Home Remedies for Sinus Drainage
Sinus drainage
You know the feeling.
Your nose is either plugged or like a leaky faucet, and your head feels like it’s in a vise. It feels better to keep your eyes closed because they’re puffy and sore.
And your throat feels like you swallowed nails.
Sinus problems can be uncomfortable.
However, there are effective remedies, from chicken soup to compresses, that you can use to alleviate the pain and discomfort of sinus issues.
1. Water, water everywhere
Drink fluids and run a humidifier or vaporizer.
Why is this important?
Fluids and humidification help to thin mucous and drain your sinuses.
They also lubricate your sinuses and keep your skin hydrated.
2. Nasal irrigation
Nasal irrigation is very effective at relieving nasal congestion and irritation. Saline irrigation simply means gently flushing out your nasal passages with a saline solution. You can do this with special squeeze bottles, bulb syringes, or a neti pot.
A neti pot is an inexpensive apparatus that looks like Aladdin’s lamp.
The saline mixture is available prepackaged.
You can also make your own by following these steps:
Dissolve 1 teaspoon of sea salt or pickling salt in 1 pint of distilled,
sterilized, or filtered water. Don’t use table salt, which usually contains additives.
Add a pinch of baking soda to the mixture.
You will want to irrigate your sinuses while standing over a sink or basin to capture the liquid.
Pour, spray, or squirt a liberal amount of the solution into one nostril while tilting your head so it flows out the other nostril.
Do this with each nostril. It also flushes away bacteria and irritants.
Be sure to thoroughly clean your neti pot after each use as bacteria can build up inside. In addition, never use straight tap water as this may contain bacteria that can infect your sinuses. If you do use tap water, be sure to boil it beforehand.
3. Steam
Steam helps relieve congestion by loosening mucus.
Give yourself a steam treatment using a bowl of hot water and a large towel. Add menthol, camphor, or eucalyptus oils to the water, if you like.
You can find a variety of eucalyptus oils on Amazon.com.
Place the towel over your head so it falls along the sides of the bowl, trapping the steam inside.
Most people do this until the steam dissipates.
The steam from a hot shower can also work but is a less concentrated experience.
4. Chicken soup
It’s not an old wives’ tale.
A number of studies support the benefits of chicken soup in helping ease congestion.
One 2000 study found that chicken soup reduces inflammation associated with sinus congestion and colds.
So what’s the secret?
Scientists haven’t identified the active ingredient in chicken soup, but they speculate that the steam combined with the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the soup’s ingredients are what help clear the sinuses.
5. Warm and cold compresses
Rotating warm and cold compresses on your sinuses should also help.
Lay back with a warm compress draped across your nose, cheeks, and forehead for three minutes.
Remove the warm compress and replace it with a cold compress for 30 seconds.
Do this two to three times.
You can repeat this process two to six times each day.
Causes of sinus trouble
Your sinus trouble can be caused by a number of things, including sinusitis and rhinitis.
Sinusitis is an infection that causes inflammation and swelling of your sinuses.
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) states that 90-98 percent of sinusitis cases are caused by viruses, which can’t be treated with antibiotics.
Sinus infections are one of the leading reasons antibiotics are prescribed, but they’re only effective in treating 2 to 10 percent of these infections.
Chronic sinusitis is an inflammatory condition that normally lasts more than three months.
Nasal polyps, which are noncancerous growths, often accompany chronic sinusitis.
If you have allergic rhinitis, your immune system triggers the release of histamines that irritate your
nasal membranes.
This leads to congestion and sneezing.
Allergic rhinitis can lead to sinusitis.
When to see your doctor
It’s time to see your doctor if you experience:
symptoms that last longer than 10 days
a fever of 102°F (38.9°C) or higher
symptoms that get worse, including a spike in your fever or increased greenish nasal discharge
changes in vision
You should also see a doctor if you have asthma or emphysema or you take medications that suppress your immune system.
Outlook
According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), around 12.5 percent of Americans have at least one bout of sinusitis each year. But these easy home remedies can help relieve your symptoms and have you breathing easier sooner.
Sinus drainage
You know the feeling.
Your nose is either plugged or like a leaky faucet, and your head feels like it’s in a vise. It feels better to keep your eyes closed because they’re puffy and sore.
And your throat feels like you swallowed nails.
Sinus problems can be uncomfortable.
However, there are effective remedies, from chicken soup to compresses, that you can use to alleviate the pain and discomfort of sinus issues.
1. Water, water everywhere
Drink fluids and run a humidifier or vaporizer.
Why is this important?
Fluids and humidification help to thin mucous and drain your sinuses.
They also lubricate your sinuses and keep your skin hydrated.
2. Nasal irrigation
Nasal irrigation is very effective at relieving nasal congestion and irritation. Saline irrigation simply means gently flushing out your nasal passages with a saline solution. You can do this with special squeeze bottles, bulb syringes, or a neti pot.
A neti pot is an inexpensive apparatus that looks like Aladdin’s lamp.
The saline mixture is available prepackaged.
You can also make your own by following these steps:
Dissolve 1 teaspoon of sea salt or pickling salt in 1 pint of distilled,
sterilized, or filtered water. Don’t use table salt, which usually contains additives.
Add a pinch of baking soda to the mixture.
You will want to irrigate your sinuses while standing over a sink or basin to capture the liquid.
Pour, spray, or squirt a liberal amount of the solution into one nostril while tilting your head so it flows out the other nostril.
Do this with each nostril. It also flushes away bacteria and irritants.
Be sure to thoroughly clean your neti pot after each use as bacteria can build up inside. In addition, never use straight tap water as this may contain bacteria that can infect your sinuses. If you do use tap water, be sure to boil it beforehand.
3. Steam
Steam helps relieve congestion by loosening mucus.
Give yourself a steam treatment using a bowl of hot water and a large towel. Add menthol, camphor, or eucalyptus oils to the water, if you like.
You can find a variety of eucalyptus oils on Amazon.com.
Place the towel over your head so it falls along the sides of the bowl, trapping the steam inside.
Most people do this until the steam dissipates.
The steam from a hot shower can also work but is a less concentrated experience.
4. Chicken soup
It’s not an old wives’ tale.
A number of studies support the benefits of chicken soup in helping ease congestion.
One 2000 study found that chicken soup reduces inflammation associated with sinus congestion and colds.
So what’s the secret?
Scientists haven’t identified the active ingredient in chicken soup, but they speculate that the steam combined with the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the soup’s ingredients are what help clear the sinuses.
5. Warm and cold compresses
Rotating warm and cold compresses on your sinuses should also help.
Lay back with a warm compress draped across your nose, cheeks, and forehead for three minutes.
Remove the warm compress and replace it with a cold compress for 30 seconds.
Do this two to three times.
You can repeat this process two to six times each day.
Causes of sinus trouble
Your sinus trouble can be caused by a number of things, including sinusitis and rhinitis.
Sinusitis is an infection that causes inflammation and swelling of your sinuses.
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) states that 90-98 percent of sinusitis cases are caused by viruses, which can’t be treated with antibiotics.
Sinus infections are one of the leading reasons antibiotics are prescribed, but they’re only effective in treating 2 to 10 percent of these infections.
Chronic sinusitis is an inflammatory condition that normally lasts more than three months.
Nasal polyps, which are noncancerous growths, often accompany chronic sinusitis.
If you have allergic rhinitis, your immune system triggers the release of histamines that irritate your
nasal membranes.
This leads to congestion and sneezing.
Allergic rhinitis can lead to sinusitis.
When to see your doctor
It’s time to see your doctor if you experience:
symptoms that last longer than 10 days
a fever of 102°F (38.9°C) or higher
symptoms that get worse, including a spike in your fever or increased greenish nasal discharge
changes in vision
You should also see a doctor if you have asthma or emphysema or you take medications that suppress your immune system.
Outlook
According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), around 12.5 percent of Americans have at least one bout of sinusitis each year. But these easy home remedies can help relieve your symptoms and have you breathing easier sooner.
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