Anyone have any at home remedies for sinus infections?

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Dork_Vader

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I get them frequently and I'm sick of spending hundreds of dollars on antibiotics. They are going to do any MRI/CT scan to look for polyps.

I won't use those saline rinses you can get the brain eating amoeba from those..

Anyone have any cures? Suggestions?
 
Most "sinus infections" are actually allergies or colds and do not need antibiotics.

Causes of a Sinus Infection type symptoms:

Most sinus infections are caused by a virus
Sinus infections symptoms are rarely caused by bacteria
Other causes of sinusitis include:
Allergies
Pollutants (airborne chemicals or irritants)
Fungal infections
Structural problems within the nasal cavity
A weak immune system

Signs and Symptoms of a Sinus Infection

Headaches
Nasal congestion/discharge
Postnasal drip (mucus drips down the throat from the nose)
Sore throat
Fever
Cough
Fatigue
Bad breath


See a Healthcare Provider if You have:

Temperature higher than 101° F
Symptoms that last more than 10 days
Multiple episodes of sinusitis in the past year
Symptoms that are not relieved with over-the-counter medicines

Medications that reduce sinus infections:

1) Mucinex
2) Water
3) Afrin nasal spray for first 3 days of congestion (only take for 3 days)
 
Well, the simple non-pharmaceutical thing you might try is a Neti pot. I use one to great effect when I have sinus congestion. It's amazing how effective it is.

And if amoebas have eaten my brain I have yet to notice. Wouldn't that make me stup... wouldn't that make me stu... wouldn't...

UH OH

:rofl:
 
Well, the simple non-pharmaceutical thing you might try is a Neti pot. I use one to great effect when I have sinus congestion. It's amazing how effective it is.

And if amoebas have eaten my brain I have yet to notice. Wouldn't that make me stup... wouldn't that make me stu... wouldn't...

UH OH

:rofl:

They have been shown to be somewhat effective.
 
+1 to the above posts.

Like CW says, most perceived sinus infections aren't bacterial. However, if you really are getting bacterial sinus infections, and the docs are confident in this, then you might be like my wife. She has gotten lots of them, usually it starts as a cold which clogs things up, then a bacterial secondary infection sets in. Clarithromycin clears it up quickly.

The neti pot (nasal rinse) thing did work well for her, though please do observe proper safety precautions.

Steaming in the shower and doing hot-cold cycles with the water can help shrink the swelling a bit.

Be very careful with Afrin and similar nasal sprays. They can be highly addictive. I can't even use them for 2 days without then going through withdrawal (intense nasal swelling / blockage that takes a while to subside).

Home remedies? Drink anything warm and steamy. Mint related stuff often helps a bit (menthol-like effects). Horseradish. Anything with capsaicin.

Good luck. Let us know what works for you. My wife doesn't seem to be a candidate for any corrective surgery, in that the root problem is still somewhat mysterious. Hopefully for you they will have better luck sorting it out.

Marc
 
Have you had your tonsils out?

I used to get 3 - 4 sinus infections every year until an ENT doc suggested they originated from my tonsils. Got them removed and have not had a sinus infection in three years.

Having a tonsillectomy at 42 is truly no fun, however.

G. D.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner
 
Tonsils or adenoids? Possibly.

Clarithromycin has been shown to pretty effective for chronic sinusitis. The bacteria involved in those infections tend to be more sensitive and less exposed to that antibiotic. A little over simplification, but it gets the point across.

Have you seen an ENT to have Osteomeatal Complex (an location that contains the opening to the most common group of sinuses to be infected)?
 
Lots of good advice here, just a couple things to add:

The saline/neti treatments keep the sinuses moist and more likely to drain which prevents infections. And if you do get a bacterial sinus infection rinsing will help the antibiotics get to the germs. If you're worried about contaminated rinsing and brain-eating amoebas (pretty rare) you can buy sterile saline solution and even boil it to be sure (let it cool before spritzing!)

I've had a few sinus infections, and I swear by Mucinex D to help them resolve faster, and to avert one that's coming on. Any generic version with guaifenisen and sudafed (or other decongestant) will work as well and cost less than the brand name. The sudafed reduces the, um, secretions, and the mucinex thins them so they drain better and dont fill up the sinuses.

If your face or forehead feel full or painful, hot compresses and hot steamy showers can help too.
 
Best Home remedy passed down from My Grandfather to Dad to Me is
Three fingers of 100proof Old Grand Dad with two table spoons of Honey and the juice of one Lemon. Can be used warmed or room temp.
doesn't cure anything but after one or two ya just don't care anymore.

Second Granddad Medicine: Used for all aches and pains: two fingers 100proof Old Grand dad with 12oz can of Mountain Dew.

My personal favorite Home remedy for what ails you: 2 to 3 fingers of Captain Morgans Spiced Rum with 12oz Ginger ale... Again doesn't cure anything but Nothing bother you after just one.
 
I use a humidifier when I sleep if I have a sinus infection. It seems to help.
 
Try to avoid surgery...I have had problems with polyps, had them removed but they seem to come back with a vengence.
 
I was diagnosed with a sinus infection in the past year. I was prescribed antibiotics and it started to help relatively quickly.
 
I'm not the original poster, and I'm perfectly healthy right now. But this thread DOES make me want to go get some Old Grand Dad!

:cheers::cheers::cheers:
 
My wife has problems with chronic sinus infections... she has tonsil stones (chunks of crud that plug up the sinus drains in the back of her throat just above the tonsils) and has had them all her life... she's learned to "pick them out" with a toothpick without making herself puke or gag... A couple years ago she finally had her tonsils removed, hoping that removing some of the tissue in the way might open up the passages and allow her sinuses to drain more normally, with somewhat mixed results... she doesn't get AS MANY sinus infections (used to practically monthly, and she just about lived on Z-packs) but she still gets them periodically... She used the neti pot with mixed results... seemed to help at times, at others, not so much. Steamy showers, hot tea, I strip her sinuses (using a method shown to me by my chiropractor) all help but haven't fixed the problem entirely. She still gets tonsil stones, but less frequently now...

We both have allergies, but mine rarely lead to sinus infections, where for her, severe allergy outbreaks usually do. I make do on psuedoephedrine (only stuff that seems to work for me-- everything else, I might as well be taking sugar) and steamy showers... usually fixes me right up...

When I was in high school, I used to have SEVERE nosebleeds-- to the point that blood would literally STREAM out my nose-- not drip, POUR... I went to see a doctor and he said I had polyps, and gave me an Rx nasal spray that worked wonders... can't recall the name of it at the moment, though... It was a little pressurized can like an inhaler, with a "time release" (spritz when depressed) nozzle on it... shove it up yer nose and spritz-n-snort... worked wonders... I loved the stuff, because when I was gonna bale hay or shred stalks down, the dust would absolutely put me through h3ll with allergy attacks... so I usually doped up on Sudafed and stuff before going to the field, and STILL had some problems... but with this stuff, a spritz in each nostril, and I could work all day in dust too thick to see through and never sneeze once-- not clog up, no swelling, no snot, no watery eyes... it was great...

When the nosebleeds stopped, I hoarded the stuff until my refills ran out, using it only for when I was going to be working in severe dust-- lasted me a few years... hated to see it run out...

Later! OL JR :)
 
Doesn't cure it, but might ease the suffering. Visks VapoRub dissolved in hot water, then inhale the vapors like this:

Vapo.jpg
 
Have you been tested for allergies? If not, it'd be worth doing so.

-Kevin
 
Well, the simple non-pharmaceutical thing you might try is a Neti pot.

I wondered if anyone was going to mention this. I won't use one. Something about water-boarding myself... My wife swears by it that a Neti pot works.
 
Best Home remedy passed down from My Grandfather to Dad to Me is
Three fingers of 100proof Old Grand Dad with two table spoons of Honey and the juice of one Lemon. Can be used warmed or room temp.
doesn't cure anything but after one or two ya just don't care anymore.

Second Granddad Medicine: Used for all aches and pains: two fingers 100proof Old Grand dad with 12oz can of Mountain Dew.

My personal favorite Home remedy for what ails you: 2 to 3 fingers of Captain Morgans Spiced Rum with 12oz Ginger ale... Again doesn't cure anything but Nothing bother you after just one.

It may make you feel better till the next day.
 
Hi guys. I am nearing sixty and the last sinus infection I had was more than a decade ago. Here is what I do to prevent colds, flu, and sinus infections. I would remind you that I am not a doctor and I am not prescribing anything. This is just what I do.

I take oil of oregano in capsule or in drops for my sinuses. It is a natural anti-biotic, natural anti-viral and an anti-fungal. I always take it on a full stomach because it can give you really bad indigestion. For dosage, if it is in drops, and it calls out 2-3 drops, depending on how bad my sinuses get impacted (in the past) I may take up to 15 drops in a shot glass with some liquid so I can slam it down, because it burns. It will clean up the sinuses and will do it overnight. After I get my sinuses cleaned up, I will do a maintenance dose of about half to a third of that amount twice a day for about a week or longer. If it is in capsule form, and the instructions on the bottle say 2-3 capsules per day, I will start with about 6-8 capsules, with food in my stomach. You can normally get Oil of Oregano in a health food store.

If my lungs get congested and the bronchial passages get clogged, I do large doses of Oil of Garlic. The best thing is to do prevention. It is a natural anti-biotic also.

If I start to get a sore throat or my ears itch or it gets as far as an ear ache, then I will put Ever-clear, 190 proof grain alcohol in my ears. I just lay on my side, and fill up an ear. Take a nap or read a book and wait about 30 or 45 minutes. Then I do the other side. It stops it pretty quick.

There is another thing I do and that is take a precursor to glutathione called Cellgevity. I will swear by it's efficacy. If I think I an going to even start to get a cold, such as I sneeze two or three times in a row, then I will take a days dosage of the Cellgevity and the cold never comes. Same with the flu. All of this combined works to strengthen your immune system, I believe, and I just do not get sick anymore. I promise you, it works for me and so that is what I would tell you to do if you were going to follow my suggestion.

I really hope this helps and you get better soon.

BEAR
 
Luke, what the heck is "stripping your sinuses"? Never heard of it...

I would go to the chiropractor after I got rear ended by another pickup, and sometimes would be suffering badly from allergies/hayfever... After he did my adjustments, he'd have me roll over on the table, and straighten out his hand like you would to "karate chop" someone... he'd put the edge of his hand against the side of my nose, with the pinky finger just above the orbit bone (eyebrow) of the skull, (which is a sinus area) and the edge of his hand alongside my nose, so that the edge of his wrist was just above my upper mandibles (teeth, just above my mouth) and then press gently but with a quick repeated motion, downward against the skull and slightly down toward the mouth... basically the edge of your hand will fall between the nose and the "bump" of your cheekbone on your skull, in the 'trough' in the skull between the two... A few quick thrusts like this tends to "get the fluid moving" and promotes circulation, which helps warm and clear the underlying sinuses...

I've found through experimentation that I can greatly relieve the sinus pressure and promote drainage on myself and Betty through this technique and adapting it in a few ways... the upper sinuses, behind our eyebrows and between them, just above our eyebrows low on the forehead, tend to get stopped up and build up sinus pressure, causing sinus headaches... gentle pressure and massaging this area will help to get the fluid to drain and promote circulation, which warms the sinuses (again promoting drainage) and helping to alleviate the pressure and pain... this can be coupled with GENTLE massage of the orbital bones of the eye (basically, using one's thumb to massage up against the bone under the eyebrows and even gently up in the hollow between the eyebrows and the bridge of the nose... If you feel in the corners of your eyes on the bridge of your nose, on the sides near the corners of the eyes, you'll feel some small openings in the bone-- massaging this area helps open the sinuses and promotes drainage and increased circulation. Then I move down the sides of the nose, in the "trough" in the skull between the nose itself and the cheekbones (which are higher "knobs" on either side of the trough) and massage that with one hand, with the first and second fingers straddling the nose in a "V" (for "victory") type hand position/gesture... work from the outsides o the eyebrows to the center, massage the area at the base of the forehead just between the eyebrows, under the eyebrows and either side of the bridge of the nose, then down the sides of the nose as mentioned... If you feel under your cheek bone where your upper mandible goes under the cheekbone, there is a "trough" there as well... I then move out along this trough, massaging the area outwards on either side of the skull... as you work around the cheekbone, you'll feel an area of the jaw just above the back molars on your upper mandible-- massage this area with a gentle circular motion, working back under the skull bone toward the ear, below the bone below the temple... I then usually follow up by massaging around the ear with my thumbs, behind the lower jaw hinge against the side of the throat, which helps move fluid down the drains to the throat (the eustachian tubes drainging the ears run through here and can tend to "back up" as well, possibly leadin to ear infections if the nasal infection moves over to the ear tubes... I finish off with a gently rolling massage on either side of the throat just above the adam's apple, where all this stuff ends up draining down our throats...

No guarantees, but it certainly helps me and Betty... she's asking me to "strip her sinuses" all the time like this... so it helps her anyway...

Good luck! OL JR :)
 
Three fingers of 100proof Old Grand Dad with two table spoons of Honey and the juice of one Lemon.

Works for:

  • Allergies
  • Cold
  • Flu
  • Gas
  • Bloating
  • Constipation
  • Warts
  • The Grippe
  • Gout Poisoning
  • Hernia
  • Hangnail
  • Ingrown Hair
  • The Heartbreak of Psoriasis
  • Monkey Butt
 
Best Home remedy passed down from My Grandfather to Dad to Me is
Three fingers of 100proof Old Grand Dad with two table spoons of Honey and the juice of one Lemon. Can be used warmed or room temp.
doesn't cure anything but after one or two ya just don't care anymore.

Second Granddad Medicine: Used for all aches and pains: two fingers 100proof Old Grand dad with 12oz can of Mountain Dew.

My personal favorite Home remedy for what ails you: 2 to 3 fingers of Captain Morgans Spiced Rum with 12oz Ginger ale... Again doesn't cure anything but Nothing bother you after just one.

My wife and I had some friends that were all old enough to be our parents when we were first married. We bought land from them and were adopted so to speak into the family.

The fix for any ailment was from a mason jar on a high shelf in kitchen, I forget what the base alcohol was, Gin, Rum, Whisky but to that they added an orange, lemon, cherries, and let it sit for six months. As you say two shots of that and you felt better. You may not have been any better, but you did not care.

They are all dead now, not one of them died from a cold....
 
My wife and I had some friends that were all old enough to be our parents when we were first married. We bought land from them and were adopted so to speak into the family.

The fix for any ailment was from a mason jar on a high shelf in kitchen, I forget what the base alcohol was, Gin, Rum, Whisky but to that they added an orange, lemon, cherries, and let it sit for six months. As you say two shots of that and you felt better. You may not have been any better, but you did not care.

They are all dead now, not one of them died from a cold....

Did they die with a Mason Jar in their hand?
 
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