Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Sinus Solutions





This is just a short post with a couple of sinus infection solutions. Over the years I have tried just about everything. I cannot keep medications down, but can drink herbal teas which are somewhat effective. Hot steam baths, keeping feet warm and going back to bed with head elevated, seem to help. There are other dramatic and sometimes more stressful and invasive treatments that work for awhile .However, when a sinus headache has gone too far, most things do not help. Sinuses infections respond for awhile to one thing, and then tend to outgrow it and then you are off trying something else. I believe that the plugged up passages to ear,nose, throat, eyes, etc. seem to get smaller as you get older, and it gets harder to get rid of the headache, but I have just found two natural things that have worked for the longest time, so far.

One is black pepper. Just shake some into a little plate and try to breathe it in. Then go somewhere to sneeze. Keep a plate of it beside your bed and sneeze away. The more you sneeze, the more the sinus seems to clear up. Don't ever stifle a sneeze. If black pepper (regular table pepper from the shaker) does not make you sneeze, just try anything that will make you weep or sneeze: cutting strong onions, hot salsa, even flowers, if you are allergic to them. Sneezing and runny eyes and nose are much better than a plugged up sinus.

The other is posture. Keep standing and sitting straight and keep the neck in alignment with the spine. It seems to help a lot.

Sometimes when a sinus headache comes on, it will not dissipate until it has run its full course, but these two solutions have been able to nip out a sinus infection quite quickly.
I hope to put a longer post on a more significant issue, later today, but this little hint had helped me so much, I wanted to share it.



21 comments:

Lisa Winton said...

Thank you for sharing, Lady Lydia! Something that has helped me for several years is a natural saline sinus wash called Xlear. It is totally safe and can be used several times a day. It keeps the sinuses moisturized and also washes away potential irritants. This winter is the first time in six years I've had to take an antibiotic for a sinus infection since beginning to use this product.

Tracy said...

Thanks for sharing what has worked for you. I'll be sure to write it down so I'll remember it the next time there are sinus issues in our home1 :)

Sarah R said...

Lady Lydia, I have something different to share. I was re-reading the posts of dressing nicely when you're cleaning your home. Last Sunday after church, I kept my church clothes on while I tidied up and wrapped some Christmas gifts. I tripped over the box of gift wrap and ended up falling and spraining my ankle very badly. I was relieved that I at least had decent clothing on when I was transported to the hospital by my step-father. I told my husband that I will never again "schlep" around the house in rags. In fact, I donated some of my favorite "hang around the house" items which included old sweatpants, enormous man sized tee shirts with football slogans, and all of my shorts. I tossed anything that had a rip or tear that was unrepairable. As I'm working on my house chores now, I'm wearing a pleasant gypsy skirt that comes to just below my knees, and a happy yellow knit blouse. I feel so much better and feel like I could answer the door to the UPS man or any of my children's friends without being embarrassed. Great advice! Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for these helpful ideas. Beginning around age twelve, I had constant sinus infections, no matter the time of year. I was under tremendous pressure, as I was trying (beginning at twelve) to compete like mad in 4-H and every other organization I was in, trying to win a college scholarship -- then beginning at age seventeen, I worked a twelve-hour day and attended school at night. I have been sick ever since, off and on. Now I'm thirty-three, have four small kids, am homeschooling, and tutor part-time...which is simply further proof that "having it all" doesn't give you much. Overdoing everything can ruin your long-term health -- my sinus infections, for example, have destroyed my sense of smell. I cannot smell a thing! Of course, this does come in handy with a small toddler who needs his pants changed often! :-)

My remedy for sinus, incidentally, has always been cayenne pepper. Works beautifully. Try sprinkling some in some warm water with fresh lemon squeezed in, it's very good.

Deborah Swinson said...

I had a bad sinus cold last year. I hate to take cold medicines, I think it makes me feel worse. Anyway I did a search on the internet for home remedies for sinus. What I found that works every time is using apple cider vinegar. You take a cup of it, place it in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Then I put it in a glass bowl and sat it on the table. Lean over the bowl and breath the steam through your nose NOT your mouth. You can only breath a little bit at a time because it is very potent. But in a few minutes your sinuses will just pop open and they stay that way for quite some time. The directions said to do it several times throughout the day. It was the fastest cure I have ever tried! Now when ever someone in my family gets a sinus cold, that is the first thing I do is make them breathe apple cider vinegar steam.
It only works when it is the steam. Just breathing the fumes from the vinegar doesn't do it.

Anonymous said...

I love natural remedies, and I think I will take your book idea and make my own little natural remedy book. Thanks for all your inspiration!

Aelwyn said...

This was timely. We have had one virus after another at our house over the last three weeks. It always seems to hit at the holidays here. My two year old always says, "Mommy, I have a 'tuffy nose. I need a cup of tea."

The teapot reminds me of one my mother had. A little brown cottage teapot that I loved as a child.

Ace said...

Hi Lady Lydia, I suffered from these for years until I stopped all dairy, what a relief. I used to have at least two to three a week, now I haven't had any in years (unless I have something with a bit of dairy in in by accident).

What helped me was if I felt one coming on eat red pepper right away (can be taken in capsules). Squirt saline up my nose and rinse it out often, sometimes if things were really bad I would get a enema, dump out half and put hydrogen peroxide in, then use that wash things out (hanging upside down). Also, if I felt one coming on I would clean out my nostrils with a q tip with hydrogen peroxide and sometimes it would stop it(works for earaches too). I have heard tea tree oil (diluted with olive oil) works too.

Oh, yes, if you drink camomile tea, see if it gives you a headache, this can be a sinus trigger.

Many Blessings :)
Ace

Anonymous said...

You're a brave girl with the pepper! Luckily I don't get sinus headaches that often, but when I have, I've been quite surprised at the severity of it!

I once knew someone who thought he had had gotten a brain tumor as his headache was that bad! He went to hospital for some kind of scan and it turned out to be nothing more than a sinus headache.

Even so, it shows how painful and intense they can be. I have heard that dairy is not good if you suffer from sinus problems.

Anonymous said...

Dearest Lydia,

As a fellow sinus veteran, you've my prayers, sympathy and understanding. I've been prone to this from childhood; very narrow passages (nuicance to say the least). if you have a Chinese grocer nearby, or any South East Asian specialty shop, ask for 'White flower oil'; it is fantastic! a few drops in a bowl of steaming hot water with a towel over the head, massaging it into the painpoints above the eyebrowss and cheekbones, even touching a drop or two under the nostrils or dropping a few drops upon a towel on your pillow at night gives relief. It is potent so only a drop or two is needed. As a child, mum used to add friar's balsum ( excuse spelling) to steaming waterbowl with a draped over towel... but, honestly, White Flower Oil is fantastic.

Blessings,

Sarah,
Australia.

Lydia said...

i might be able to order the oil. I dont know where the Chinese community is around here. So far, the black pepper and posture has worked fine, but as I said, it is tricky the way something will work for awhile and then the body seems to get used to it and it is no longer effective. As for the mold in the kitchen being a factor, it might be, but sinus has followed me to other people houses in other states and countries, so it has to be something to do with the weather as well as other factors. Posture has really helped, as well as having regular eating times, and hot herbal teas

Anonymous said...

You are right about posture making a difference. No matter how stuffy and miserable I am, I find my sinus clear within minutes if I hold my back to a wall and then slide down into a "sitting position" and hold that pose. The author of the "Pain Free" books says that many sinus problems in women are caused by poor posture--after childbirth, we use our backs to compensate for weaker abdominal muscles and put our head in a more forward learning posture. It sounded crazy when I first read it, but my sinus problems were greatly improved as a result of following the "Pain Free" program to rehabilitate my back from a pinched nerve. Miss Kris

Anonymous said...

Oils help w/this problem. I get mine from Young Living. My son & I were able to get rid of a simple cold by swabbing some oil in our nose. I didn't do this right away so it took me a week but ds's cold went away in about 3 days.

Evelyn said...

Have you tried a neti pot? I have heard that it is very effective. I have attached one of many links regarding the subject http://www.healingdaily.com/exercise/neti-pot.htm

Anonymous said...

I've had sinus problems most of my life - I even had sinus surgery about ten years ago to try to help with it. I found that very painful and not very productive.

The best thing I've found is a neti pot. With it, you run saline through your nose. I find it so much more effective than the sprays, and it's not uncomfortable once you get the hang of it, as I had feared. I got mine at Rite Aid, and CVS carries them too. I'll keep your solutions in mind too - always better to have MORE ideas than you need. :)

Jennifer

Anonymous said...

Lady Lydia,

I'll chime in here as well. I had chronic sinus infections from childhood into motherhood. I treated them with antibiotics but they just increased in pain and intensity. My doctor said I would have them the rest of my life.

When I began using a midwife for my pregnancies I found a wonderful one with a lot of knowledge of herbs and their uses. She taught me to use a tincture of echinacea and goldenseal in this way; as soon as you feel the infection coming on take 10-14 drops of the tincture every hour for 24 hours. Then continue to take the tincture like antibiotics four times a day for a total of 12-14 days.

I did this and did get another sinus infection a few months later. I treated it as she had taught me and noticed that it didn't last quite as long. The next infection came along, was treated with herbs and was definitely shorter. The infection after that one lasted about two days....and finally, I never got a sinus infection again!

Echinacea raises white blood cells to fight the infection and goldenseal is a natural antibiotic. You can take echinacea indefinitely but goldenseal you need to take a break from (meaning...don't take it for longer than three weeks without a break.)
I use this combination of herbs for many infections and I don't have the side effects I had with the prescription.

Blessings to you!

Jill

Anonymous said...

Lady Lydia,

I'll chime in here as well. I had chronic sinus infections from childhood into motherhood. I treated them with antibiotics but they just increased in pain and intensity. My doctor said I would have them the rest of my life.

When I began using a midwife for my pregnancies I found a wonderful one with a lot of knowledge of herbs and their uses. She taught me to use a tincture of echinacea and goldenseal in this way; as soon as you feel the infection coming on take 10-14 drops of the tincture every hour for 24 hours. Then continue to take the tincture like antibiotics four times a day for a total of 12-14 days.

I did this and did get another sinus infection a few months later. I treated it as she had taught me and noticed that it didn't last quite as long. The next infection came along, was treated with herbs and was definitely shorter. The infection after that one lasted about two days....and finally, I never got a sinus infection again!

Echinacea raises white blood cells to fight the infection and goldenseal is a natural antibiotic. You can take echinacea indefinitely but goldenseal you need to take a break from (meaning...don't take it for longer than three weeks without a break.)
I use this combination of herbs for many infections and I don't have the side effects I had with the prescription.

Blessings to you!

Jill

Elisabeth said...

How timely! Guess what I've been doing this week! -

THE #1 thing I've discovered that helps me decrease frequency of colds, infections, etc., is to add more moisture to the air during the winter. External and internal hydration enable the mucus membranes to do their job of keeping out bacteria, etc.

I use two small potpourri pots, the plug-in kind you use with water. One is by my bed; the other is by my desk. Peppermint or eucalyptus oil (from the health food store or pharmacy) HELP. A LOT.

Warm salt water up the nasal passages (not too much salt or it will burn) is good, too - but I have a low tolerance for it.

Puffs plus with lotion have allowed me to go longer in a cold/allergy attack before my poor nose starts to swell up and get raw.

"All for Jesus." "Offer it up." "This too shall pass." Trite sayings on the surface, but they do help. Some.

Anonymous said...

I was plagued with an ongoing sinus infection for over 3 months a few winters ago - dr gave me every kind of med - even antibiotics. The only thing that got rid of it completely was permanently cutting out all soft dairy (sour cream, cream cheese, ice cream, yogurt, etc.) To this day if I even have one spoon of any soft dairy it will trigger a sinus throb. I had no problem with soft dairy my entire life until this happened two years ago. Also it was my very first sinus infection - at age 51!

Anonymous said...

I was plagued with an ongoing sinus infection for over 3 months a few winters ago - dr gave me every kind of med - even antibiotics. The only thing that got rid of it completely was permanently cutting out all soft dairy (sour cream, cream cheese, ice cream, yogurt, etc.) To this day if I even have one spoon of any soft dairy it will trigger a sinus throb. I had no problem with soft dairy my entire life until this happened two years ago. Also it was my very first sinus infection - at age 51!

Lydia said...

very good advice.