My friend frostbit his lungs on Alaska's North Slope. The Dr.s said his lungs were irreparably damaged and deteriorating. They had no treatment for it. So he poured salt onto a wet washcloth and inhaled the vapors in a steaming hot shower. I'm not sure how often or for how long Gary did this, but his lungs are now completely healed.

We recently discoverd using the Netti Pot as well, but have been using common table salt, don't know why it didn't occur to me to use the good Sea Salt we also keep in the house. In addition to this we keep a nasal spray pump filled with "food grade"  35% peroxide that has been diluted to 3% with "ionic silver" water. This can be obtained in bulk from companies providing peroxide water treatment equipment.

When travelling or at the first hint of nasal or throat irritation we squirt 2-4 shots in each nostril and also into the throat. Very effective. I have been troubled with ear infections over the years as a result of one ear being damaged on an airling flight when I should not have travelled. I routinely swab both ears with this same peroxide mixtures and it is very effective. You get the benefit of the silver and the peroxide.

I wonder if filling the ear canal with saline solution occasionally might also be beneficial.

Great article Dr. Mercola, keep the good stuff coming.

The use of a neti pot with a simple saline solution to clean out nasal passages on a daily basis will assist in avoiding colds and in alleviating the symptoms of colds or allergy irritations.

A simple and quick remedy for a sore throat is to place salt on an apple slice and eat it. This is much easier to endure than gargling salt water and works like a charm. I also recommend natural sea salt rather than the commercial stuff if you have it. -Teresa Holler

I live near the pacific ocean.. but its right outside Los Angeles. Its all brown and when there is a storm you really risk your health to go into the ocean because of the storm drain sending all kinds of pollution out there.... my question is, if the ocean water is dirty and brown like it is outside LA, is it still beneficial or could it cause more harm than good?

I also forgot, MAKE SURE YOU USE A PEROXIDE WITHOUT THE STABILIZER!!

The stabilizer they use is toxic.  You just want simple, plain peroxide and purified water.  You should find it at the drug store or the grocery store and around here a bottle is only 99cents.  I buy 6 at a time.  

It has so many wonderful uses.  

It has been indispensable while I regain my health.  Everyone around me catches colds and throat infections, the flu...etc.  It is so simple, so inexpensive.  And it works.  Drops in the ear twice a day at the first sign of symptoms.  Depending on the severity of the first symptoms, you may need to also do some other things:  saline nasal rinse, gargle with peroxide - forget salt water, it doesn't work nearly as well as the peroxide.  Be aware, when you gargle with peroxide, it will foam up and you may gag, so spit it out.  Take a bit more and gargle again, spitting it out.  When it hardly foams anymore, you are done.  It may take a while, so be patient.  If you start to feel a burning sensation, then you've done enough and the peroxide is drying out your throat.  Just gargle with some cool pure water to rinse and you're done.  

If you do this at first symptoms, you should be totally rid of the symptoms within 3 days.   Sometimes I keep going for a couple extra days, just to be cautious.  I can't afford to come down with anything, if I do, I'll be a total vegetable since I'm still so weak.  With four kids and an incredibly busy house, peroxide has saved our lives.  

Here's to your health!  

I started using hydrogen peroxide, 3% solution  for multiple uses.  For most of my life I suffered from terrible allergies, several severe colds per year, bronchitis and severe throat and ear infections.  Discovering how to eliminate certain things in my life and eating a whole new way had made a significant difference, but it simply wasn't enough to support my immune system. So I learned to use echinacea and goldenseal, Vit C, and zinc at the first sign of a cold.  That helped enormously.  When I began suffering from Chronic Fatigue (I now know it's my thyroid- hereditary), I started getting very sick again and the herbs didn't help.  My immune system was even weaker.  BUT using peroxide, 4-5 drops in the ear, AND gargling with it (dillute 50% if you gag easily), KILLED ALL MY COLDS WITHIN 3 DAYS!!!! I'll be honest, my kids don't really enjoy it, but, when we use the peroxide, but wow! it has kept us all well.

My 4 yr old daughter woke in the night with a sudden and painful ear infection, so I faithfully used the peroxide drops in her ear, watching it foam out, let it drain, did it again, let it drain, then put a wonderful natural garlic-oil ear drops into her ear.  The olive oil, garlic, calendula and willow bark mixture helped support her during the day and the night and helped her to fight the infection.  After 4 days, there is no sign of the infection.   In the old days, we'd have made a trip to the doc for some antibiotics.  

Listen, for 99 cents, a bottle of peroxide is your best friend.  I use it to take care of severe dry skin (from too much dish washing, cleaning....even natural products after a while strip your skin of natural oils and leave your dry skin vulnerable to infection.  )  Using a cup and a medicine dropper, drizzling peroxide over the 'alligator' skin, let it foam, keep adding the peroxide until it hardly foams.  Rinse with cool water and apply COCONUT OIL as a moisturizer.  It heals and moisturizes and protects from any further damage.  

I have been using a saline nasal spray morning and night for the past few years.  I find it very beneficial but wonder what defines "sea salt"?  Is there a natural kind instead of the grocery store kind?  

   Also I note when I go to a beach and snorkel and spend a week in the salt water, I feel extremely renewed and refreshed.  I have always said that the salt water is very healing and a few snorts while snorkeling really do the trick !