Dear Marilynn: My allergies are awful this time of year. I live in the Southwest and can barely go outside, let alone walk my usual 3 miles a day. The medicine my doctor wants me to take are worse than my symptoms; they dry me out and stuff me up. A friend of mine swears by her Neti pot. She uses it once or twice a day and told me she doesn't need her pills anymore. What do you think of using a Neti pot? — R.D.

I'm a big fan of the Neti pot because it's safe, inexpensive, and it can open up your nasal passages without the nasty side effects of so many popular over-the-counter pills. Have you ever listened to the TV ad for Claritin? Do you remember hearing the word "death" at least twice?

An estimated 37 million Americans will suffer nasal congestion, sinus pressure and dryness this allergy season. For many of these unfortunates, using a Neti pot — an ancient system of nasal washing, used by Buddhist monks for hundreds of years — can be a real godsend. For others, it will feel like waterboarding. You won't know until you try it, once or twice a day, and pay attention to how you feel.

Here's how it works: The Neti pot itself can look like a covered teapot or, depending on the brand, an oversized gravy bowl. You fill it with a homemade or pre-packaged solution (pure water, with a little sea salt added), lift it to your nostril, gently tilt your head to the side and back, pour and gravity does the rest. In flows the fluid through one nostril, outflows about 80 percent of the pollen, dust, mold, bacteria, viruses and other irritants through the other nostril.

When you try it for the first time, be prepared for an odd sensation. Relax, move slowly and take pride in every flush. I've used my Neti pot without problems and am aware of many allergy-sufferers who use theirs happily, healthfully, every day. I also have a dear pal who tried it once recently, felt like she was drowning and will never do it again. Nothing is for everyone. You wash your face. You brush your teeth. You flush your nose. No one said living a healthy lifestyle would be easy.

Neti pots are readily available in big drug stores or little yoga studios. Another effective system for nasal washing, developed by Dr.

Hana Solomon, is called Nasopure (www.nasopure.com). Her patented squeeze bottle allows the user to maintain a neutral head and neck position while controlling the flow of fluid. The amazing, positive results she sees with patients are all over her very informative website and backed up by more than 20 years of medical and scientific studies.

"Why aren't more physicians sharing this simple, ancient remedy with patients?" asks Dr. Solomon, who knows it is safe for kids, and can save users anywhere from $50 to $100 a month in medication costs. "Most doctors do not really know how to teach patients how to wash their nose. Many patients expect a prescription. Nasal washing may not be sexy, but feeling better and saving money certainly are."

Here are a few more non-sexy, non-prescription ways to calm down your allergies and sinus problems this season. These come from Dr. Maoshing Ni, the well-respected, 38th generation doctor of Chinese medicine in his new and fascinating book "Secrets of Self-Healing" (Avery/Penguin Books):

— Clear your sinuses and mind with a steamy stovetop spa. Add a few drops of wintergreen oil to a pot of boiling water and inhale the steam.

— Avoid alcohol and smoking because both irritate the respiratory tract.

— Food affects your sinuses. Avoid foods that produce mucus and dampness: dairy products, cold and raw foods, corn (including corn syrup) and simple sugars. Also, avoid high allergy grains like wheat, rye and barley.

— Taking the supplement bromelain (a papaya and pineapple-based enzyme) helps as an antihistamine.

— This simple self-massage practice can effectively relieve sinus congestion: Sit at the edge of a sturdy chair, back erect and spine stretched, with your head tilted slightly forward. Inhale and gently press your forehead just inside the temples with your palms. Exhale and release. Repeat three times.

ENERGY EXPRESS-O: SHE REALLY NOSE!

"Keeping the world clean, one itchy, crusty, snotty, stuffy, sneezy, dripping nostril at a time." — self-stated mission of Hana Solomon, M.D. and nasal-washing devotee

Marilynn Preston — fitness expert, personal trainer and speaker on healthy lifestyle issues — is the creator of Energy Express, the longest-running syndicated fitness column in the country. She welcomes reader questions, which can be sent to MyEnergyExpress@aol.com. To find out more about Preston and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 ENERGY EXPRESS, LTD.

DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.