Val Discovers Ancient Chinese Secret

Don't be jealous! It's not like I'm getting my own series on The Discovery Channel. I was, after all, scooped on that discovery the ENGLAND is and ISLAND! My discovery is more like that of Hick, who uncovered the concept that GOATS are HERD ANIMALS!

It's uncanny that I even stumbled upon my new knowledge. I'd had a headache for almost two weeks, and was not thinking clearly. Sitting in the salesman's cubicle while buying SilverRedO on January 29th, I'd told Hick:

"I hope I don't get that headache again. Every afternoon it starts. I think it has something to do with the weather. I'm fine when I get up, but in town, my head gets all stuffy. By the time I get home, I have to take something for it. I'm pretty sure it's my sinuses. It hurts in my forehead, but mostly in my face."

Of course Hick didn't reply. Not even a grunt. No sympathy for the devil his loving wife.

My headache started arriving earlier, and hurting more. I did everything I could to relieve it. Acetaminophen. Aspirin. Ibuprofen. Frequent sessions with my vibrator...

...which I used to loosen up congestion in the sinus areas, at times resulting in a gush of clear snot like I'd opened a spigot, and to push the end of my nose sideways, which can sometimes elicit a sneeze, which loosens the congestion as well.

As it progressed, the headache kept me awake at night, and started as soon as I woke up from an hour or two of sleep. I actually considered seeing a doctor! Especially after three days of pain in my upper left jaw along with the headache and pain in my neck and shoulders. I figured the neck stuff was from stress from the constant head pain. And the jaw could have been a toothache, I guess, since I have a broken tooth in that area. However, holding my face under hot water in the shower made ALL THE PAIN GO AWAY! For the shower, and about 30 minutes after.

This just strengthened my opinion that I had sinus issues. I consulted my estranged BFF Google to see if sinuses can cause jaw pain. THEY CAN! Particularly maxillary sinusitis. The symptoms were exactly what was wrong with me. I was relieved to see that it usually resolves on its own, even without treatment. I figured I was nearing the end of the tunnel. I could tough it out a few more days.

THEN I saw, in the suggestions for home treatment, a hot shower. Uh huh. I was on the right track. I'd been doctoring myself pretty good with that method. It was the another suggestion that caught my eye: ACUPRESSURE!

Acupressure is like acupuncture, but without needles. Apparently, there's an area called LI 20 that you can press to relieve a headache. SUUURE, though Val. But I looked it up. It's where the bottom edge of your nose joins your cheek. Put a finger there, on each side, and press on it for 3 minutes. You can hold pressure, or massage it. I just pushed. At first, I couldn't even swallow my own spit like that. I was so congested. My ears wanted to pop, and I kind of choke-snorted. So I quit trying to swallow. After 2 minutes, I wasn't sure this thing was doing any good. But right at 3 minutes, I could swallow as if nothing was wrong. My head had quit hurting. My jaw had quit hurting.

WHAT A FANTASTIC DISCOVERY!

My pain was abated for a couple hours. When it started to creep back, I did the pressure thing again. I was able to sleep all night. When I woke up, the pain was gone, but I had a little blister/abcess thingy on my gum by that tooth. That comes and goes, every couple of years, because I won't go to the dentist. I'm wondering if relieving the pressure on that tooth nerve let it vent an infection to the gum, or if a sinus infection had gotten into the tooth nerve. Chicken or egg, I guess. I'm thinking the latter, because normally a hot shower on the face doesn't cure a toothache. Doesn't matter, because the next day, that little blister was gone. Everything's back to normal.

I'm really glad I discovered acupressure!