How to Treat Sinusitis
Whether you’re suffering from a deviated symptom or the common cold, sinusitis is no fun. Treat it with these home remedies, including ginger, eucalyptus, and more.
The Root of the Problem
You may have heard that ginger helps with nausea, but you may not know that it’s also a natural decongestant. Experience its powers first-hand when you make your own ginger sinus compress. Chop up a few pieces of ginger root and add it to a simmering pot of hot water. After 15 minutes or so, let the “tea” cool to a comfortable temperature and allow a washcloth to soak it in. Wring out the compress just a bit and place it over the most congested and high-pressure areas. You’ll feel the warm relief of this healing root almost immediately. Reapply as needed.
Get Your Ducts in a Row
If you find yourself getting headaches or sinus trouble more often than you used to, it might be that your home’s ducts simply need a good cleaning. Whenever air conditioning or heating is on, tiny particles that have accumulated inside the ducts blow out, too, including mold, mouse droppings, and plain old dust. If you have severe allergies, a professional duct cleaning may be just what the doctor ordered.
Don’t Buy That!
Commercial breathing strips that go on the outside of the nose to help widen breathing passages are a popular purchase among sinusitis sufferers. Before you buy a box of these, take a stab at making your own. It’s easy when you already have all the materials in your medicine cabinet and kitchen pantry. Just cut out a small strip of from the plastic lid of a potato chip tin or yogurt container. Adhere the springy rectangle of plastic to the back of a regular band aid so that the strip is about half the size of the band aid itself. Experiment with the size of the plastic strip so that it’s springy enough to open the breathing passageway but still sticky enough to stay on your nose. Apply to your nose day or night as needed and enjoy the benefit of breathing easier. Money saved: $10-$20.
Eucalyptus
It may be difficult to smell anything when you are congested with sinusitis, but don’t despair. Eucalyptus has a unique aroma that’s strong enough to penetrate those backed up sinuses and have you feeling more yourself. Create the ultimate healing environment at home by adding just a few drops of eucalyptus essential oils to a hot bath and immersing yourself in its powerful, decongesting scent.
Set Your Mouth on Fire
Now is the perfect time to ask your mom to bring over her famous five-alarm chili. Any food that makes your eyes well up and your nose run will help you to decongest and find relief from sinusitis. So trade in that bland bowl of chicken soup for a plate of crackers and horseradish or some spicy take-out. Your sinuses will thank you.
Garlic
If you can’t stomach spicy foods, try an ingredient that clears up sinuses without setting your mouth on fire. Garlic does more than scare away vampires; its secret ingredient, alliin, has a way of thinning out mucus and clearing it from your sinuses. So cook some garlic and lemon into your chicken dinner, add some fresh cloves to your next bowl of pasta and most importantly: load up on breath mints so that other people can stand to be around you!
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Image courtesy of Shutterstock.
About the Author
Bruce Lubin and Jeanne Bossolina-Lubin are the proud parents of three boys and more than a dozen books. After saving thousands per year using everyday tips and simple lifehacks, they started their own business in the hopes of sharing their knowledge with others. They have been known to go into their friends’ refrigerators to turn their eggs upside down so that they last longer.
