Sinus congestion can ruin a perfectly fine day. When your sinuses clog, nothing smells the way it should and the pressure behind your eyes is annoying. If the congestion is severe, you could develop a painful sinus headache. For an occasional bout of sinus congestion, try some home remedies for relief.
Thin the Secretions
If your nasal discharge is thin and runny, you will experience less pain than if it is thick and clogging your sinus cavities. Increase your fluid intake at the first sign that you're getting stuffy by drinking more water, clear fruit juices or clear broths to thin the secretions, allowing them to drain easily.
Avoid drinking milk and eating dairy products, which may increase the mucus.
Humidity
Take a hot shower and inhale the warm steam deeply, drawing it in through your nose to open your passages and encourage drainage. If the air in your home is dry, put a large pot of water on a floor heat register. It will evaporate slowly, adding humidity.
For a more intense steam treatment, add a teaspoon of mentholated ointment to a pot of steaming water and lean over the pot, inhaling the aromatic steam. The fumes from the ointment will stimulate your sinuses and you may find quick relief. Repeat during the day as needed.
Turn up the Heat
You don't need a warmer room, but you can turn up the heat in your foods and unclog your sinuses. Sip steaming cups of cocoa, herbal tea and hot clear soups. The heat from the liquid encourages drainage.
Add spices to your foods to clear your sinuses. Garlic, chili powder, onions, cayenne pepper, black pepper and other spicy foods stimulate your sinuses to water, soothing dry sinus passages and encouraging drainage. Your eyes may water as well.
Irrigation
A large rubber bulb syringe, filled with a solution of 1 cup of warm water and 1/8 tsp. of regular table salt, will gently wash and lubricate irritated and congested sinuses. The Mayo Clinic recommends filling the syringe with the solution and leaning over a sink before tilting your head horizontally and inserting the tip of the syringe into the top nostril. Squeeze the solution slowly into the nostril and it will run into and out of the sinuses, cleansing away mucus and soothing the nasal lining.
References
- "Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine, Volume 3"; Jacqueline L. Longe; 2005
- Mayo Clinic: Nasal Irrigation
- MotherNature.com: Sinusitis
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