Breathing Right

I've mentioned before (probably at tedious length) that I have Allergy Issues.  Everywhere I move I eventually become sensitive to the local allergens and throw out new symptoms.  One thing remains constant, though - the nasal congestion.

This and the related post-nasal drip make sleeping difficult.  I can't sleep on my back at all (I wake up in the night feeling that I'm drowning), and during the worst months of allergy season I suffer anxiety dreams all night long that are probably caused by lack of oxygen to the brain.

For a while I considered getting a CPAP machine, but when Barry got his he was told that his nasal allergies had to be under control before the CPAP would do him any good.  Clearly, then, that's not the answer.

Several years ago, when Breathe Right strips first came out, I tried them to see if they could hold my nasal passages open even a little farther during the night.  Unfortunately, I never managed to make it through until morning with the strip still attached to my nose; the adhesive apparently wasn't strong enough to stay put on my (admittedly rather large) nose when I rolled from side to side in my sleep.

However, recently I was scanning the allergy nostrums in the drug store and noticed that Breathe Right strips now come in Original and two other designs - Extra (with a stronger adhesive) and Advanced (a stiff plastic design).  I bought small packages of Extra and Advanced strips and gave them a try.  The Advanced also didn't work for me - once again, the adhesive isn't quite up to the task of keeping the strip on my nose - but the Extra model stays in place and does the job.

Do I enjoy scrubbing my nose and sticking an ugly misshapen Band-Aid-like item on it every night (not to mention the fun of peeling it off in the morning)?  Not really, but the pleasure of sleeping the night through in peaceful oblivion more than makes up for any temporary annoyance.

"The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to."  ~F. Scott Fitzgerald