Natural Remedies for Sinus Infection

A recent article by Melanie Grimes shared some sinus infection home remedies as follows:

Using turmeric or salt inhalation with a neti pot and using simple steam inhalation can treat sinus infections.

Sinusitis, also known as rhinosinusitis, is an infection or inflammation of the lining of the sinus cavities in the nose. This condition affects more than 40 million Americans annually. Sinusitis can be caused by colds, flu or allergies. Diseases such as bacterial infections also cause sinusitis, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center. Sinus infections can be painful, leading to headaches and work impairment. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology reports that sinusitis causes a loss of four workdays per year, causing employers to list sinusitis as one of the top ten medical conditions.

Turmeric Reduces Sinus Inflammation
Gargling with turmeric can help heal a sinus infection and reduce chronic sinus inflammation. The active ingredient in turmeric, known as curcumin, helps heal the sinus cavity. The herb turmeric has been used in Indian cuisine, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and Chinese medicine for thousands of years. The University of California reports that turmeric has an anti-inflammatory action. Further recent research showed that turmeric also has antibiotic and antiviral health effects. The University of Michigan adds that turmeric reduces inflammation by lowering histamine levels. The Brain Research Institute at UCLA reports that the National Institute of Health has funded over eight studies on this herb, further evidence of this plant's efficacy.

Saline Drainage Heals Sinus Inflammation
Irrigating the sinuses with salt helps reduce sinus pressure and sinusitis, suggests the Mayo Clinic. Its site recommends the use of a neti pot to rinse the sinuses. A neti pot is used to pour a salt solution into the nostrils to clear the sinuses of mucous blockage. A cup of warm water with a half teaspoon of salt may be inhaled while holding one nostril closed. This technique of saline inhalation has a long history in Ayurvedic medicine where it has been used for thousands of years.

Steam Inhalation Opens Sinuses and Reduces Sinusitis
Inhaling steam can open the sinuses and reduce sinusitis. This can be accomplished by placing a towel over the head while inhaling from a bowl of hot water. A simpler method is to stand in a hot shower; however, this doesn't direct the steam to the sinuses as specifically as using a towel over a bowl.

Sinus infections can be simply treated by the above methods but if symptoms persist or become severe, consult with your health advisors.

Nasal Irrigation and Common Cold

Quite a number of ENT specialists recommend nasal irrigation to maintain good sinus health.

A recent article by Health Behavior News Service touched on this subject matter and is an interesting read.

Excerpts of the article are as follows:

[ Washing out your nose with a spray or spout of salt water is safe and might even get you back to work sooner after a cold or acute sinus infection. However, there is not enough evidence to show that it can reduce your symptoms significantly, according to a new research review.

The three studies in the review included small numbers of patients and varied widely in their details, “which means small beneficial effects may be missed,” said lead author David King, M.D., of the University of Queensland, in Australia.

One study found that people were more likely to return to work sooner after using the nose washes, and there was some intriguing evidence that nasal washes might reduce antibiotic prescriptions among those who seek the saltwater treatment.

“
with saline is a safe treatment that may be mildly beneficial to some patients, though the existing evidence is too limited to recommend it as a standard treatment,” King said.

“It is quite amazing that such a common treatment for a very common illness does not have a large body of evidence to support for or against its use,” he added.

The review appears in the current issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates research in all aspects of health care. Systematic reviews draw evidence-based conclusions about medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing trials on a topic.

Saltwater washes have long been a part of ayurvedic care, a traditional medicine used on the Indian subcontinent. Now saline sprays and nose “irrigators” like the neti pot − a small spouted pot used to pour water through the nostrils − have been showing up more often in Western culture, appearing everywhere from “Oprah” to the Mayo Clinic.

Saline nasal washes could flush out excessive mucus and infectious material, and might strengthen the nose’s own filtration system of waving, hair-like cilia, some studies have suggested.

If saline washes work, said the Cochrane reviewers, they could reduce the amount of decongestants, painkillers and improperly prescribed antibiotics used to treat upper respiratory tract infections, while reducing downtime from these illnesses.

“The economic impact of the common cold alone on workplace absenteeism is estimated to be billions of dollars,” they said.

The studies reviewed by the Cochrane team included 618 participants in the United States and Czech Republic, including children and babies. Many of the participants complained that the nasal wash felt uncomfortable, but the researchers did not find any serious adverse effects in the studies.

Other studies have shown that people with chronic sinus symptoms, and perhaps some allergy sufferers, might be able to prevent flare-ups with regular saline washes, according to David Rabago, M.D., an assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Wisconsin., who had provided feedback on the review draft to the authors.

Some key information about nasal irrigation is still missing, he said: What is the best way to wash?

“No head-to-head comparisons have been made of volume, salinity, temperature, pH or delivery vehicle — do you use a squeeze bottle or a neti pot, for example?” Rabago said.

He said most washes, which use lukewarm water and a 0.9 percent to 3 percent saline solution, “are able to do something good.”]

You can find out more about what effective sinus infection treatment remedies you can adopt and recommended quality neti pot at Sinus Infection Help.

Natural Remedies for Stuffy Nose and Sinus Infection

This recent article from North American Press Syndicate may help you. Excerpts are as follows:

[(NAPSI)-You may be able to breathe a little easier if you're among the more than 37 million Americans who suffer from sinus pain and infection or are looking for a more natural way to keep healthy.

There are a number of simple remedies that might save you time and trouble:

• Sleep between seven and nine hours a night. Try for more sleep when you have a sinus infection.

• Practice good hygiene and wash your hands several times a day.

• Use a negative ion air cleaner or HEPA filter daily.

• Try using a humidifier when using an air conditioner or during the heating season.

• Avoid sugar, dairy, caffeine and alcohol and enhance your diet with fruit, vegetables, whole grains and fiber.

• Try daily aerobic exercise such as walking, preferably outdoors except on highly polluted days.

• Drink filtered water--a good measure is ½ ounce per pound of body weight.

• Use nasal irrigation to help dissolve mucus, clean and moisturize nasal passages and relieve irritated sinus, nasal passage and throat tissue. This simple procedure has been practiced in India for centuries as one of the disciplines of yoga. Whether you have allergies, a cold, sinusitis, chronic congestion or throat irritation, the irrigation solution doctors have been recommending for more than a century is Alkalol. Made from natural ingredients, it is an effective nasal irrigation solution providing soothing relief. And it contains no antihistamines, preservatives or chemicals that may irritate or damage tender mucous membranes.

• Consider steam therapy or mentholated air. An at-home steam treatment can help break up nasal congestion and ease your suffering while you look for a long-term solution to treat and relieve your sinus infections. Plus, they are safe for sinus sufferers of all ages.

• In the midst of an allergy attack, all you can think of is allergy relief. Try over-the-counter, non-drowsy formulations so you can get on with your day without the desire to nap. There are also one-a-day type products that do not require you to follow a dosing schedule. When in doubt, double-check with your pharmacist for the newest medical products right for you.

And remember to have patience. Natural remedies may take a little longer to work than antibiotics but may do a better job of cleansing to help prevent future infection.]

Adopt sinus infection home remedies and the use of a neti pot to fight sinus infection will keep your sinuses healthy to a ripe old age. So start early!

Common Cold Treatment

Most of us will suffer from a few episodes of the common cold each year. A recent article by Lesley Alderman touches on what you can do to relief cold symptoms. Excerpts of the article are reproduced below:

[THERE is still no cure for the common cold, but that hasn’t stopped consumers from spending billions of dollars every year on vitamins, medicines and doctor visits. (I admit I do, too, from time to time.)]

[If you’re suffering but also trying to be a smart spender, read on for advice. Some of the best treatments, it turns out, will not cost you much at all.]

[Also, make sure you get enough rest, stay well hydrated and exercise moderately, all of which can help strengthen your system, said Dr. Schaffner, who is also an infectious disease specialist. Finally, wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.]

[Now on to a discussion of what you may want to avoid or use in moderation to treat your symptoms.

DOCTOR VISITS Most healthy people do not need to see a doctor for a cold or flu. But if you have a fever for more than three days, a cough that produces sputum, chest pain or difficulty breathing, call your doctor. These may be signs that an infection is developing complications, and your simple cold could turn into something more serious like pneumonia. If you’re not sure whether you need to see a doctor, call and ask to speak to an advice nurse or physician assistant, Dr. Lisa Bernstein, an associate professor in the Department of Medicine at Emory University, suggested. “A nurse can listen to your symptoms and figure out what care you need.”

ANTIBIOTICS You probably don’t need them. “Antibiotics have exactly no effect on the common cold,” Dr. Schaffner said. “That’s because viruses, which cause colds and flus, are uninfluenced by antibiotics.” Antibiotics attack only bacteria, and bacteria are rarely involved with respiratory infections.

Not only will the antibiotic be a waste of money, but it may also cause unpleasant side effects like diarrhea, a rash and possibly a yeast infection in women. Even more problematic, overuse of antibiotics leads to drug-resistant superbugs, which are difficult to cure.]

[If your cold or flu leads to a secondary bacterial infection, a course of antibiotics may then be necessary. Signs that you have such an infection include tenderness around your sinuses, reappearance of symptoms after your cold seemed to be abating and chest pain, said Dr. Shmuel Shoham, an infectious disease specialist at the Washington Hospital Center in the District of Columbia.]

[MULTISYMPTOM MEDICINES Cold medicines with multiple active ingredients like acetaminophen, a decongestant and an antihistamine have not been well studied. The reviews that have been done show they are no better than placebos in shortening the duration of colds, said Dr. Michael Brady, an infectious disease specialist and chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

These medicines may help with some of your symptoms, but be sure to read the labels carefully. There is a risk when taking these medicines that you may end up taking more active ingredients than you really need.

This is particularly important in young children. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommends that over-the-counter cough and cold medications not be given to infants and children younger than 2 because of the risk of life-threatening side effects.

So, what does work? While few, if any, medicines can shorten the duration of a cold, some can help reduce the onerous symptoms of upper respiratory infections. Nasal sprays shrink swollen blood vessels and relieve stuffy noses, though the relief is temporary and you should not use spray for more than three days.

Acetaminophen and ibuprofen can reduce fevers and body aches. Rinsing your nasal passages with a saline solution or breathing steam can help loosen mucous and increase nasal secretions, which can help to prevent a secondary sinus infection. Humidifiers and hot showers also help. Drinking warm liquids like tea has been shown to reduce a variety of cold and flu symptoms.]

It must be remembered that most sinus infections come after a common cold. The main cause of sinus infection is chronic nasal congestion. Once the nasal passages are blocked and the sinuses and nasal passages are not ventilated, bacteria will begin to multiply rapidly. This could lead to acute sinusitis.

Acute sinus infection symptoms include sinus pressure, sinus headache and sinus infection dizziness.

Maintaining good sinus health is the key to preventing sinus infections. Learn more about effective sinus headache remedies.