Home Remedies For Sinusitis - Take Enough Rest To Speed Up The Recovery

Sinuses are hollow spaces or cavities filled with air and lined with mucus membranes. There are four sinuses, which are located behind the forehead, cheekbones, nose and eyes. The inflammation of these cavities is medically referred to as sinusitis. This condition can be acute, subacute or chronic and is mainly caused by bacteria, virus, or fungi. Certain medication condition can also contribute to the development of sinusitis, including nasal polyps, nasal tumors, hay fever, tooth infection, gastroesophageal reflux disease, enlarged adenoids, deviated septum and cystic fibrosis. The causes of chronic sinusitis may also include respiratory tract infections, trauma to the facial bone and immune cells known as eosinophils.

The main symptoms of sinusitis are greenish or yellow nasal drainage, postnasal drip, decreased smell and taste sensations and pain, swelling and tenderness in the areas around the eyes and nose. People with a sinus infection may also feel sore throat, pain in the ears, bad breath, tooth pain, upper jaw pain, nausea, fatigue, headache, fever and cough. Most of these symptoms can be relived with home remedies for sinusitis. Try to drink lots of fluids to dilute the mucus. Elevating your head while you sleep can reduce congestion by allowing the sinuses to drain. Make sure to take enough rest to speed up the recovery process.

Applying a warm compress can help alleviate nasal congestion and pain. Warm a washcloth and place it over your eyes and cheeks. Apple cider vinegar is one of the most effective home remedies for sinusitis. It can be used in various ways to cure this condition. Apple cider vinegar has the potential to thin the mucus and reduce the sinus infection. Add one or two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to a glass of warm water and drink it three times daily. Mix a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar in a bowl of hot water. Cover your head with a towel, lean over the bowl and breathe in the steam.

Add one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and one teaspoon of honey to a cup of hot water and drink it. You can also use this concoction to gargle. Nasal wash is recommended as one of the home remedies for sinusitis. Add one teaspoon of table salt and a bit of baking soda to two cups of warm water. Lean your head back and close one nostril with a finger. Then, inhale the solution through the open nostril. Blow your nose and do the same process with the other nostril. Sinus congestion and pain can also be relieved by massaging the sinus pressure points with your fingers.

Teas made from fenugreek, ginger and licorice are good home remedies for sinusitis. Olive leaf extract can be used to treat chronic sinusitis. Eucalyptus oil, with is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, is an effective remedy for bacterial sinusitis. Inhaling peppermint essential oil can also help reduce the symptoms of sinus inflammation. Eating crushed garlic or taking a good garlic supplement everyday is also an efficient way to deal with sinusitis.

Read more Home Remedies for Sinus Infection. Also know useful Home Remedies for Strep Throat.

Sinusitis - Causes And Home Remedies

Sinusitis occurs when our sinuses get inflamed. Sinuses are cavities or air-filled spaces that occur in a pair of four. They are situated within the bones of head and open in to the nasal cavity. The inner lining of sinuses is composed of cells that produce mucus. The mucus traps unwanted materials, forbidding them from reaching the lungs and also keeps the nose hydrated during breathing. The sinuses or paranasal sinuses are of four types: frontal sinuses (situated in the eyebrow area), maxillary sinuses (situated within each cheekbone), ethmoid sinuses (situated just behind the bridge of nose and between the eyes) and sphenoid sinuses (situated in the upper region of nose and behind the eyes).

During sinusitis the sinuses become red and swollen and secrete huge amounts of mucus that lead to aches and a feeling of congestion and heaviness. Pain may occur in the forehead, ear, neck, both sides of nose, between eyes, cheeks, teeth, upper jaw etc depending upon the location of the affected sinuses. The other symptoms of sinusitis include thick whitish, greenish or yellowish secretions from nose, post nasal drip, stuffy or runny nose, feeling of fullness over face, decreased sense of smell, fever, tiredness, sore throat, swollen eyelids, nausea, irritability and cough that worsens at night. Sinusitis may be acute (lasting for 4 weeks), sub-acute (lasting for 4-12 weeks), chronic (lasting for more than 12 weeks) and recurrent (occurring several times within a year). The causes of sinusitis may be listed as follows:

1. Bacterial infection of the upper respiratory tract
2. Common cold or any other such viral infection
3. Fungus attacking abnormal sinuses
4. Weak immune system
5. Allergies
6. Nasal polyps/tumors
7. Cystic fibrosis
8. Teeth infection
9. Acid reflux
10. Deviated nasal septum

Home Remedies

1. Tie 1 teaspoon cumin seeds in a cloth to make a tiny pouch. Take it to your nose and sniff from time to time. This will de-congest your nose.

2. Eat lot of mangoes to keep sinusitis at bay.

3. Liberally use onion and garlic in cooking. This is a good way to deal with sinusitis.

4. Boil 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds in 2 cups water until the water is reduced to half. Strain and let it cool. Drink the tea twice daily to get cured of sinusitis.

5. Drink warm carrot juice in combination with beet juice or spinach juice or cucumber juice. This is a useful sinusitis remedy.

6. Eating horseradish or using horseradish sauce as a topping for food items helps to get rid of sinusitis.

7. Drinking of oregano tea produces rewarding results in case of sinusitis.

8. Add 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder to a cup of hot water and drink the solution thrice daily. This cures sinusitis.

9. Put few drops of eucalyptus oil in a bowl of boiling water and inhale the steam for 10-15 minutes. This will facilitate mucus drainage. Also you can apply eucalyptus oil on your handkerchief and sniff from time to time.

10. Sipping hot fennel, sage or anise tea also keeps sinusitis away.

11. Mix one-fourth teaspoon salt, one-fourth teaspoon baking soda in a cup of warm water and use the solution as a nasal flush. This alleviates the discomfort associated with sinusitis.

Read about effective Home Remedies for Sinusitis. Also know about Home Remedies for Scars.