A stuffy nose, headache, and pain around your cheeks, eyes, and forehead – are your sinuses acting up again? Sinusitis is a condition in which the lining of the cavities around your nose (your sinuses) get inflamed. Mucus is produced by your sinuses and they normally drain into your nose through narrow channels. When your sinus linings swell up, these channels get blocked. These swollen or inflamed nasal passages are usually the result of a cold or allergies. But structural problems like a deviated septum or even nasal polyps can also be a cause.
When your sinuses get jammed up, mucus accumulates, creating a perfect environment for the growth of germs and leading to an inflammatory response from the immune system. This can cause symptoms like fever, mucus, bad breath, pressure in your ears, a stuffy nose, and facial pain. Your doctor may prescribe corticosteroid sprays or antibiotics to deal with this condition. In cases where a structural issue is causing the condition, surgery may also be advised. However, in most cases, home care can help tackle this condition.1 Let’s take a look a few natural remedies for sinusitis you can try right at home:
1. Irrigate The Nasal Passage With A Baking Soda/Salt Water Solution
Washing out your nasal passages helps remove mucus and hydrates the membranes. To do this, first make a solution with half a teaspoon each of non-iodized salt and baking soda in 2 cups of sterile warm water. Then fill a neti pot (a traditional nasal irrigation device) or a bulb syringe with this solution. Now lean over a sink and bend your head slightly so your ear faces the sink. Insert the spout of the neti pot gently into your nostril and allow the solution to run into one nostril and out the other. Now repeat on the other side. Don’t worry if the water runs out the same nostril – that’ll work too.2
2. Apply A Warm Compress
Soak a clean washcloth in warm water and apply it to your face. This can help liquify and loosen thick mucus as well as alleviate sinus pain.
3. Steam Inhale With Eucalyptus Oil
The warmth and moistness of steam can help loosen mucus. And eucalyptol, a volatile oil present in eucalyptus, has expectorant as well as antiseptic and properties. So this combination can work wonders for clearing out mucus and germs from your nasal passage.3
Boil a bowl of water and once it stops bubbling, add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to it. Lean over the bowl and cover your head with a towel to stop the steam from escaping. Inhale the steam for around 10 minutes, 2 to 4 times a day, for relief.
Do keep in mind that eucalyptus is not suitable for children or pregnant or nursing mothers. However, a plain steam inhalation can still be helpful.45
4. Steam Inhale With Chamomile
Chamomile works just as well as eucalyptus in a steam inhalation. It has anti-inflammatory properties and is especially useful to treat inflammation in mucous membranes. A soothing chamomile steam inhalation should feel just right when you’re all stuffy and irritated. Just add a few drops of chamomile oil to boiling water and inhale the vapor 2–4 times a day.6
5. Have Grated Horseradish
Horseradish is a traditional remedy that has been used for ages to deal with sinusitis. The sulfur-containing compounds in horseradish are thought to help soften mucus, making it easier to drain.7 Studies also show that volatile oils in this root vegetable may help deal with respiratory infections as they have antibiotic properties.8 Having about ½ or 1 teaspoon of grated horseradish 3 times a day can help.9
6. Drink Peppermint Tea
Peppermint contains menthol which thins and loosens mucus. This makes it work well as a decongestant and expectorant.10 To make peppermint tea, steep a teaspoon of peppermint leaves for around 10 minutes in a cup of hot water. Drink it while it’s hot to ease your sinusitis.11
You can also add a few drops of peppermint oil to a steam inhalation. But do keep in mind that, like eucalyptus oil, this remedy is also not suitable for children.1213
7. Sip On Echinacea Tea
Studies show that echinacea can boost your immune system and lessen inflammation. This property helps it tackle sinus infections and colds. You can brew a tea from this herb, but it is also available as capsules and extracts.
Having echinacea thrice a day may be helpful. But do take care not use this herb for more than 10 days continuously or have it on an empty stomach.1415
8. Chomp On Pineapples
Pineapple contains an enzyme known as bromelain that can help ease swelling and inflammation and relieve symptoms of sinusitis. Bromelain is also available as a supplement but this can interact with certain medicines used to control high blood pressure and blood thinners. Just keep it natural by getting your bromelain from pineapples, incorporating it into your daily diet.16
9. Have Turmeric Tea
Turmeric has traditionally been used to treat respiratory diseases such as colds and coughs in Southeast Asian communities. Curcumin, a compound found in turmeric, is famed for its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.17 Research also indicates that turmeric can inhibit histamine, the chemical which is released by our body in inflammatory reactions. 18
Steep turmeric powder in boiling water to make a cup of turmeric tea and drink up 2–3 times a day. You can also add some turmeric powder to your daily cooking for an immunity boost.
10. Take Elderberry Syrup
Elderberry has traditionally been used for ages to treat colds, influenza, and sinusitis. These berries can reduce inflammation in mucous membranes and help ease nasal congestion.19 But that’s not all – elderberry has antiviral properties and works against influenza.20 Flavonoids such as quercetin present in elderberry are thought to be responsible for its therapeutic action.21
Make an elderberry syrup by cooking them in water, straining, and then reducing the liquid till it’s syrupy. You can also add a touch of honey if you want. But do take care not to have uncooked elderberries as they contain a toxic glycoside that can be poisonous.22
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