Saturday, March 23, 2024

Can You Treat Sinus Infection At Home

Can You Treat A Sinus Infection At Home

How to Treat & Cure Sinusitis Naturally | 6 Home Remedies For Sinusitis

Whether it is allergies, a cold, or the flu, most of us have experienced the unique discomfort of extreme sinus congestion. While there are many things that can make it feel like someone has stuffed an entire pillow inside your face, the sinus infection is a unique form of misery that is worse than a simple common cold or seasonal allergies.

How To Treat A Sinus Infection At Home

No matter if its an acute infection or a chronic infection, or even a recurrent one (sinus infection that keeps coming back even after treatment, the signs of a sinus infection are bothersome. It wont let you sleep well, eat well or work well.

So, how to treat a sinus infection? In this situation, lots of people turn towards the medication. But thats always not necessary or even beneficial. Even the best antibiotic for sinus infection can be useless in some cases as antibiotics wont help you against viruses or allergens.

There are lots of ways to treat the infection naturally. It will not harm you in any way. Besides, these are less expensive, or some are even free of cost. To know them to check out the list below-

Sinus Infection Or Allergies

Sinusitis Symptoms , Allergies, and Common Cold are almost identical.

How can you tell which one is responsible for your misery?

Well, apparently a bacterial sinus infection lasts longer than the common cold. The mucus tends to thicken and discolor, and pressure and pain are involved in the horror story too.

Allergy Signs and Symptoms:

  • Sneezing & stuffy or runny nostrils
  • Clear or whitish nasal drip
  • Itchy watery eyes
  • Pain in the upper teeth
  • Pressure or pain in upper cheeks, top of the nose, between eyes or forehead
  • Stuffed nose, mucus is thick and yellow, greenish or grayish
  • Symptoms last more than 10-14 days

But whatever it is, the following remedies can help either.

You May Like: When Should I Get Antibiotics For Sinus Infection

Sinus Infection Home Remedies Recommended By A Doctor

Philip Scolaro, MD

You probably dont give too much thought to your ability to breathe through your nose until you wake up with a sinus infection and that ability is gone!

Sinus infections, sometimes called acute sinusitis, can steal your joy pretty quickly.

A lot of viruses start with nasal symptoms. If you have a scratchy throat, congestion, and a runny nose, youve probably got a virus on your hands.

Dont Use Tap Water For Nasal Irrigation: Use Saline Or Diy Solution Instead

Sinus Infection Treatment: 10 Home Remedies

Nasal irrigation, or flowing a saltwater solution into the sinus passages, is an effective way to treat sinusitis. A small number of studies, including one published in 2016 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, has found irrigation does improve sinus symptoms.

But it is critical that you use water that has been sterilized, rather than liquid taken directly from your sink or shower. This is because in some cases people using tap or shower water have introduced a dangerous parasite into their sinuses.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that, very rarely, people using nasal irrigation with tap water have become infected with the dangerous parasite Naegleria fowleri. These organisms may not cause harm if swallowed because stomach acid wipes them out, but they can live and thrive in the warren of passageways of your sinuses.

To avoid this potential risk, purchase sterile saline sprays, from Simply Saline or other brands, or make your own saline solution using water labeled distilled, or boiling your tap water for three to five minutes. If you’re using boiled tap water, cool it to lukewarm and store any extra water in a clean, closed container for use the following day .

RELATED: Kid-Friendly Sinus Infection Coping Strategies

Recommended Reading: How Long A Sinus Infection Last

Whats Happening In My Body

Most sinus infections come from colds that start in the nose.

A lot of sinus infections are caused by coronaviruses.

These viruses replicate in the nose. Your immune system then kicks off an inflammatory response to help kill the virus. This can cause swelling in the sinuses, leading to your symptoms.

Unlike bacterial infections, viral infections dont respond to antibiotics and usually just need to run their course. But you dont have to take it lying down!

How I Got Rid Of A Sinus Infection In 2 Days

First Id like to remind you that Im not a doctor, and this information should not replace communicating with your doctor, especially if you suffer from chronic sinus inflammation.

Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics, which were not helpful for me and medication to help with your symptoms.

But, were here for the natural sinus relief.

Read Also: Best Natural Medicine For Sinus Infection

How To Prevent Your Chances Of Getting Sinusitis

  • Drink an adequate amount of water each day

  • Clear excess mucus from your passages by running water through them once a day

  • Inhale steam

  • Avoid dry environments when possible

  • Avoid contact with others who are ill

Once you are healthy again, if you are interested in undergoing LASIK in Los Angeles, go ahead and reach out to our Encino office at 905-8622. Our Harvard-educated and trained physician, Dr. Moosa, as well as his committed team, can make your dream of a clear vision a reality. Schedule your free consultation appointment with us to discuss the specifics of your procedure, including LASIK eye surgery cost as well as the outcomes. Our Los Angeles LASIK center has proudly accumulated more than tens of thousands of satisfied patients accumulated over the last 23 years, and you are bound to become one of them!

Home Remedies For Sinus Infections: How To Cure A Sinus Infection Naturally

Sinus Infections Treatments at Home with Ozone | Treatment for Sinusitis | Home Ozone Therapy

If you are experiencing mild symptoms or if sinusitis is not a regular problem for you, then you may want to consider a sinus infection home remedy. One of the primary ways to help reduce symptoms and eliminate the infection in the sinus cavities is to promote natural drainage of the mucus that is trapped in the sinuses. Most natural remedies involve finding ways to reduce inflammation and increase drainage. These include:

  • Increasing water intake: The body needs a minimum level of fluids in order to properly function. Dehydration can prevent the body from healing naturally.
  • Vapor or mist: Various types of humidifiers can provide enough additional moisture to break up small blockages in the sinus passage. Once these blockages are clear, the sinuses may drain naturally.
  • Sinus rinse or neti pot: These solutions have grown in popularity over the past few years. They work on the idea that a purified saline solution can break up the sinus blockage, clean the sinus cavity, and clear out the infection. When used as directed, they may provide real relief for some patients. Before considering the use of a sinus rinse, the utmost care should be taken to follow all directions. In the case of a severe infection or the misuse of a product, they can cause more damage and potentially increase the severity of an infection.

Read Also: Sinus Pain Relief Pressure Points

Steam Inhalation With Tea Tree Oil

Some swear by adding tea tree oil , 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.

Saline Spray And Sinus Rinses

Using a saline solution, rinse your nose and sinuses with a neti pot or other irrigation system.

You can buy saline solution over the counter or make your own at home with distilled water and saline packets. Saline spray also comes in small bottles that you can spray directly into your nose.

Sinus rinses like these work by flushing mucus out of the nose and sinuses to keep things flowing freely.

Saline also has a natural decongesting effect, meaning it shrinks your swollen nasal tissues and makes it easier for you to breathe through your nose!

You May Like: Heal Sinus Infection Without Antibiotics

Symptoms Of A Sinus Infection

The primary symptoms of a sinus infection could be initially mistaken for the common cold, including a stuffed up nose and a decrease in your senses of taste and smell. However, other symptoms such as pain or pressure around the sinuses, achy teeth, and thick yellow or green mucus indicate that your cold has progressed into a sinus infection. Additionally, cold symptoms that last longer than a week may be a sign you have sinusitis. Other symptoms associated with a sinus infection include:

  • Headache
  • Phlegm-producing cough or a cough that gets worse at night

Natural Home Remedies For Sinus Infections

Home Remedies for #SinusInfection

If you are one of the millions of Americans who suffer from sinus infections, then you understand how the coughing, sore throat, headaches, and lack of sleep can make life truly difficult. These symptoms result in lost productivity at work, missed opportunities at home, and a significant decrease in your quality of life.

As a result, you may have found yourself seeking to alleviate your symptoms with over-the-counter medications to no avail. You may even feel stuck in an endless cycle of infection, medication, and frustration that leaves you desperately searching for real solutions. Even when OTC medications provide temporary relief from symptoms, they may result in any number of unwelcomed side effects such as:

Recommended Reading: Simply Saline Allergy & Sinus Relief Nasal Mist

Know The Limits Of Natural Sinus Pain Relief

You should not try to self-treat your sinus pain if you have symptoms such as as yellow or green mucus discharge persistent fever or stiff neck pain for more than 24 hours confusion, weakness, numbness, or tingling and persistent nausea or vomiting. These symptoms could be a sign of a significant infection in your sinuses that might need antibiotics. Using natural sinus pain relief is fine if you have mild chronic pain or a headache related to a common cold or an allergy, but if you have severe pain that is not responding to these techniques, you need to see your doctor, advises Das.

What Can I Do

While you wait for your infection to run its course, you can take steps at home to feel better.

Look into nasal sprays. Store-bought saline nasal spray loosens up mucus, temporarily clearing it from your nasal passages. A steroid nasal spray like fluticasone may help tame inflammation, especially if you have underlying allergies. Unsure about using a steroid? Follow package directions and go to your HCP with questions.

Be wary of decongestant nasal sprays, like oxymetazoline . Using them for longer than three days could cause rebound symptoms persistent stuffiness eased only by the spray itself. Dryness and addiction are also possibilities.

Embrace sinus rinses like the neti pot. Many sinus infection veterans swear by nasal irrigation systems, such as plastic squeeze bottles or teakettle-shaped neti pots. These devices are filled with a sterile saline solution and used to flush snot from your sinuses.

Neti pots and their ilk are widely available and typically safe, as long as you handle them properly. Dont use water directly from your tap. Instead use distilled water, a sterile saline solution or water that has been boiled and then cooled.

Try over-the-counter medicines. Experts recommend analgesics including acetaminophen , ibuprofen and aspirin to ease pain, as well as decongestants like pseudoephedrine to alleviate the pressure of congestion.

Finally, you may want to avoid flying or scuba diving, since either can aggravate sinus pain.

You May Like: Advil Cold And Sinus 200 Mg

What Causes Sinusitis And Sinus Infections

Sinus problems happen when too much mucus builds up in the cavities behind the face. This causes one or more of these cavities to become swollen or inflamed.

In some adults or children, especially those with allergies or asthma, this recurs regularly, leading to constant pressure around the nose, a bad-tasting postnasal drip, headache, fatigue, or other symptoms.

Before you reach for a sinus infection remedy you dug up with a search engine online or that your third cousin recommended, know that not every method is safe or effective.

Here are six sinus remedies to beware of.

When Natural Remedies Fall Short

How to Treat a Sinus Infection Naturally

Natural home remedies are a safe and effective treatment for sinus infections however, you may find that the results are not meeting your expectations. Have you successfully used natural methods and find that you still struggle with chronic or intense sinusitis? If so, there is a safe and minimally invasive solution known as balloon sinuplasty. This simple procedure is done from the comfort of the doctorâs office and gently dilates the sinus cavity to return the body to its natural condition. Once the sinuses are free of blockage, normal flow resumes and the body continues the natural healing process. Imagine a life free of sinus infections and symptoms. Schedule an appointment today with one of our sinus care professionals.

Read Also: Advil Cold And Sinus Nighttime

Do These Things Work For Kids

Sinus infections make everyone miserable, children as well as adults!

Most of the tips above also work for kids, but antihistamines arent recommended for young children.

Young children cant blow their noses well, so helping them thin and clear the mucus from their nose is beneficial.

A nasal aspirator or a product like the Nose Frida can be a lifesaver in helping young children breathe through their nose.

A warm bath can help clear the sinuses and take a childs mind off their illness.

Kids are often fascinated by the condensation that forms on surfaces in a steamy room. To occupy them while a hot shower runs in the bathroom, try tracing pictures with them on the mirror!

Best Over The Counter Medicines For Sinus Infection 2020

If you are struggling with a stuffy or a runny nose, pain across your face, and extensive congestion, you might be dealing with a bad case of sinusitis. Dont worry, though a sinus infection isnt anything that could seriously threaten your health. It can, however, be very inconvenient and uncomfortable.

Fortunately, there are lots of treatments and medicines you can get over the counter to manage and relieve the symptoms of sinusitis. However, while these products are highly accessible, the sheer number of options can make it difficult to choose. So, which product is the best over the counter medicine for a sinus infection?

Let this buying guide help you land the right choice.

Recommended Reading: Sinus Infection For 3 Weeks

You May Like: Can Allergy Shots Cause Sinus Infections

How Is Sinusitis Diagnosed

If you are experiencing pain and pressure that doesn’t clear up within a week to 10 days, it may be time to schedule a doctors appointment. You can visit your primary care physician to be evaluated for a sinus infection.

A sinus infection is usually diagnosed empirically without need for imaging or cultures, explains Lindsey Elmore, Pharm.D., BCPS. A simple medical exam and review of your symptoms should be enough for your doctor to identify a sinus infection. Your doctor will likely check your nose with a light to look for inflammation. He or she also may ask you about any pain youre feeling to see if it traces back to the sinus cavities.

In rare cases, or if you get frequent infections, your doctor may perform other tests to rule out other conditions like a fungal infection. This may include allergy testing, a nasal endoscopy to visually inspect the sinuses, swabbing your nose for a culture of nasal drainage, or lab imagery to scan for abnormalities.

Symptoms may be acute or chronic , and you should seek a doctors help if you have symptoms that last more than 10 days, or are unresolved with over the counter agents as this may be an indication that you have a bacterial sinus infection, says Dr. Elmore.

How To Treat A Sinus Infection

8 Home Remedies For Sinus Infection That Actually Work

Sinus infection or sinusitis can occur by various factors. In some cases, the cold-causing virus is responsible, while bacteria cause others. Some air-borne allergens or pollutants can make you have an infection too. Depending on the causes and how long do sinus infections last, the infections are mainly of two types-

  • Acute sinus infection: If any virus causes the infection, it usually goes away in 10-14 days. This type is known as Acute sinusitis. But in some cases, bacteria gets developed into congested sinuses. Then it can last five weeks, making it subacute sinusitis.
  • Chronic sinus infection: In some cases, its hard to know how to treat a Sinus Infection as a virus or bacteria are not involved in that sinus infection. Any fungus can be involved in those cases. Any structural problem can also develop a sinus infection. These infections last even more than 3 months. They are known as chronic sinusitis.

You May Like: Best Antibiotic For Sinus Infection And Uti

What Is Sinus Infection

Sinusitis, also called sinus infection, is caused by inflammation or swelling of the sinuses, which are located behind the eyes, nose and cheeks. This inflammation can lead to pressure in those areas and persistent headaches. Symptoms of sinusitis often mimic those of the common cold and can include mucus buildup, nasal congestion, bad breath, cough and sore throat.

Acute sinusitis is typically shorter than eight weeks in duration and recurs no more than three times per year, with each occurrence lasting no longer than ten days. Acute cases generally respond well to the best sinus medicine your doctor prescribes. In contrast, chronic sinus infections persist longer than eight weeks and can recur more than four times in one year. Symptoms can last longer than twenty days. Long-term, chronic sinusitis is the most common type.

Popular Articles
Related news