Inhalation with garlic
Inhalations should be your first course of action to alleviate discomfort. Boil a pot of water and then add minced fresh garlic to it (3 to 4 cloves should do). Get yourself comfy, cover your head and pot with a towel and start inhaling. It might be uncomfortable at first, but it will help. The steam alone is an amazing decongestant and helps to clear the breathing pathways. When you add other healing ingredients, the positive effects multiply. Garlic is an extremely potent natural antibiotic, and is antiviral and antifungal.
Inhalation with apple cider vinegar
Instead of fresh garlic, you can also use apple cider vinegar. A 1:1 proportion with steaming water will create a powerful mix. Apple cider vinegar thins the annoying mucus.
Inhalation with essential oils
Some swear by adding tea tree oil (a few drops will suffice), as the oil is another strong natural antibiotic and antifungal. By inhaling it, you deliver the antibiotic directly to your suffering nasal membranes. Also eucalyptus essential oil helps clear nasal and chest congestion caused by colds and sinus infections, so you can use it instead or with tea tree essential oil.
Add honey
Make sure to only use raw honey. If filtered (often done for appearances’ sake), the honey loses most of its healing properties. We really have our priorities wrong these days! Raw honey is a magnificent antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal bee creation, and boosts the immune system. Followers of Ayurvedic medicine suggest starting the day with honey water. You simply mix a teaspoon of honey into a glass of warm (not hot!) water. Your body is then geared to start the day. Now, for maximum therapeutic kick to get over a tenacious sinus infection, you can try out this combination:
– a glass of warm water
– 1 teaspoon of honey
– 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
– 3 cloves of minced raw garlic
Mix well and drink to your sinuses’ health!
Or, if the abundance of tastes (or garlic breath), slightly scare you, just try mixing apple cider vinegar and raw honey, and consuming that 3 times a day. Two tablespoons of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of honey will send your sinusitis packing.
Neti Pot
One of the most popular treatments using a salt and water solution to flush out the nasal passages is the neti pot. This is a small ceramic pot that you fill with a mixture of 1 pint of lukewarm water with 1 teaspoon of salt. You need to use previously boiled water to prepare the solution. Don’t use tap water.
Once you’ve filled the neti pot, tilt your head over the sink at about a 45 degree angle. Place the spout into your top nostril, and gently pour the saline water into that nostril. The saline water will flow through your nasal cavity and out the other nostril. Blow your nose to get rid of any remaining water, then refill the neti pot and repeat the process on the other side.
The basic explanation of how the Neti pot works is that it thins mucus and helps flush it out of the nasal passages. People suffering from daily sinus symptoms found relief from using the neti pot on a daily basis. Once the symptoms subsided, you can reduce it to three times a week.
Elderberry Infusion
The elderberry is a bush that can reach to a great height with small white flowers and dark purple sweet-sour fruit. You can also make an infusion from the flowers of the elderberry plant, which has been shown to prevent inflammation and infection in the respiratory system and is effective against winter ailments including sinusitis. Use 1 heaped teaspoon of dried flowers per 1 cup of boiling water. Simmer for approximately 10 minutes. Allow tea to cool, strain the tea and drink.
If you consume these beautiful gifts of nature regularly, your immune system bolstered, there is a fighting chance the sinus infection will stay clear of you for the foreseeable future. Good luck!
