Avoid Sinus
Infection... Naturally
elieve it or not, sinus infection, which affects 37 million Americans each year,
is more prevalent today than it was in the preantibiotic age!
That's not to say
that antibiotics aren't effective. When sinusitis (the technical name for a
sinus infection) occurs, treatment with antibiotics is often essential to kill
the infectious bacteria.
Decongestants can
help relieve sinusitis symptoms. So can oral or topical steroids (to combat
sinus inflammation) and antihistamines, if underlying allergies are involved.
Increasingly,
doctors are realizing that to successfully fight off sinus infection and prevent
it from recurring, medication alone isn't enough. You also have to ensure
that the mucous membranes lining your nasal and sinus passages are healthy and
functioning properly.
SYMPTOMS
Sinusitis occurs
when the mucous membranes in your nose and sinuses become irritated by a cold,
allergy, pollutants or exposure to dry or cold air. This irritation causes the
membranes to become inflamed. When this happens, the motion of the cilia (the
tiny hairs that coat the mucous membranes and are responsible for moving mucus
over their surfaces) slows down. At the same time, the irritation stimulates
your mucous glands to secrete more mucus than usual to dilute the bacteria.
Result:
Mucus gets trapped in the sinuses, where it can easily become infected because
the swelling meant to dilute the bacteria now blocks the sinus openings, and
prevents the body from washing away the bacteria. Symptoms of sinus infection
include...
 Facial
pressure around the eyes, cheeks and forehead.
Cold
symptoms lasting more than 10 days.
Thick,
green/yellow mucus.
Postnasal
drip, which occurs when excess mucus drips down the back of the throat.
Pain
in the upper molars.
Fatigue
and a flu-like achiness.
TREATMENT
The following
natural treatments will help keep your cilia healthy and functioning and prevent
mucus from building in your sinuses. If a sinus infection does occur, these same
treatments will increase the effectiveness of antibiotics and other medications --
speeding healing and making a recurrence less likely.
1. Drink hot
liquids. One of the best
ways to unclog sinuses is to drink hot tea -- black, green, herbal
or decaffeinated, it doesn't matter -- or hot chicken soup
throughout the day. Drink enough so that your urine turns light in color. These
hot liquids help moisturize your mucous membranes, speeding up the movement of
your cilia and thus washing mucus out of your sinuses more quickly. Sorry, java
lovers, but hot coffee isn't nearly as effective.
Note
to travelers: The dry
air on jet liners is particularly rough on the sinuses -- so when
flying, carry tea bags with you and ask the flight attendant for hot water to
make tea.
2. Apply warm
compresses to your face.
Do this three times a day for five minutes. A small towel soaked in warm water,
then placed over your face below and between the eyes, will help increase the
circulation in your sinuses, which will also help speed up the movement of your
cilia.
3. Irrigate
your sinuses.
For 3,000
years, yoga practitioners have kept their sinuses healthy through the practice
of sniffing a saltwater solution rapidly in and out of their nose at low
pressure.
The SinuPulse Elite®
Advanced
Nasal Sinus
Irrigation System will do this conveniently for you. The pulsating
flow from the SinuPulse Elite®
is so gentle that even children use it.
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"I recommend the SinuPulse®,
which is the premier state-of-the-art irrigation device and the only one capable
of delivering both a gentle moisturizing mist spray or a more thorough cleansing
pulsatile rinse. One of the most therapeutic measures in completely eliminating
a sinus infection and treating sinusitis. It can help quickly and dramatically."
Dr. Robert S. Ivker,
Author "SINUS SURVIVAL"
Past President, American Holistic Medical Association
Professor Dept. of Family Medicine and Otolaryngology
University of Colorado, School of Medicine. Boulder, CO |
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An even simpler
alternative is a Lavage irrigation bottle. Ideally, irrigation should be done
using Ringer's solution, the solution used in hospitals for intravenous
treatment, and sold over the counter in drugstores. Or you can use an isotonic
saline solution (not too salty, just right) that does not contain benzalkonium.
Benzalkonium is a preservative that can impair nasal function and kids complain
that it burns. To make your own preservative-free saline solution, add one
teaspoon of table salt to one pint of water.
If you're prone
to sinus infections, I recommend irrigating your sinuses twice a day, especially
during the cold winter months.
To order the
SinuPulse®
Elite Advanced Nasal and Sinus Irrigation System visit the Web
site:
http://www.allergy-sinusrelief.com.
4. Clear your
sinuses with aromatherapy.
To help open up congested nasal passages and sinuses, drop some eucalyptus or
menthol oil into a bowl of hot water, then breathe the vapors -- or
simply open up a jar of either and inhale the fumes directly.
Vick's VapoRub is
also effective. Simply dab a bit on the skin underneath your nose.
Other
aromatherapy decongestants include horseradish (grate it and put it on a
sandwich) and, if you're really brave, Japanese wasabi mustard. All of these
therapies work best if used a couple of times a day, especially during the
winter months.
5. Take
breakfast in bed.
When
you sleep at night, your body temperature drops and your cilia movement slows
down. By taking breakfast in bed along with a cup of hot tea, you'll give your
cilia a chance to warm up and clear out the night's accumulated mucus before you
start placing demands on your respiratory system.
6. Elevate
your head when sleeping.
Elevating your head with one or two pillows will help your sinuses and nasal
passages stay open while you sleep. The more your head is elevated, the better
the effect.
7. Dustproof
your bedroom.
Dust and
dust mites can wreak havoc on your mucous membranes, especially when you're
asleep and your cilia are at rest.
In your bedroom,
avoid heavy drapes and wall-to-wall carpeting (which is a notorious
dust-collector). Use throw rugs instead, and toss them in the washing machine at
least every six weeks. Overall, make your bedroom as bare as possible, and dust
all surfaces and behind furniture weekly. To further reduce dust in your
bedroom, I recommend using a HEPA air purifier, and running it throughout the
day. (Most people find the filter too noisy for nighttime use.)
8. Get plenty
of rest.
If your sinuses
are acting up, you'll be amazed at how much improvement you'll see after taking
the weekend off and spending it in bed. Be sure to get some mental rest at the
same time. Turn off the phone and avoid the news. Instead, rent some funny
videos, find a good book, lie back and enjoy. Relaxation can help the body heal.
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