Does Goldenseal Help With Your Sinuses?

Your sinus cavities are lined with a membrane covered with a layer of mucus, and the surface of the membrane is also covered with very fine hair-like structures called cilia. Membranes, mucus and cilia protect your body from germs, pollen and dirt in the air you breathe. Goldenseal root is an herb that has a long history of use for sinus problems; consult a health care professional before you use it.

Your Sinuses

The cilia in your sinuses wave gently back and forth to move the mucus and anything that might be caught in it toward the back of the throat. Foreign substances such as bacteria are then swallowed and flushed out of the body through the digestive system. If anything disrupts this system – an injury to a mucous membrane or a problem with mucus production or the action of cilia – you may develop sinus problems. The most common sinus problems are too much mucus produced, sinusitis or inflammation of the sinuses and sinus infections.

About Goldenseal

Goldenseal, Hydrastis canadensis, is a plant native to wooded areas of Canada and the eastern United States. Native Americans used goldenseal root for years to treat mucous membranes, including both membranes in the respiratory system and in the digestive tract. Herbalist and ethnobotanist Douglas Schar says that American colonists learned of goldenseal’s medicinal qualities from Native Americans, and the herb became so popular that by 1850, exports to Europe had seriously depleted the native stock.

How to Use Goldenseal

Schar recommends goldenseal for chronic respiratory infections such as sinusitis, but not for acute infections such as a cold. He also suggests the use of goldenseal for hay fever. Schar recommends goldenseal tincture, which is goldenseal root steeped in alcohol, labeled as 1:10 strength; you should take 2.5 ml three times a day. Or you can try two 50 mg tablets three times a day. Schar cautions that you want to get goldenseal root products, not leaves, as the leaves are ineffective.

Research

The August 2001 “Planta Medica” carried an article reporting research on the antibacterial activity of goldenseal extract and several of its major alkaloids. The authors stated that results confirmed the traditional use of goldenseal as an antibacterial substance. Research reported in the June 2011 issue of “International Immunopharmacology” supports goldenseal extract’s ability to inhibit H1N1 influenza virus growth. An article in the June 2003 “Planta Medica” reported that goldenseal constituents called flavonoids were effective against oral pathogens.

Considerations and Warnings

According to Drugs.com, goldenseal may be useful in skin infections or as eyewash, although there are no clinical trials to support this use. Drugs.com also notes the use of goldenseal in flu and cold preparations because it can suppress mucus, but states that there is little evidence to support this use and that recommended doses vary widely. Goldenseal is generally regarded as safe, although high doses can cause digestive upsets. Consult a health care professional before using goldenseal.