Treat sinusitis with natural remedies

Exchanging sinusitis for a common cold is easy enough because the starting symptoms are the same: stuffy nose , fever and headache . Still, there are some signs that should lead us to suspect that we are dealing with something different.

In any case, it is possible to prevent sinusitis. Read this article and find out how to do it.

How and why it comes

If you have a cold or an allergy , the tissues in your sinuses swell and start producing more mucus, just like inside your nose. But if the drainage system of these canaliculi becomes blocked, the mucus gets trapped inside and facilitates the development of viruses, bacteria or fungi.

Sinusitis often resolves spontaneously, without the need for medication, in two or three weeks (acute sinusitis). Sometimes, however, it lasts for months (chronic sinusitis) and requires pharmacological therapies.

To speed up the course of the disease, it is best to avoid very dry environments, smoke, sudden changes in temperature and cold temperatures.

If you are interested in a complete overview of all the treatments for sinusitis, read this article .

Ancient and modern natural remedies

In any case, there are natural remedies that help us relieve the most annoying ailments, such as a stuffy nose and sinus headaches . Starting from fumigations up to herbal teas.

Remedy	Benefits
Fumigate	They counteract pain, facial muscle tension, congestion and infection
Nasal washes	They humidify, cleanse and disinfect the nasal mucous membranes
Facial massages	They clear nasal congestion
Toilets and showers	They decongest the mucous membranes
Herbal teas	They eliminate toxins, thin the mucus, have anti-inflammatory and astringent properties

Let’s see them in detail.

Suffumigi . Steam inhalation is the most classic and oldest of drainage therapies and is useful against pain, facial muscle tension, congestion and infection. And it’s also the simplest: just pour boiling water into a container, add aromatic herbs or essential oils and inhale deeply. Here are some “recipes”:

• With ginger : take about 3 centimeters of fresh root and chop it into smaller pieces. Boil them in a cup of water for two minutes. Breathe in the vapors, covering yourself with a towel. If you don’t have fresh ginger available, pour 2 teaspoons of powdered ginger directly into boiling water.
• With garlic : in a bowl, crush two or three cloves of garlic and add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Pour over half a liter of boiling water and inhale the vapors.
• With eucalyptus : in half a liter of boiling water, put a spoonful of eucalyptus leaves, a spoonful of thyme and one of pine buds. Inhale the warm vapors two or three times a day.

Steam jet inhalers . They are the younger siblings of fumigation and are a more effective method of inhaling steam. They can be purchased at the pharmacy, but can also be rented.

Use them to inhale thermal waters (the most suitable are sulfur and salsobromoiodic waters, i.e. those of the sea), essential oils such as lavender , eucalyptus and helichrysum (antiallergenic and disinfectant action), propolis (antibacterial action), lemon, chamomile and bicarbonate (antiseptic and soothing action).

Aerosol (with physiological solution) is also fine thanks to its cleansing and moisturizing function .

Nasal washes . If you don’t have an inhaler or an aerosol device, you can wash your nose with a squirt or a syringe (without a needle). In this case, the saline solution is perfect, which helps to humidify, cleanse and disinfect the nasal mucous membranes. It is obtained by dissolving a quarter teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of baking soda in 30 ml of water.

Massages . Thanks to the massage of the face and the pressure on the sore points, it is possible to help unblock the congestion.

• Tea tree oil massages : spread a few drops of the oil, which has an antiseptic action, on the sore parts, massaging vigorously for 30 seconds. However, avoid the eye area.
• Cinnamon Presses: Mix half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder with enough water to make a paste. Apply to the area of ​​the face corresponding to the blocked paranasal sinuses.

Toilets and showers . The hot vapors help decongest the mucous membranes. As soon as you wake up, take a hot shower: in fact, the morning is the most critical moment for sinusitis.

In the evening, before going to bed, enjoy the pleasure of a good bath, to which you will add a few drops of essential oils: lavender has anti-inflammatory properties, while those of juniper berries, myrrh and rosemary help reduce excess mucus and to detoxify the body (be careful though: avoid juniper berry and rosemary oils during pregnancy and breastfeeding).

Herbal teas . If you are fond of infusions and herbal teas, know that the dandelion root and licorice root are perfect for eliminating toxins, while the horehound, hyssop and tussilage decoction is excellent for thinning the mucus.

Also indicate these infusions, simple to prepare:

• Ginger: has anti-inflammatory activity. Pour 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger and a teaspoon of honey into a cup of boiling water. Drink 3-4 cups a day. If you don’t have fresh ginger, use powdered ginger.
• Fenugreek : It is a good decongestant. Put a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds in a cup of boiling water and let it steep for 15 minutes. Filter and drink 3-4 cups a day.
• Verbena: it is anti-inflammatory and astringent. Put 2 teaspoons of verbena in a cup of hot water. Let stand for 10 minutes, filter and drink, preferably sweetened with lavender honey.