Yeah, the worst story is the “… and his brain was eaten by amoebas” one, but don’t despair. Just do the following:
- buy neti pot, salt packets, and one jug of distilled water
- heat 2 cups / 470ml of water in microwave until blood warm – when you put your finger in it, it shouldn’t feel warm or cold, just wet
- add salt packets (I usually use 2 for this much water) and stir until fully dissolved
- fill the pot, pour it through your nose, repeat for each nostril. Doing this without feeling like you’re drowning can be weird, at first, but there are plenty of youtube guides to help.
- For the love of God, when blowing the residual water out of your nose, blow super gently otherwise you’ll end up with snot-water in your ear canals
- Be sure to look up towards the ceiling and down to the floor, a few times, to ensure you got most of the water out of your sinuses
- when you get low on distilled water, boil a few liters in the kettle, then leave it overnight to cool. in the morning, pour it into the jug. Repeat as necessary.
The more you do this (and you can do it as many times a day as you want, without any ill effects) the better your sinuses should feel. Avoid doing it right before bed – give yourself 30 to 60 minutes for it to drain.
Good luck!