Avoid Getting Sick. Water Polo is better healthy!

This guide will mostly be for avoiding or getting over the common cold, or lessening the effects so that you can continue to strive for excellence in the pool; water polo will be played whether you are healthy or not so get healthy! (Of course I am not a doctor, these are just solutions I have researched that work for me.)

Mostly this is a guide for fighting post nasal drip, soar throat, chest congestion, and sinus pressure for water polo athletes caused by either bacterial infection (such as strep, mycoplasma or hemophilus) or viral infection (such as the flu, cold or mononucleosis aka "mono").

First

use common sense: Sleep more, drink plenty of liquids, & stay warm. Drink liquids free of caffeine as caffeine can irritate the sinuses and stay away from dairy (milk) which is mucus forming. Drink warm liquids to help stimulate sinus draining and alleviate sinus pressure; makes it easier to push yourself in water polo if you can breathe! Be overly warm at night, wear sweats, go under lots of blankets. Keep your head dry after water polo practice, especially your ears! (wind in the ears makes it much easier to get swimmers ear, so cover your head and dry off immediately after practice!) Drink a lot before you goto bed and kill the cold with heat, rest and liquids.

Second,

fight the cause of your sinus problems: Get a netti pot (or some kind of nasal irrigation system using a mild saline solution):

"Originally part of a millennia-old Indian yogic tradition, the practice of nasal irrigation — jala neti — is performed with a small pot that looks like a cross between Aladdin’s lamp and your grandmother’s gravy boat. The neti pot made its way into this country in the early 1970s as a yoga meditation device, but even as yoga became mainstream, the neti pot remained on the fringes of alternative culture.

That is, until now. Due to a confluence of influences, the neti pot is having what can only be termed a moment, sold in drugstores, health food stores, even at Wal-Mart and Walgreens."
-NY Times article, Short Stout, Has a handle on colds.



"A 2007 study in Archives of Otolaryngology found that patients who use neti pots have improved symptoms and reduced frequency of infections."

Sinus rejuvenating oil can help to "occupy key receptor sites along the sinus passages blocking out micro-organisms and allergens." -Baraka Sinus Rejuvination Oil.

Tip:

Minimize irritation! Simple irritation from the cold or flu can be the worst part about being sick and keeping you from playing your best! While getting rid of the problem in your sinuses will help you to get well sooner, getting rid of irritation will allow you to live until then: Menthol Lozenges, warm tea, chest rubs, mucinex, sinus pressure drugs, breathe in menthol infused steam, use a sauna at your local gym etc. "Prop yourself up. At night, lie on a couple of pillows. Keeping your head elevated may make breathing more comfortable."

Sinus Pressure and Sinus headache drugs can be a great help as well, pick these up at any local pharmacy; Tylenol sinus & headache, Sudafed cold and sinus., etc. Curing your sinus problems can stop your post nasal drip which leads to soar throats and chest congestion. Make sure to have plenty to drink and lots of throat lozenges (preferably with antiseptic and menthol to kill the bacteria and numb the pain).

Tip: A traditional tea made specifically for soar throat: Lemon, Apple Cider Vinegar, Cayenne, and Honey.

Third:

Chest Congestion, I recommend Mucinex because it works for me but it doesn't work for everyone, I believe Mucinex breaks up the mucus that runs down your throat into your chest due to post nasal drip and allows you to cough up the phlem much more efficiently; coughing is not bad, you just have to learn how to cough efficiently so that it hurts minimally and helps you to get better faster.

Tip: A traditional tea made specifically for chest congestion: Spicy V8, Lemon Juice (1 squeezed lemon), 2 cloves garlic minced, Hot Sauce.

Fourth:

at the onset of any imbalance in your body that you notice might lead to illness find a good herbal remedy to help your body. Whole foods offers a range of immune boosting pills and a series of blogs and podcasts on winter wellness: check em here!

Tip: Take showers switching the water temperature from hot to cold to jump start your immune system!

Fifth:

Listen to your body and find out what works for you.

AKG: a Finnish acronym which is slang for "Ask Google Stupid." Google result for soar throat came up with this great resource: Earth Clinic, User submitted ailments and treatments.

Everyone is different. Use the knowledge you gain throughout your life to do what is best for you. Listen to your body and research your specific problems on Google. It takes time get over a cold or flu, seeking perfection means adapting to your bodies needs and having a game plan to act efficiently and to get well fast.

Drink, stay warm, sleep, cure your sinus problem to stop post nasal drip leading to a soar throat and chest congestion. Minimize discomfort with teas, medicine, menthol cough drops, etc. Avoid getting sick so that you can help your water polo team; but if you are sick: find out what works best for you to get healthy so that you can get back in the game. Be healthy to play longer and enjoy every moment you have as a water polo player! Good luck, post any additional tips to comments or email me to edit this guide to help other water polo athletes succeed.

And of Course:

A doctor's visit is necessary to rule out a more serious condition, especially if any of the following are present:
Sore throat or hoarseness lasts for more than several days.
Sore throat causes severe pain or difficulty swallowing or breathing.
Blood in saliva, sputum, or phlegm.
Rash
Enlarged or tender lymph nodes in the neck.
White or yellow patches or pus at the back of the throat.
Fever of 103°F (39.4) in infants under 12 months or 101°F (36.3 C) or higher in babies under 6 months.
Excessive drooling in children.
Contact with someone who has been diagnosed with strep throat or mononucleosis or if there is a reported outbreak in your community.
Sore throat but no fever.