sinuses. I find it is far more effective than a saline solution and a lot gentler -- just what you want for a child with sinus problems and allergies. I am required to irrigate my sinuses every single day, at least twice a day (when I get up and before I go to sleep). When I am actually having problems, I irrigate my sinuses multiple times per day. Having something gentler and more effective has revolutionized my life.

How to irrigate all surfaces or your sinuses: I always get in an Islamic-style, head to the floor, worship-type position and squirt it up into the sinus chambers in my forehead (above the eyes) first. Wait a couple of minute and then do the bottoms of my sinuses, as described above. I will also do three squirts into the bottom part of the sinuses: one with my head tilted to right, one to the left, and one in the middle. I find that gets complete coverage without having to just flood my sinuses. Smaller amounts of fluid like that are easier to tolerate. I don't feel like I am going to Drown.

A convenient way to use this daily: I boil my bulb syringes daily or, as a minimum, within 48 hours. I find that these solutions keep just fine in a bulb syringe with a cap (they make them for carrying in baby bags) for up to 48 hours. After that, reusing it actually promotes infection, because you have gotten it infected and given the germs on the tip time to multiply. However, when I know I am sick, I change them more often. You may need to experiment with this. What works for me may not work for you.

Tips on Glass jars and Traveling: I tried a few different glass containers before I found something I like: Quart sized Mason jars, like you buy for doing home canning. You can buy plastic screw-on lids to go with them. They are not very expensive. I bought a whole case of Mason jars and, when I traveled, treated one as 'disposable' so I wouldn't have glass in my suitcase coming home. For traveling, I also pre-measured and pre-mixed the salt and baking soda, storing it in individual Ziploc freezer bags (one for each week I would be gone), and then double bagged them in a larger Ziploc freezer bag for security. (You want to use freezer bags, not sandwich bags, because they are sturdier.) I took a Brita pitcher with me and I soaked my bulb syringes in peroxide over night in place of boiling. (I prefer boiling, but I did not have access to proper cooking facilities.) This was a very workable arrangement for traveling with it.

UPDATE (February 3, 2006): My health has improved greatly since I originally wrote this page. I only irrigate my sinuses two or three times a week now. I typically use sea salt mixed in water. Sea salt is not as harsh as table salt. Rather than go through the hassle of mixing a large batch in a glass jar, I mix half a cup of water with around half a teaspoon of sea salt, and put it in a bulb syringe. Whatever is left in the glass gets used to rinse my mouth, gargle with, and drink some of it. That way, the entire area is cleansed at the same time that I do my sinuses and it makes it more effective than just doing a saline wash of the sinuses.

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