Natural Home Remedies for Sinus Infections

Sinus Infection Treatment

Natural Home Remedies for Sinusitis

Sinusitis is a condition that impacts the daily lives of 1 in 10 of our family, friends, and neighbors in Scottsdale and surrounding areas. If you are one of the thousands in our community that are trying to find out how to cure sinus infections permanently, then you understand how the symptoms of sinusitis make daily life difficult. Dizziness is one of the most common sinus infection symptoms and a sinus headache follows as a close second. Sinus sufferers also struggle with symptoms such as:

• Sleep disruption (loss of sleep and fatigue)
• Nasal congestion or post-nasal drip
• Breathing problems
• Facial pain
• Coughing, sneezing, runny nose
  

These symptoms result in countless hours of missed work/school, a loss of productivity, and impaired ability to fully enjoy all that life has to offer.

Sinusitis and Sinus Infections

Most sinus infection medicine ultimately seeks to relieve inflammation around the sinus cavities. This inflammation is most often caused by a virus or bacteria and results in a blockage that prevents mucus from naturally draining out of the sinus cavities. This inflammation results in painful symptoms and the blocked mucus may lead to additional infection. A single sinus infection can last 2 or more weeks.

Patients who suffer from chronic sinusitis often seek relief from a variety of over-the-counter sinus infection medication or prescription antibiotics, such as a sinus infection z pack. Patients may find temporary symptom relief through pharmaceuticals; however, these medications often carry a number of undesirable side effects including:

• Drowsiness or insomnia
• Elevated blood pressure or cardiac complications
• Impaired balance
• Individual complications

How to Get Rid of a Sinus Infection Naturally

Sinus sufferers who want real relief without pharmaceutical side effects have discovered that natural home remedies for sinus infections are safe and highly effective. These solutions target the underlying inflammation, promote natural sinus drainage, and help prevent additional infections.

The safest and most effective natural solutions involve the use of water in the form of liquid, vapor, or mist. Water penetrates the blockage allowing mucus to drain naturally so that the sinuses can begin the healing process. These solutions have the added benefit of helping to reduce the intensity and duration of sinus symptoms and improving quality of life.

H2O: A Natural Alternative to Sinus Infection Antibiotics

One of the most powerful solvents on earth is nothing more than pure water. Water is used in many applications as a thinner, cleaner, and diluter. When it comes to a sinus infection, water can be used in much the same way to thin mucus, clean the sinuses, and dilute a blockage, which is one of the major sinus infection vs cold benefits. Getting rid of your sinus infection may involve the use of liquid, mist, or vaporized water.

Vapor (Steam)

One of the most common issues facing sinus sufferers is the lack of proper sinus drainage and few things in nature are more effective in promoting drainage than simple hot steam. Steam works naturally to break up sinus congestion and loosen blocked sinus cavities. In fact, the use of natural steam to promote good health is as old as human civilization itself.

Modern technology gives you the opportunity to use this time-tested remedy from the comfort of your own home. It can be as simple as a few extra minutes in a warm shower or an inexpensive steam machine from your corner pharmacy, and certainly a preferred alternative for some sufferers to the enormous list of sinus infection antibiotics they’ve been subjected to.

Keep in mind that anytime you find yourself working with hot liquids, the utmost care should be taken to prevent injuries. Steam is a very effective natural remedy, but it can cause burns. If you are not comfortable handling hot liquids, then a warm compress over the sinuses may provide temporary sinus infection relief. In addition, an over-the-counter nasal spray or a room humidifier can provide enough moisture to promote natural drainage of the sinus cavities.

Liquid Water (Sinus Rinse)

Another effective treatment involves introducing a saline (salt) water solution directly into the nasal passages. Nasal rinses come in many forms and involve various mixtures of sterile water and sodium solutions. Some sinus rinses are sprayed into the nose while others are pumped or poured through the nasal passage. Sinus rinses are safe and effective but are not without risk. Special attention should be given to the instructions from the manufacturer. These instructions are designed to prevent injury or further infections from improper use. Some of these instructions may include, but are not limited to:

• Water type: Use only distilled or sterile water. Tap water, bottled water, filtered water, and spring water may be safe to drink, but they are not safe to introduce to the sinus cavities. They may contain trace amounts of bacteria or other organic matter that could result in further inflammation and infection.
• Water temperature: Be careful not to introduce hot water into the sensitive areas of your nasal passage or sinuses as they can easily cause internal burns.
• Water purity: If you are using a reusable sinus rinse container such as a neti pot, be very careful to clean and store it as instructed in order to prevent bacteria growth inside the container.

Mist (Cool Mist Humidifier)

Cool mist humidifiers use forms of technology other than heat to produce a mist from cool water. This mist can be breathed into the nasal passages much like steam in order to reduce blockage and inflammation. It is a safe alternative especially when used for children or the elderly as there is no risk of burns from hot water. 

Other Solutions:

In addition to the use of water, vapor, and mist for relief from sinus infections, the following methods are highly effective in helping the body to heal and reduce the symptoms of sinus headache:

• Elevated sleep positioning: Keeping an elevated head at night allows gravity to naturally promote mucus drainage through the nasal passage.
• Proper hydration: More than 50% of your body is made up of water and the body must be properly hydrated for its natural processes to work toward healing infection and inflammation. Be sure to drink plenty of water, even when the symptoms of a sinus infection make it difficult.
• Warm and Cool Compresses: Using a rotation of warm and cool compresses on the face and around the sinus areas will help to reduce inflammation and promote natural drainage. They can also provide natural relief of symptoms such as headaches and sinus pressure. Be very careful when placing hot and cold items on the face as they can result in burns or damage to the skin and eyes. Do not place hot or cold items directly on the skin and limit the amount of time for each compress to 15 – 20 minutes.

Treating Sinus Infections Using Natural Remedies

Natural home remedies are a safe and effective solution in the prevention and treatment of sinusitis. These simple and inexpensive solutions offer an alternative to the expense and side effects that often accompany over-the-counter medications. For some sinus sufferers, home remedies may fall short in providing long-term results. For those who suffer frequent or extended sinus infections, it is important to see a medical professional. If left untreated, these sinus infections may impact overall health and could lead to further medical complications in addition to the daily symptoms of sinusitis.

How to Get Rid of Sinus Infections in 24 Hours

If you are one of the millions of Americans that battle frequent or long-term sinus infections and are seeking a sinusitis treatment that does not involve risky surgery, there is good news; sinusitis treatment is available. Balloon Sinuplasty is a safe and minimally invasive solution for long-lasting relief from sinus infection causes.

This safe and simple sinus infection treatment can be done in the comfort of the office with our Board-Certified Otolaryngologist, Dr. Brian Lee. The procedure gently inflates the sinus cavity to clear the blockage and restore the natural flow from the body. If you would like to know more about balloon sinuplasty and how to cure sinus infections permanently, schedule your appointment today and start your journey toward real and lasting sinus infection relief.