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Vajra Fist

Covid, Nitric Oxide and Humming

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I got COVID the other day. I'm jabbed three times, so thankfully it wasn't too bad. But I've been doing a few exercises to make sure it doesn't worsen.

 

Here's my attempt at bro science, along with some woo woo to possibly help anyone if they're worried about symptoms getting serious.

 

I've no medical training, but from what I can gather, a shortage of a substance produced in the sinuses known as nitric oxide is potentially a factor in the significant worsening of symptoms, known as a cytokine storm.

 

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3271/10/1/3/pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjtra2B1Ov2AhXMi1wKHU5GBQsQFnoECCQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2lwzNnt-kN4f3MEBpSw_hC

 

Tldr

 

Quote

Having successfully
developed a nutritional formulation intervention based on nitrate, a nitric oxide precursor, the authors
hypothesis is that both the comorbidities associated with negative clinical patient outcomes and
symptoms associated with COVID-19 sickness are linked to the depletion of a simple molecule:
nitric oxide.

 

 

 

So how do we increase nitric oxide ? According to the respected Buteyko teacher Patrick McKeown, the first thing you should do is breathe entirely through your nose.

 

 

Mouth taping

 

In order to ensure this, Buteyko practitioners typically tape their mouths up during sleep. That's right, surgical tape across the lips.

 

Normally when I get a cold and go to sleep, my nose gets bunged up, meaning I breathe through my mouth. According to some, this means that my body is producing less nitric oxide and therefore I'm at a higher risk of having symptoms worsen.

 

After a couple of nights mouth taping, my nose has thankfully remained clear.

 

Humming

 

Another thing that supposedly works is humming. Yes, I know how weird that sounds.

 

According to the eggheads, humming produces a 15-fold increase in nitric oxide 

 

https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/10.1164/rccm.200202-138BC

 

Thankfully, there is a pranayama exercise known as bhramari (or 'bee breath') which offers you the option to hum in a structured way. Here's a decent tutorial

 

 

As you can imagine, the scientists are already exploring this:

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7239502/

 

Tldr

 

Quote

Bhramari by enhancing the expression of Nitric Oxide and increased Carbon dioxide by extended exhalation and alkaline pH prevents coagulopathies and morbidity due to Covid-19.

 

Now, bhramari is basically the internal vibration of the syllable 'om' (or aum for purists).

 

I've been doing a bit of bhamari for sure, but I've also been doing a lot of 'omming'. If you're curious on the right way to do this, and you happen to be a member of Lotus Neigong Academy, then Damo Mitchell explores this in depth in his 'energetics of sound' course. 

 

Beetroot

 

In this one, the science is a little less cut and dried, but what the hey. 

 

Basically beets are an excellent dietary source of nitrates, which your body converts into nitric oxide.

 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26653541/

 

I've been necking a couple of glasses of beetroot juice a day during this period, as a way of covering all my bases

 

Conclusion

 

If you made it through this wall of text - congratulations. These are the assorted methods I've accumulated in a bid to help me recover from Covid quickly. They might not work for you, but you're probably going to lose very little if you try them.

 

Of course, if I'm untubated this time tomorrow, then chances are they didn't work for me either. But so far they've been helping me, an early shortness of breath I had early on seems to have largely disappeared and I'm breathing a lot better. 

 

Good health to all 😀

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Vajra Fist
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On 3/29/2022 at 11:22 AM, Vajra Fist said:

I got COVID the other day. I'm jabbed three times, so thankfully it wasn't too bad. But I've been doing a few exercises to make sure it doesn't worsen.

 

CONTENT REMOVED

 

 

So how do we increase nitric oxide ? According to the respected Buteyko teacher Patrick McKeown, the first thing you should do is breathe entirely through your nose.

 

 

Mouth taping

 

In order to ensure this, Buteyko practitioners typically tape their mouths up during sleep. That's right, surgical tape across the lips.

 

Normally when I get a cold and go to sleep, my nose gets bunged up, meaning I breathe through my mouth. According to some, this means that my body is producing less nitric oxide and therefore I'm at a higher risk of having symptoms worsen.

 

After a couple of nights mouth taping, my nose has thankfully remained clear.

 


CONTENT REMOVED

 

 

 

 

I have been reading "Breath" by James Nestor, and in it he mentions taping the mouth shut at night during sleep.

Has anyone else tried this? How did it go?

 

Maybe this will sound irrational, but I have this nagging fear if I tape my mouth shut that I will bury my face in my pillow and suffocate.

 

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I have done mouth taping and still do (it's a bit of a disincentive having my seasonal beard in place as tearing off some micropore first thing isn't the relaxing start to the day I prefer). Its worth remembering that sleeping with your mouth closed is a totally normal thing to do. The taping just keeps your jaw in that position. It does feel a bit odd and takes some time to get used to but once you've got your head around the sensation it's fine. A short vertical tape across the centre of the mouth is sufficient.

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I hope you have recovered well, Vajra Fist!

 

I had to chuckle a little, because except for the humming, I have done these things at various times, although usually for physical fitness reasons. And yeah, there is some bro science in there!

 

I only did the mouth taping thing a couple times, because I found ripping the tape off (even a small piece of micro pore tape) to be pretty awful. I have been practicing mouth closed belly breathing for many years, so unless I am sick, I rarely open my mouth at night. 

 

Anyway, interesting stuff!

 

Edit: oops -did a little necro posting. Didn't realize how old this thread is. Sorry!

Edited by Keith108

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On 2/12/2024 at 4:16 PM, Keith108 said:

Edit: oops -did a little necro posting. Didn't realize how old this thread is. Sorry!

 

I replied to an old thread. It happens here fairly often.

 

I bought some tape. Nestor recommended 3M Nexcare tape. So far I have only used it a couple of times.

 

On the plus side, I did not suffocate with my face down. I did not feel alive with pleasure when I woke up.

 

But I have not used it every night. I do feel better when I remember to put it on.

 

I think part of my issue is I sleep on my stomach. I have heard sleeping on your side is best.

 

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1 minute ago, EFreethought said:

 

I replied to an old thread. It happens here fairly often.

 

I bought some tape. Nestor recommended 3M Nexcare tape. So far I have only used it a couple of times.

 

On the plus side, I did not suffocate with my face down. I did not feel alive with pleasure when I woke up.

 

But I have not used it every night. I do feel better when I remember to put it on.

 

I think part of my issue is I sleep on my stomach. I have heard sleeping on your side is best.

 

 

Yes, apparently sleeping on the right side is preferable. Fortunately, that's the side I like to sleep on, in more or less a fetal position. 

 

Very happy to hear you didn't suffocate yourself!

 

_/|\_

 

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Today I managed to get through all 108 prostrations I do daily with strictly nasal breathing. It's 10-15 minutes of pretty strenuous effort, so that was a good development. I notice if I do them later in the day, it's all huffing and puffing. 🤪 

 

If you win the morning, you win the day!

 

 

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VF hope you feel better soon.

I read about humming/Nitrous Oxide connection years ago.  Might be something to it.  Humming moves through our bodies, vibrating tissues.. different tones seem to connect to different places.  Humming, sick or not seems very worthwhile.  

 

I enjoy guided meditations.  When I was visiting my dad, he and my sister came down w/ Covid.  I was lucky enough not to.  I also listened to this hypnotic often, Unlock Your Life Cold and Flu healing.  Not a miracle cure but I've found it useful.

 https://youtu.be/CK7Y6mTjtrc?si=Mgxt8CDDo85z9Kug

 

 

Edited by thelerner

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