"CURING DIFFICULT or STUBBORN SINUS INFECTIONS...

If antibiotics and/or the below-listed home remedies are not curing your sinus infection, you need to take a look at your diet and eliminate all mucus-forming/thickening foods or drinks. Milk, citrus, spicy foods, wheat, cheese, etc. are usually the culprits. Try eliminating them from your diet for a few days.

Then try all of the following:

* Grapefruit Seed Extract -- your sinus infection may disappear after a couple of days of grapefruit seed extract. We like the drops, but be forewarned -- they taste terrible!! Also, never take them on an empty stomach (especially first thing in the morning).

* Drink apple cider vinegar throughout the day in large glasses of water (ACV thins mucus).

* Let the water from a hot shower spray onto your face, especially the forehead and nose. While still in the shower, clear/blow out as much mucus from your sinuses as possible. Do this several times a day.

* Try Oil Pulling, a fabulous remedy from India which alleviates Sinus Congestion within about 10-15 minutes."

02/06/2011: Sunil from Los Angeles, USA replies: "Great Recommendation. ACV and Grape fruit seed extract really works. I just took it today and can see significant decrease in my sinus"

02/26/2011: Smk9 from Fredburg, Va, Usa replies: "Don't forget to address the root cause of the sinus infection. There is a fungal, bacterial, or viral organism in your sinus passages that is causing all the pain and discomfort. And it is coming from somewhere...

House plants (perpetually moist potting soil-perfect breeding ground for fungus), pet dander and dust, pollen from houseplants (and yard plants), moist areas in home-basement, bath, and kitchen (breeding ground for mold and mildew), etc, etc.

I am going to try the ACV and HP=sea salt nasal flush in the near future. And I am going to clean and rid my home of any germ breeding grounds. Just FYI."

05/11/2012: Jordan from Austin, Texas Usa replies: "Also if you have not already been using saline, which is just salt water, then start! Spraying it in each nostril a few times a day relieves congestion and helps fight the infection. It can be found at any grocery store. Thank you for the tips about ACV I'm using it right now and I can tell it helps."

02/10/2013: Jholl from Louisville, Kentucky replies: "Okay, I think this is key, everything EC is saying about the GSE, ACV and the oil pulling is great. I would add oil of oregano too. I think GSE and oil of oregano work equally well. So, for those who can't handle the GSE, try the oregano and vice-versa. I would like to add be sure and take Vitamin D. I personally take 5,000 units a day and more on cloudy days in the winter. I also believe many, many people are battling low grade fungal infections. This may be from not changing air conditioner filters at home or air filters in cars. Also, vacuuming to get rid of dust."

02/13/2013: Law from Lafayette, In/usa replies: "Sinus treatment. GSE, grapefruit seed extract, is, as already said, very bitter. The drops can be put in small empty capsules boughten from most any health store. Great solution."

"Read Earth Clinic's theory about certain brands of ice cream, flu symptoms, and sinus infections. Over 150 people have confirmed our findings!

Click here."

"Click here to read Earth Clinic's theory about how pain relievers, OTC allergy and sinus medications can exacerbate sinus conditions!"

09/27/2012: Tiki Storm from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada replies: "Hello Sinus Suffers, I won't get into my whole story with you here, but suffice it to say, my doctor has recently decided my sinus infections are chronic. I have very little success with any otc or antiboitic perscription (btw, the studies on using antibiotics for sinus infections is dismal at best - about a 10% success rate).

So... today is my first day doing the apple cider thing. Of course the stuff has a natural acidic and quite unpleasant taste. I used a recipe from a fellow user on this forum (cinammon, honey, ginger, whole cloves, etc. ), but I added a unique twist which makes the flavour more bearable. I thought I'd pay-it-forward here. I add a single teabag of Cinnamon Apple Spice herbal tea to the hot concotion (hot stuff is better for you anyways since you probably have a viral form of Sinusitis anyways (I've been told by serveral doctors and specialists including ENTs that in 90% of the cases, they are viral). I find it blends all the flavours nicely and there is nothing "bad" in this herbal tea.

I hope that helps some of you out there. I know just how miserable it can be."

[YEA]  10/20/2006: Cherry from Cayman Islands: "Tried neti pot but that only facilitated the mucus to leave my sinuses. Tried acupuncture and that helped a lot, but when on a course of Phellostatin and that was my first real relief...along with one capsule of Cayenne pepper which took away the post nasal drip...this should not be taken too often as it moves the blood and really clears the system. Chronic sinusitis with digestive problems...it was felt by myself and my acupuncturist that fungus was my problem even though I had take Diflucan almost 2x a month. Acupuncture really helps me along with the Phellostatin and the Cayenne Pepper. Acupuncture assists the body to do the clearing and healing needed. Acupuncture was my final and last straw to try as I had tried most conventional medicine doctors and their treatments. Nasal sprays and prednisone. I do stay away from dairy products, but am now noticing that even if I have some I do not react with inflammation as I did before! I can eat cheese and not sneeze or get stuffy anymore. Wish I had gone this route from the beginning."

05/16/2012: Goose from Pittsburg, Pa: "When a air conditioner is running it removes all most all the humidity in the room. The air conditioner coil gets so cold that it dawls in moisture from the air. Similar to how a cold drink will sweat on a hot day. I think the absence of all this humidity dry out the nasal cavity and makes you more prone to infection."

02/10/2013: Amanda from Virginia Beach, Va replies: "Try garlic juice -- one drop up each nostral hold it in as long as possible then blow everything out. Repeat as needed"

06/03/2011: Travis from Houston, Tx replies: "Marie's point above (sinus infection caused by the dry air from the a/c) agrees with my experience. Christina's points (dirty filters, left wing propaganda) sound crazy and do not agree with my experience. I just changed the air filters on my system, and I bought the most expensive, smallest micron filters available. I slept with the a/c on 2 nights ago, and sure enough, I came down with a terrible sinus infection. This has happened countless times throughout my life, and if the a/c is blowing directly on me, I'm almost guaranteed to get a sinus infection. The dehydration point is very interesting, I think there is something to that."

02/23/2012: Kathryn from Kitchener, Ontario replies: "Marie from Nashville said "Sinus infections develop when there are irritants in the sinus cavities that your body normally flushes out, but if there is not enough moisture (or other reasons like a deviated septum) they will not flush out like normal. " Most infections are bacterial. Sinus infections are not caused by irritants themselves, the body uses mucus to remove irritants and when the sinuses do not drain properly this mucus can become a breeding ground for bacteria. The sinuses mainly can't drain properly because of inflammation. The opening (ostia) from the sinus to the nasal passage is very small so if there is a lot of inflammation and the mucus is on the thick side it won't be able to come out of the opening. The openings are also at the top of the sinuses so it's important to bend over often. It's important to consume things that thin mucus so it can drain. It's the mucus staying in the cavities that will lead to bacterial growth."

03/13/2012: G from Atlanta, Georgia, Usa replies: "Its worth noting that not all A/C units are the same.

Down south here, where the climate is humid, the soil is slimy and clay like, and summer drags on for almost half the year, mold is a huge issue. It can grow everywhere in the house, including, yes, the A/C. I work in housing, and we have found that crawlspace installations are especially prone to mold. Installations in wet or dirty basements are just as bad. We think that down here, an installation in an attic, in an area kept clean and dry , works best. Also use good filters and clean the ducts periodically.

I've no doubt that some people use their AC with no issues at all. I'd be willing to bet that they live in climates that are not mold prone, or have houses located on dry hill tops, or the like.

Blanket statements that AC systems either do, or do not, cause problems, miss the complexity of the situation entirely."

07/19/2009: V V from Three Rivers, Texas replies: "I think the airconditioning is most of the problem, molds from the A/C Units, I live in South Texas and we use A/C practically 9 months out of the year. Then I live by a lake with allgie and mold growth, I also have a deviated septom (crooked nose) that is not bad enough for surgery so I am prone to problems. I have run a low grade fever for several years, freezing just freezing when everyone else is hot. I did all the prescribed nose sprays, allergy meds and antibotics approx.every 2 months are so. Always tired sickly doctors can't find anything. I am healthy other than sinus infections. My daughter told me about oregano oil. I researched a little about it after her advise and choose oregano leaf (juice) 20 drops in a 4 oz of destilled water in a 8 oz nasal wash container, morning and night. At first I only put 4 drops because it burns. I finally after years of fever and antibotics now don't freez. This is the only thing that keeps the fever away.I still feel a bit weak when I have had a hard day are molds are high. I think my body is trying to fight the infections. I am reading more and think maybe I should use the nasal wash more though the daY?? I also was having vertigo the last 4 years and think that it is sinus (fungal/mold) related.I am trying to research more when time allows. I stay super busy as most people these days."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  01/06/2010: Jen from R replies: "I agree 100 percent that air conditioners give sinus infections. Every summer i get a sinus infection when air conditioners are in full swing everywhere you go. I avoid them at all costs in the summer."

06/24/2010: Christina from New York, Ny and St. Petersburg, Fl replies: "It is totally ridiculous that air-conditioning makes people sick. What is probably making people sick is that cheapskates don't change or clean air filters as often as they should be, or use the air-conditioning infrequently, causing mold to form inside and circulate around the car once turned on. I have had tremendous problems with sinus infections in the past (until the past two years), due to a blocked sinus and now that I do my absolute best to keep my sinus cavity open (unblocked) on a daily basis, I very rarely if ever get sinus infections anymore, even though I use my air-conditioning everyday year-round. Actually, when I don't use air-conditioning, I have serious problems because of outside pollutants (pollen, cigarette smoke, truck fumes, etc) entering the vehicle. I firmly believe this myth about air-conditioning making people sick is propaganda from the left wing environmentalists, to scare people into not using air-conditioning. Change your air filters everyone!!!"

10/27/2010: Smith Johnson from Trenton, Nj replies: "Christina, You agreed with the people above saying that the NOT CLEANING THE FILTERS IN THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT ARE THE PROBLEM, and yet you still blamed a political group for spreading propaganda against using ac? Using air conditioning at all was never the problem- it's making sure it's clean on a regular basis. There's no reason to attack a political organization on a medical website, and if you feel that insecure about yourself, you shouldn't be online."

06/22/2012: Gtodd from Powhatan, Va replies: "You are right about AC and sinus infections. I am a HVAC contractor with chronic sinus issues. My wife is now fine because of this---->

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50DXSGja1SI&feature=player_embedded

I installed UV lights in our home 7 years ago.

However because of my job, the places I crawl and this infection is going on 6 months I am just going to have the corrective surgery and pray it works."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  02/09/2013: Patrice from Nashua, Nhl replies: "I Just had to add my two cents re Air Conditioning filters. My mother lived in this very expensive, assisted living facility in Florida for 5 years. I only saw them change filters once and it was disgusting all the debris. As a result she was sick constantly with frequent URIs and ended up in the ER 3 times. Moved her to another facility less expensive without all the entertainment frills etc. But filters were mandatorily changed every 3 months. It has been 4 years and she has not been sick once since she has moved there and she will be 90 this April. So this was certainly an eye opening experience for me. Check those AC filters often!!!!"

02/15/2013: Michael from San Jose, Ca replies: "Your Air Conditioner (AC) theory is completely correct. I work in the HVAC industry and can tell you I learned a lot about health during my training. For example on the west coast we use large heat exchangers called cooling towers. The work by running water down a veined surface and pass air over it to evaporate water like a giant air humidifier. At the bottom of the tower is a large (500-1000 gal.) basin of water. Anytime you have a large pool of stagnant water exposed to atmosphere and moving air, bacteria, mold, and viruses will accumulate. And one species begets the other. Mold carry bacteria, bacteria carry viruses. So on occasion these tanks must be cleaned. It's is emptied of all water and refilled with a biocide of extreme toxicity. The reason being if anyone catches a breathe of the dried mold, you WILL get Legionnaires Disease. Care must be taken when designing the air duct system for the building to keep the air intake vents away from the cooling tower. Otherwise the entire building could be infected. Which has happened, btw. Conditioned air also is very dry. Most buildings rehummidify the air to a relative humidity of 40-50%. I always run a cool mist humidifier in my home with my AC during the summer. During winter, the air will naturally be dry. Cold air is denser. Think of squeezing a sponge. There just isn't room for the moisture. Then when the air is heated again and pumped into your home, is is even dryer. There is room for the moisture, and it is going to get it one way or another. It will pull it right thru your skin. So run a warm mist humidifier in the winter with your heater. Be careful not to over do it. That can cause mold issues. If you see condensate on your windows, it's time to turn off the humidifier."

[YEA]  07/22/2006: Paula from Virginia: "I moved to Northern Virginia in Oct of 2005 from New England. Ever since I arrived, I feel like I have been sick. I had a touch of bronchitis in Nov. My first ever Sinus infection happened in February, following bronchitis. My doc gave me a great antibiotic - and everything was fine until March when the Washington DC area pollen begins in full force. New pollen for me, so I was mildly sick with my allergies.

By the end of March I had another Sinus Infection. I got an antibiotic for that, and struggled with more allergies as new pollens were released - pollen that apparently we don't have in New England since I never reacted to this degree there (and so I've been told by others here)... In June Mold Spores came out just as pollen was winding down. (Another new irritant for me it turns out) I got yet another Sinus infection - this time it has lasted for two months and I have tried everything to alleviate the symptoms. Had two different antibiotics over the course of the month and still have the infection. I tried fresh garlic cloves every day, Vitamin C, Grapefruit Seed extract (which when taken with Vit C usually cures me of most things) , even Apple Cider Vinegar, Baking Soda nasal washes. The infection part of it was fought by the antibiotic and a cortisone prescription nasal spray reduced the swelling. The only natural remedy that helped in conjunction for me to help make my mucus thinner and congestion less thick was Airborne. (Teacher's remedy). Try it and see if you get relief. Some of those other home remedies are great for other things, or when things just start before they get a hold of you, but once you are sick or have to contend with continuous allergies and sinus infections, nothing short of waiting for the allergy season for Mold Spores to end, taking a vacation away form the allergen and relieving the symptoms with a product like this will help."

06/06/2008: Ralph from Orlando, Florida replies: "Funny you mentioned all those symptoms, moving from the north. i moved to florida from new york. i have been hospitalized with pneumonia and asthma. 53 years in new york and i never had that. 2 weeks ago, i developed a chest, throat and sinus infection with asthma. i am a vegan. i tried to take care of these things without meds. no dice. had to get two types of antibiotics, in addition to asthma meds. i hope the body gets used to this new environment."

09/29/2009: Melissa from Deadwood, South Dakota, Usa replies: "I moved here to South Dakota in April of 2008, from New Orleans, Louisiana. Back home I would get a sinus infection maybe twice a year; since moving up here I have gotten one every month (not exagerating). My children suffer from the same thing, but not as often. Usually I just go and get antibiotics, but not this time, I'm going to try to go the natural way. Being allergic to Penicillian (?) there are few things the Dr. can perscribe to me, and I'm afraid of becoming immune to them due to constantly being on them. So far, I tried the Nasal flush last night and woke up feeling so much better than before; and I had gone to bed with horrible sinus pressure. I know different things work for different people, so I'm going to keep trying things till I find some that work really well for me to knock this out naturally."

09/29/2009: Bunny from Santa Ana, Ca replies: "I would go on a mold hunt in your new house. Check the attic, basement, and look for spots on the walls and ceilings that might indicate leaky pipes. Even old carpet that was shampooed but didn't dry out properly can harbor mold spores. It might need to be pulled out altogether. I know a few people who had all sinus issues resolve when the carpet was removed. Toxic fumes from new carpet, pergo and paint can also cause problems. Being in the north, this house is likely insulated for winter and has less air circulation than your old home in the sunny south. Hope that helps!"

[YEA]  10/27/2006: Mamta from Indiana: "i haven't taken any off the counter medicines for colds since 5 yrs !! and my condition was pretty bad when i came to the US. we got Ajwain seeds from an indian store or you will find it in the indian section of a chinese food store . Ajwain is indian oregano but very strong. every time i get a cold and chest is congested...i take one tsp of ajwain and roast it on a flat pan. once it starts to smoke , quickly put in a kitchen tissue and take deep inhalations, it makes you sneeze since all the nerve in the nose are raw from the cold....but in 5 minutes it all peaceful, no more colds. and RELIEF...esp. helpful in asthmatic attacks.....also have a strong concoction of ginger,black pepper, clove, basil and cinnamon...boil it in water for 5-10 min and after it cools a bit put a tsp of honey and have it hot. honey should not be heated. according to Ayurveda all these thing reduce phlegm in the body.... enjoy"

Apple Cider Vinegar

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Apple Cider Vinegar Remedy for Sinus Infections

Folk Medicine Ingredients:

• Apple Cider Vinegar - 1 Tablespoon
• Water - 16 Ounces
• Honey (optional)

The apple cider vinegar tonic, taken two or three times a day, can quickly break up congestion, kill pathogens, and improve other sinus infection symptoms as well. Add one tablespoon each apple cider vinegar and honey to a 6 to 10 oz glass of warm water, and drink.

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Organic Apple Cider Vinegar is our favorite remedy for stopping sinus infections. We wish more people knew about this amazing home treatment. The idea is to take apple cider vinegar before the sinus infection occurs, which for most people is at the start of allergies, colds, flu, etc.

We have found that when apple cider vinegar is taken either as a daily tonic or at the first sign of an allergy or cold (i.e., sinus headache, stuffy nose, watery eyes), one can completely stop the histamine response or allergic reaction.

There are a couple ways you can drink apple cider vinegar ("ACV"). One way is to put 1/8 to 1/4 cup ACV in 16 oz of water and sip it throughout the day. The other method is to gulp 2 TBSP of ACV in 8 oz of water all at once.

If you have an existing sinus infection, keep drinking a mixture of ACV and water throughout the day for several days.

Please remember -- the key to success is to use apple cider vinegar before a sinus infection appears (i.e. during the first stages of a flu or allergy attack, or after you've eaten a bowl of ice cream).

Question: Why does ACV alleviate sinus congestion so quickly?

Answer: ACV thins mucus almost immediately. One of the first things you will notice after drinking apple cider vinegar is that the color of your mucus goes from white or green and thick, to thin and clear. The thinning of mucus is the key to kicking your sinus infection. Once you have thin mucus, you can clobber the infection with one of many remedies from this page. Wild oregano oil is one of our favorites for bacterial infections, but grapefruit seed extract is also very potent. Whatever remedy you try, remember to keep up the apple cider vinegar throughout the day for several days and drink lots and lots of water.

03/10/2013: Salyk from Kelowna, B.c. Canada replies: "Question: do I take the ACV on its own, and then drink loads of liquids. Or do I put the ACV in the liquids each and every time, for my sinus congestion?"