CONCORD — An East Bay company is doing its best to help dozens of performers and presenters avoid dry mouth or nasal congestion at Sunday’s 60th Annual Grammy Awards in New York City.
MyPurMist president Varun Nanda said inside their swag bags — reportedly worth $30,000 in goodies — 160 stars will find one of the company’s new $180 cordless “personal steam inhalers’’ that helps treat allergies, sinus infections, the common cold and flu.
After all, the dry air inside Madison Square Garden — where the event is being broadcast live to millions of television viewers — isn’t unlike other entertainment venues where they perform.
“It’s basically modernizing humidification,’’ said Nanda, a former senior vice president at Genentech who runs MyPurMist with CEO Lars Barfod.
Nanda noted that megastar Lady Gaga, who is among those expected to perform Sunday night, is a fan. He pointed to a Facebook post backstage at the 2016 Academy Awards ceremony showing Gaga using the product before her passionate performance of “Til It Happens to You.”
Other steam inhalers from companies like Vicks, Veridian, Mabis and Gurin are much less pricey, though the latest version from MyPurMist is cordless and self-cleaning.
Dr. Robert Torrano of Allergy and Asthma Associates of Northern California said steam inhalers “can definitely help loosen up secretions in sinuses” and help clear your nose.
Still, Torrano said, anyone with congestion could just as easily use inexpensive nasal rinses or simple nasal sprays to achieve similar relief.
