Post your sinus remedies here

[spinbaby]

The long dry winter has done a number on my sinuses. I'm desperate to get them depressurized before my head explodes and I wind up on penicillin for 10 days. I've done decongestants, done steam, done garlic and hot peppers. Does anyone have any other sinus remedies they can recommend?

[texastoast]

1. Wasabe

One teaspoon. Take as needed.

[proud patriot]

2. I highly reccomend Zicam w/ menthol eculyptus

Instant relief from the pressure .

like shooting vicks into your sinus cavity .

I mean instant relief , none of that waiting around crap.

I have suffered sinus problems my whole life and this
stuff Works ..I know what it is like to have sinus pressure
so bad I can't see , that turn into infections as well
as going to the ears .

I haven't had any of these problems since trying Zicam
I only have to use it when hayfever time comes around .
Now my hayfever doesn't grow to infections or move to
my ears .

[spinbaby]

5. What is it?

Is it inhaled?

[proud patriot]

6. It's over the counter stuff

It's more of a gel , but it is applied up the nose like
a spray .

I hate sprays , zicam is a gel so it sits in the nostril
more .

[spinbaby]

8. Thanks

I'll pick some up tonight.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

3. Well, I found Benedryl Max Strength Sinus Headache...

And it took mine away. Do you have a humidifier? A couple around your house might be in order, but don't get the mister kind, get the kind that puts out the humidified air that isn't moist, just humidified. Does that make sense?
Duckie

[Skittles]

4. endoscopic sinus surgery in November

it no longer feels like someone is standing on my face

[NuckinFutz]

7. Claritin-D

I have chronic rhinitis, and I've taken this as a maintenance med for about two years.

[havocmom]

9. Salt water, either as a nasal spray

or a trip to the sea if you can manage it.

Zicam is great but you can't use it ofter. Salt water spray can be used whenever. I get terrible headaches from too much dry air and it zaps them. Also helps kill off sinus cooties which can run amok and breed up an infection.

Hope you get to feeling better. Have you tried a humidifier in you home? It can be a big help also.

[spinbaby]

12. Yes!

I knew it, I need a trip to Hawaii!

[TXlib]

10. Afrin nasal spray

Or generic equivalent.

Try to use only once a day, two days on, one off.

[spinbaby]

11. Only partial success with that

It works short term but the rebound is awful and I wind up more clogged than I started out.

[TXlib]

20. I suppose it works differently for different people.

When I had a sinus infection I used it at night to sleep, and to get my nasal passages open long enough to use other spray meds, like Rhinocort.

I used it very sparingly, and didn't notice any rebound effect.

[jansu]

13. Grapefruit Seed Extract

http://www.nutriteam.com/common.html

My husband was in a car wreck 30 years ago, and his sinuses were all screwed up...he started taking this a year ago, no more problems. His cousin had surgery for sinuses, and it did not help, he started taking this and it worked for him. I take it (IN PILL FORM) every day as a maintenance against whatever I come up against. Do the research and decide. My belief is "Can't hurt"!

Bonus, this is the best prices on the Web, for supplements that I have found. (They don't have everything I use, but most) If any of you know of a better priced place, please post it.

SINUSITIS

Colds, food or inhalant allergies, pressure changes, even a displacement of skull bones(blocking drainage), may bring on a bout of sinusitis. The Mayo Clinic says fungus may be the cause of ALL chronic sinusitis. If an infection is the cause, a frothy white, yellow, or green discharge may occur. The mucous membranes will be inflamed and extremely tender, so care must be taken when using GSE as a nasal douche. Use a commercially-prepared nasal spray, or put one ounce of distilled water into a spray atomizer, add a pinch of salt(solution should have the saltiness of tears), and no more than two drops of GSE. Shake thoroughly and spray gently into the nose, gradually inhaling into the deeper sinuses. If a burning sensation occurs, dilute with equal amounts of distilled water. On the other hand, if too mild, add one or two drops additional GSE, and shake thoroughly. You want it to sting a little(so you know it's working) but not to burn.
edited to include the words "in pill form".

[Dogmudgeon]

17. GSE additives

See my "recipe" below. It's similar.

I tried GSE once, and it was too harsh for me, even at high dilutions. The peroxide worked a lot better. However, since people differ, it's worth trying both methods.

Grapefruit seed extract is a very cheap additive, and if it works for you, so much the better.

Even if you can't snort (douche) with GSE, taking it orally will still combat systemic fungal overgrowth.

Thanks!

--bkl

[ihaveaquestion]

14. Sudafed - half dose

works for me, but wires me up - hence the half dose!

[ArkDem]

15. Irrigate one or two times daily using a child ear syringe

and 2 cups of water with 1/2 tsp of baking soda and 1/2 tsp of salt. My ENT started me doing this a year ago and the results have been GREAT!!!!!!!!!!

[Dogmudgeon]

16. Here's a good'un

I've been snorting this off and on for a few years. The recipe is from a doctor who shall remain nameless. It works pretty well for sinus infections. Keep some "normal saline" handy in case your first batch is too strong. Read the cautions (in big text)!

Read this and understand it well before trying it.

In one pint (about 250 ml) of distilled or mineral water, add:

1 teaspoon (5 ml) of 3% household Hydrogen Peroxide.

Table salt (NaCl). Do not use iodized salt! Mix it well in small amounts until it starts to settle on the bottom of the container. This is called a precipitate. Draw the fluid off and throw the precipiate away.

Do not save the precipitate!

Warm to 90F-102F, shake, and snort from a well-cleaned-out nasal spray bottle. Heat to 105F with extreme care only. NEVER heat it above 106F or any point it causes pain from the heat! It should be warmer than baby formula, but not actually hot.

Notes:

1. It should be diluted or concentrated to your tolerance. A little bit of artificial sweetener may help for some people, though it's not too horrible tasting.

2. This stuff might make a mild fizzing action in your sinuses. Peroxide does it by "liberating" oxygen thereby killing germs. This isn't bad for you or your nose unless you used a lot of peroxide. If you're not sure about it, start with just a few drops of peroxide and cautiously increase the concentration.

3. You can use Sodium Ascorbate instead of, or in addition to, the salt, if you use it carefully. Powder a 500 mg tablet of Vitamin C as Ascorbic Acid only and mix well into your water BEFORE adding peroxide and AFTER adding a smaller-than-usual amount of salt. Then, add tiny pinches of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) until it precipitates out. You can test with pH test strips if you wish; keep the pH as close to 7 (neutral) as you can get. Then draw the fluid off and discard the precipitate. Do not save the precipitate!

4. Soap or detergent can also be added in small amounts (one small drop per pint), but it doesn't really help things a lot except at the very beginning of using it. Use an unscented brand. As much as I hate the company, Amway's LOC (Liquid Organic Cleanser) is probably the best to use. Am-droids used to cook it into cake and serve it to potential marks, to prove that LOC was a benign item. The addition of soap or detergent will make it fairly harshly alkaline, and you will sneeze. So use this only when you are desparate.

5. I clean spray bottles out by first spraying hot soapy water through them, then clear water, then household peroxide, and let it sit with the peroxide in it for 24 hours. Then rinse. It will kill the germs quite well.

6. You can use this fluid in an Ayurvedic nasal irrigation thingy, too. I think they are called "Neti Pots" by the Ayurvedics.

Snort this concoction as much as you want. You may want to follow up a good snort session by laying down and puting a hot moist cloth over your face.

And one more thing:

In all cases of homespun health advice,
consult your health care professional first!

--bkl

[GoddessOfGuinness]

18. If you must use drugs; use Guaifenesin

It's in Sudafed Non-Drying; but I prefer no pseudoephedrine at all, because it dries me out. Guaifenesin is available as a "cough remedy", but works on the sinuses as well.

The vaporizer's my best friend lately. Add a pinch (no more, or it'll spew steam like crazy!) of salt to the water, and breathe the steam periodically, placing a towel or sheet over your head to get the full benefit of the vapor.

Finally, drink more water than you normally would, and avoid highly salted foods and alcoholic or caffeinated drinks, as they tend to dehydrate.

Hope you're better soon!
~healing cybervibes~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>

[geniph]

19. No drug works as well as nasal irrigation

which was already detailed above. Most ear-nose-throat specialists will recommend that to you immediately. It's more work than taking a pill, but it does work, and the side effects are safer than potential side effects of any other method.

[RobinA]

24. This May Be Dumb

but doesn't all this nasal irrigation make you feel like you're inhaling water? I'm thinking of being in the ocean, being knocked over by a wave, and having salt water forced up the nose. That feeling. I've seen this recommended before and I would prefer it to Sudafed, but I can't imagine the feeling of inhaling liquid like this.

[Snow]

21. For relief of the acute problem, I really like acupuncture,

and someone above mentioned neti pots. I'm using one of those as well, a stainles steel job, and it's keeping things clear. I've use antibiotics in the past, and the acupuncture is quicker plus I feel less worried about side-effects - viz if the infection is not bacterial, am I encouraging overgrowth?

[underpants]

22. Kick

:kick:

[Dogmudgeon]

23. You call that a kick?

Now this is a kick!

--bkl