Self care of Lymphoedema and Sinusitis with the Deep Oscillation Personal

Still going strong after 10 years, the Deep Oscillation Personal has become a permanent fixture in this lady's self care routine. She is also very pleased with the level of after care support provided: "I just wanted to say that the service you gave me was superb. You listened to the problems I had with my machine and gave excellent advice. The parts I ordered arrived the very next day, and now I am using my wonderful ‘new’ machine again"

"I have had my Deep Oscillation machine for about ten years and it continues to function well, requiring only occasional replacement of pads.

I have Lymphoedema in my right arm and using the machine regularly maintains the stability of the condition between my monthly visits for MLD massage.

I have also suffered from SINUSITIS for more than 30 years and using my machine is a huge added bonus, I use the Lymphoedema bespoke card which Julie programmed. Before owning the machine I would visit the doctor at least once or twice a year for help when a sinusitis bout had continued for 3 weeks or more. I no longer need to seek help with this as the machine clears my sinuses as it drains the lymphatic fluid. What a blessing!

I always take it with me when I travel. It packs so neatly.

Finally, I am the eldest of four sisters and they tell me that, unlike them, I do not have a double chin. We all put this down to my use of the PhysioPod machine. It has just been a great investment and I wouldn’t want to be without it."

Identity Withheld On Request

Sinusitis (sinus infection) (With huge thanks to NHS website)

Sinusitis is swelling of the sinuses, usually caused by an infection. It's common and usually clears up on its own within 2 to 3 weeks. But medicines can help if it's taking a long time to go away.

Check if you have sinusitis

Sinusitis is common after a cold or flu.

Symptoms of sinusitis include:

pain, swelling and tenderness around your cheeks, eyes or forehead
a blocked nose
a reduced sense of smell
green or yellow mucus from your nose
a sinus headache
a high temperature
toothache
bad breath

Signs of sinusitis in young children may also include irritability, difficulty feeding, and breathing through their mouth.

What are the sinuses?

The sinuses are small, empty spaces behind your cheekbones and forehead that connect to the inside of the nose.

Sinusitis causes the lining of the sinuses to swell up.

This stops mucus draining into your nose and throat properly, making you feel blocked up.

How you can treat sinusitis yourself

You can often treat mild sinusitis without seeing a GP by:

getting plenty of rest
drinking plenty of fluids
taking painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen (do not give aspirin to children under 16)
avoiding allergic triggers and not smoking
cleaning your nose with a salt water solution to ease congestion

How to clean your nose with a salt water solution

Boil a pint of water, then leave it to cool.
Mix 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda into the water.
Wash your hands.
Stand over a sink, cup the palm of 1 hand and pour a small amount of the solution into it.
Sniff the water into 1 nostril at a time.
Repeat these steps until your nose feels more comfortable.

You do not need to use all of the solution, but use a fresh 1 each day.

A pharmacist can help with sinusitis

A pharmacist can advise you about medicines that can help, such as:

decongestant nasal sprays or drops to unblock your nose (decongestants should not be taken by children under 6)
salt water nasal sprays or solutions to rinse out the inside of your nose

You can buy nasal sprays without a prescription, but they should not be used for more than 1 week.

See a GP if:

your symptoms are severe
painkillers do not help or your symptoms get worse
your symptoms do not improve after 1 week
you keep getting sinusitis