[YEA]  06/30/2008: Gloria from Toronto, Canada: "Sinus Infections and Ice cream: I do not know about the various brands of ice creams and their contents. However, my body is lactose intolerant and whenever I give in to consuming ice cream [of the homemade variety,no less], in a few minutes,I feel the nasal clogging. Has anyone been tested for lactose intolerance? Sugar and other foods that do not agree with my system affect my sinuses adversely."

11/05/2008: Stephen from Dallas, TX replies: "That doesn't sound like Lactose intolerance, that sounds like a milk allergy. There is a difference. I am a milk allergy sufferer and if I eat anything that contains milk, I get congested and alot of times end up with a sinus infection. Most people I know with lactose intolerance have no problems eating ice cream."

05/18/2009: Debbie from Malvik, South Trondelag, Norway replies: "I have a tendency to disagree here. Lactose could be only a part of your problem. Sounds like you have a problem with all sorts of sugar, not only milk sugar (lactose) Candida Albicans springs to mind, with all it's complications. Have the same problem myself, stuffy nose whenever I go anywhere near sugar!"

05/18/2009: PS from Atlanta, Ga replies: "Sinus congestion after dairy consumption is not too unusual. I have experienced and read about dairy and its tendency to cause sinus congestion. For this reason I do not eat dairy on a regular basis. I can definitely feel a difference after a few days of eating yogurt, milk, or cottage cheese. My sinus are full and drain down be back of my throat. I have often thought this is also why my sister is constantly blowing her nose and coughing up mucus. She drinks more than her fair share (even organic) of milk."

05/18/2009: T from Maryland, USA replies: "My son used to have chronic sinus problems. We went through the mill for several years with ignorant doctors and needless medications blindly prescribed because the fact was they hadn't a clue (they insisted he had asthma, then seasonal allergies, then sinus infection, etc. etc.). I didn't feel he had any of those; they just didn't fit. When I finally cut milk from his diet, voila! No more sinus problems. In his case it IS the dairy. Other sugars don't cause him any problems."

04/16/2012: Healthy248 from Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada replies: "I can tell you with 100% certanty that milk and dairy products most certainly do have a negative effect on people most just do not realize it, after all the FDA or milk conglomerates would not feed us anything that was not good for us... Right! .... Truth is we are the only mammal on the planet that has been convinced that drinking another animals milk is good for us... Fact is the only time in our lives that milk is either essential or good for us is as breast feeding babies, after that time... Not only do we not need it... It no longer has the benefits it had as breast milk, seems our bodies no longer produce the enzyme required to metabolize milk, couple that with the fact that we arn't even drinking human milk anymore, but cows milk (with growth hormones ) and the fact that we can gain nothing from it because we can't metabolize milk any longer, makes me wonder why are we doing it, oh yeah they say it gives us calcium for strong bones..... If we can't metabolize milk any more how can it get into our bones...

If you want calcium you need to ingest it in a form that we can use, from vegetables, chi, flax, things like that, I have spent the past 55 years drinking and eating dairy products, always had ear problems, difficulty with bad hearing issues, infections well into my adult years, the infections distroyed my inner ear bones, had them replaced only to lose them again, due to more infections, ... Ending up with type II diabetes, HB-Pressure, high cholesterol, etc, etc, etc. Well I did the drug regimen for two whole years with no positive change to anything that was ailing me, then I found Earth Clinic started research here, stopped for the most part all consumption of dairy, lo and behold less than six months later, no more infections (unless I use dairy crap), so-called diabetes gone, cholesterol back to normal blood work back to normal whatever normal is.... Draw your own conclusions from this.... I did... Godd health to all"

[YEA]  03/17/2007: Josh from Orlando, FL: "After reading the Lightbulb therapy and thinking it was crazy I tried everything else to get rid of my severe congestion. I finally consented and as the heat was applied to my sinuses (I guess??) the congestion cleared. My congestion has been so bad that no amount of neti pot salt water rinsing (with Peroxide or Col.Silver will even penetrate). So this was a relief and hopeful."

02/17/2013: Marylyn from Weatherford, Texas: "I am so frustrated and maybe some of you can help me. I suffer from what I believe is a low grade sinus infection and have for years. I have had sinus surgery 6 years ago, and although it has helped with the infected drainage going into my chest and turning into bronchitis, I still have this infection that sort of travels around my head and face. One day I will have a sore throat on one side and then the pain moves to my right eye and ear then the next day the pain goes to the other side of my face. My face is sore to the touch the way it is when you have an infection. What bothers me the most is the horrible, thick mucus that never goes away. I don't feel congestion as I can breathe thru my nose but the congestion feels like it is between my eyes and the sinus headache travels around my head as well. Another thing is I have no sense of smell. I can smell something burning or some fragrances but that is about all. Lately my lymph nodes in the back of my neck are so sore and seem to travel up to my sinus cavities. Antibiotics don't help much. I have removed dairy, sugar, wheat, and spicey things from my diet. I have taken my share of otc meds in the past but really try to stay away from them unless it gets too bad.

I also wake up at night with such a headache and have to spend the night in the recliner so the mucus will drain. It is soo thick I sometimes have to swallow really hard to get it to move down my throat.

Anyone have any suggestions????

Thank you."

02/17/2013: Well Wishes from Appreciate Earth Clinic, Thanks! replies: "Would oil pulling help you? I've also heard that mega doses of vitamin c help clear up sinus infections. :) Wishing you well!"

02/17/2013: Sarah from Toledo, Oh replies: "Marylyn - I used to suffer from sinus infections several times a year until I began taking Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV). I learned about it here, on Earthclinic. I have not had allergies or a sinus infection for over three years now! I take 1Tbs ACV 1Tbs honey in a glass of water, once a day. You may experience a detox while your sinuses clear (severe cold-like symptons). The ACV has to be unfiltered with "the mother" in it. You may want to start with less ACV and work your way up. Good luck!"

02/24/2013: David from Greenville, Sc replies: "Hello, Marylyn, You have a viral or bacterial infection, probably viral. Get a number of different brands of colloidal silvers. Some brands don't seem to help. So try a second if the first proves of no effect. (I make my own.)

Use an ear syringe to squirt the silver solution into both sinus cavities. It will sting on the dominately infected side. Repeat ten minutes later. You will not feel the burning nearly so much as the first time you squirt into sinus. Lean your head back and let the silver solution drain down sinus cavity. You may swallow. You also have the infection (likely) in the ears and into the eustacian tubes. So squirt the silver solution into ears. Gargle with it also.

You have a chronic condition so you may need to repeat this daily for a month. Are you suffering from migraines... many a month? Hopefully, the infection is not past the blood brain barrier.

If you are feeling somewhat weak, that is you are just tired all the time, the infection might be system wide. So you should drink the silver solution (one tablespoon) daily on empty stomach for a month. In a week if you begin feeling your energy returning, then the silver is killing a system wide infection.

Thus, you must irrigate the sinus/ear/throat passages two times daily. (When I get a bad sinus infection, I might have to stay at it for a week or two in some cases, but it always stays contained and then goes away. ) And, if you believe you are fatigued then try drinking the solution. Again, the test is that in a week your energy will begin returning. That will tell you that the infection from your sinus was causing the fatigue. If the condition is in broncial passages get a "steamer" and put the silver into the tray and breath deeply the steam into lungs, twice daily for three minutes each time. Do this for three minutes or until you are satisfied you have gotten the mist deeply into passages. Don't burn yourself of course.

I take silver daily to ward off infection. (And have for 18 years without any negative effect... digestion etc and have never had any blue tinting of skin, nor have all the folks I give the silver to... Free. ) Truly some amazing stories.

No double blind studies however, so I can't claim the silver does anything by way of a cure. All I know is it works for me."

[YEA]  09/23/2012: Traci from Mesa, Az: "A vibrator works wonders to drain sinuses! Lying comfortably with your head propped up a bit, use a small handheld vibrator on your nose (the type that comes with multiple tips, I. E. For scalp, etc. I use the bulbous tip, but you could experiment), using the highest or most deeply vibrating setting your nose can stand. I start on the boniest part of the nose first and soon move to the cartiledge underneath that, following the "most tickle. " In other words, move the vibrator around from place to place (a few millimeters at a time), until you find the most ticklish spot. I press a bit, as this seems to help me find the ticklish spot. The most ticklish spot will move as the vibrations cause the sinus fluid to drain from one cavity to another. You might start to hear strange whirring and clicking sounds coming from your sinus cavities. I always do. Keep finding the most ticklish spot. After about twenty minutes, I start sneezing and the fluid starts draining. Once this starts you are well on your way! Go online and find a diagram of the sinuses. Try holding the vibrator on those sinus cavities on your face at the sides of your nose too. I have had success there. I have not had success with the cavities above the eyebrows, but do try there too. It is a slow process. It usually takes me an hour to complete a session. Sneeze, snort, swallow... , sneeze, snort, swallow... Etc. After about 25 sneezes, my sinuses are drained. What a relief."

[YEA]  04/02/2008: John from Fishers, IN: "I had a lot of sinus infections and 3 surgeries over a 10 year span. I finally thought it may be my diet. I read an article about measuring your body ph and I had an extremely low in ph in by body which is acidic. I changed my diet and corrected my ph and my sinus infections went away. I get 1 or 2 a year but as long as I eat good and keep my ph in balance everything is ok. The first week of the diet I broke out with blotches all over my body and the doctor said it was detoxing from all the bad chemicals in my body. "

11/05/2012: Kathy from Toronto, On, Canada: "I have had a sinus infection for 4 weeks now. My family Dr was useless. She said I just had to "ride it out" with no other suggestions! So, I turned to what I know and what I could find on the internet, including this very helpful site.

Here's what I've been doing:

-Neti pot once or twice a day. Have tried it with non-iodized salt and both the salt and baking soda.

-oil pulling with coconut oil for 10 minutes first thing in the morning.

-a veritable "cocktail" of vitamins to boost my immune system and help inflammation, including Vit B-complex, 2-3000mg of Vit-C, Vit-D, Vit-E, Zinc, CoQ10, Omega 3-6-9, Quercitin, Calcium and Magnesium and Probiotics. I also take echinacea and oil of oregano. And a multi for all the other stuff.

-Apple Cider Vinegar. Usually 2tbsp, 2x a day in a hot herbal tea with honey.

-Hot showers

-massaging my sinuses

I can sometimes make it till afternoon without taking decongestants (I've been using pseudophedrine hydrochloride). If I don't, it feels like my face and head are going to explode. I have no nasal congestion (can breathe just fine), cough or sneezing. The only indication that I have any mucus is what feels like a thick post nasal drip. When I use the neti pot, nothing comes out, and I don't really feel any better. I must take decongestants at night or else I'm up all night with the pain.

The worst part of all this is that I fly for a living and although I haven't needed to fly for the past month, I will be flying regularly again starting in 2 weeks. I need this to be GONE! Could the fact that all these remedies haven't gotten rid of it mean that I am one of the 10% who actually needs antibiotics?? I am not one of those who's had chronic sinusitis all my life, in fact I only remember having this type of sinus pain once or twice in my life and definitely not for this long.

What am I missing in my regimen?"

11/06/2012: Tina from Houston, Usa replies: "Hello Kathy from Toronto, On, Canada:

1. Add probiotic rich foods to your diet 5-6 times daily. Think sauerkrauet, kefir, kombucha and lacto-fermented veggies. This is not only during a bout of infection, but ongoing to keep your immune system at its finest. Read more here at http://culturedfoodlife.com

2. Have nettle infusion everyday, or as often as you can. Steep 1 oz nettles in hot water in glass jar, cover with lid for 8-10 hrs, drain nettles and drink this solution the next day. AMAZING for sinus infections, allergies and overall boost to the body. I purchase organic wonderful quality of nettles from http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/

3. Google 'RC essential oil' made by Young Living. The most potent and effective combination of essential oils (therapeutic grade) to get rid of sinus and congestion related issues faster than any other known remedy. A total must have for anyone with sinus issues, I use in conjuction with another blend from Young Living called Raven. Must have!!

4. Nigella Sattiva oil (pref organic) found in Middle Eastern or Indian grocery stores. 1 tblspoon on an empty stomach does wonders for sinus.

5. Check vitamin D-3 levels. Optimum now are considered to be around 75-80.

Good luck, and please ask any questions! Tina"

11/06/2012: Homeinhevn from Springfield, Il replies: "Try adding Colloidal Silver to your neti pot and also take orally to kill bacteria. You'll need to add back the "good" bacteria later--probiotics. Stay away from antibiotics if possible. Antibiotics may cause yeast to take over."

03/16/2013: Flemmy1382 from New York, Ny replies: "Try this: http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/2322/The-Sinus-Flush. A regular sinus rinse does not reach all of your sinuses. My neti pot did nothing for me until I discovered that I needed to get the water deeper into the sinuses. I usually lie down in the bathtub and lean my head back as far as it will go before I pour water into my nostrils. My sinuses were so bad that I was fatigued all of the time, had to sleep 12plus hours a night, would lie in bed all day, and could barely function at work. After discovering the flip turn and doing intense rinses for about a month, I am 90 percent better. Make sure you give your sinuses a break every week or so, to give the natural flora in your sinuses time to recover. I rinse every other day for about a week and then try to take a week off before I start again."

[YEA]  11/15/2011: Fuzzysmooth8 from San Francisco, Ca, Usa replies: "5 days ago I woke up with a sinus infection. No warning. Possible root causes: heating in house being turned on after many months off (build-up of dust/mold/etc), helping boyfriend move (lots of dust/dust-mites stirred up), the dryness of the heating in the house (I now close the vent of the heater before I go to sleep at night.)

ACV has helped me through my current sinus infection. My first few days of being sick I drank 2 T ACV, 1-2 T local honey, sometimes a pinch of cayenne, and hot water. I drank this 3 times a day. 5 days in I'm drinking it once a day. It helps in the moment- clears up my nasal passages, helps me breathe. I don't think it's helped me heal faster- but it makes me feel better when I'm drinking it.

The highly unexpected benefit is that I've lost a couple pounds since drinking it daily! The scale shows a 2 lb drop- which is significant at 5'1, in 5 days, without changing any eating or exercise habits. I have also been starting to use it as a toner on my face- I have bags under my eyes, and I am hoping a routine of ACV followed by VCO will help. My skin is looking pretty good AND the VCO has helped keep my nose from chapping, even with my constant nose blowing. Usually when I get sick, my nose and upper lip area peels from the tissue abuse. Not this time!

Meanwhile for my sinus infection, I've also been taking collodial silver( 1 t 3x daily), vitamin-c (1000mg daily), fresh fruit and veggie juices (8oz 2x daily), stopped eating dairy, lots of herbal teas, green tea, bathing in extra hot water with salt/baking soda daily, taking hot/cold alternating showers (I feel great when doing them, my sinuses clear, and stay clear for a little while), getting extra sleep each night, sunshine therapy (closing my eyes and looking at the sun, soaking it in for 2 min daily), meditation, kundalini yoga, cayenne pepper on my food at meals, gently massaging my lymph nodes while bathing, garlic, soup, and prayer. I also went out and bought a warm moisture humidifier, which has been great! I add a drop of Eucalyptus essential oil and am breathing easy (and blowing the nose easy) in no time.

My family wonders why I don't take Western meds for it- but why would I do that? I know that my body is clearing out toxins it doesn't need- old things and things that aren't mine- taking meds to mask the symptoms would only prolong this clearing process. I would like to be healed by now - but I also respect that my body is doing its thing in its own time. I'll keep supporting myself through hopefully the only illness I'll have this season."

08/27/2010: Gtcharlie from Los Angeles, Calif, Usa replies: "If it is viral, I would suggest you to take Oil of Oregano capsules. 3 capsules three times a day. Each capsule contains 640mg Oil of Oregano extract. It took only three days to cure my problem. But I felt much better just after one day. I first tried two capsules as suggested on the bottle but didn't see any noticeable results. The antibiotics from my doctor didn't work, even after I told him it was viral."

09/11/2009: Kathy from Dubois, Pa replies: "This is going to sound very off-the-wall, but are you sure the doctor didn't miss a piece of gauze or wadding or something up there during or after the surgery?"

09/13/2009: Elizabeth from Nashville, Tn replies: "I have thought about that and have gone back to the Dr. multiple times. He has not mentioned anything being stuck up there. I notice I have a pocket along the septum which traps the mucus. Ugghhh..what a gross condition. My thoughts are, if I get rid of the source of the mucus ( bacterial, fungal, etc) than maybe I can get rid of these symptoms."

09/13/2009: Kathy from Dubois, Pa replies: "Have you been to see a different doctor? If I was in your situation, I would go to a different doctor, but I wouldn't ask for a referal from my current one, because they talk to each other and often cover each other's butts if they think malpractice might be involved. I would make like my old doctor retired or died or was in another state or something like that. If the problem is as troublesome as you say...something that I do not doubt...and your doctor is not taking you seriously, I would say it is time to find another doctor. What kind of doctor allows his patient to suffer as you are suffering without refering them to someone else who might be able to help? Something is clearly wrong up there. It cannot be good for your general health to have a sinus situation like you have. There must be something that someone can do, even if that someone is not your current doctor.

You also say that you have a pocket from the surgery? That doesn't sound right...why should there be a pocket there, and why should it be acting as a well of infection, whether it is yeast or bacteria (or maybe both)? Has the doctor tried cleaning the pocket out to see if anything is in there, or has he just ASSURED you that there is nothing in there? Assurances are not the same thing as investigating, that's for sure. Have you seen the x-rays, or cat-scans for yourself? I once went to a dentist that wanted to pull all my teeth, but she wouldn't show me the x-rays. You can bet I beat cheeks out of there fast. You also say that the Dr HAS NOT MENTIONED anything being stuck up there? Well, if there IS something up there, it is in his interest NOT TO MENTION IT, isn't it? You keep coming back with the same problem, which means that you are a steady source of income for him, not to mention a possible lawsuit if THERE IS something there! If it were me, I'd stop letting him fob me off and make him PROVE there is nothing stuck up there, or I'd get a different doctor."

07/16/2010: Doris from Oc, Ca replies: "Mom-in-law had nose-sinus fix-alteration as young woman early-1960's. Ever since, she suffered migraines, spent most her children's formative yrs on the sofa in excruciating pain. No dr could 'find a fix'. Now nearly 50 yrs later, retired out-of-state (still suffering), went for routine ear exam, dr took a fast ear exam, said something's in there. He did an in-office extraction of a bone chip the first dr left in. She is totally different. No one can believe the change in her. Just a regular ear-light/magnifier exam. Dr said he saw it easy, just pulled it right out with a tweeze."

03/03/2009: Gean from Salina, KS replies: "Take two washcloths and fill the sink with hot water, as hot as you can stand on your face. Fold the washcloths a couple of times to a rectangle shape to cover your sinuses. Put washcloths in the water. Wring out the first one and quickly apply to the sinus area. When it starts to cool, wring out the other one and apply. Keep alternating the moist heat compresses for 10 min. Keep it as hot as you can stand it without burning yourself. When you're done, lie down for 20 min. Do this several times (4-5 times) a day. It should feel better after the first day.

A friend told me to do this a few years ago when the sinus pain was so bad I thought I had an abscessed tooth, my gums were aching. It worked the first day. Hope this works for you."

03/03/2009: June from Asheville, NC replies: "Bill, I have sinus problems like what you are describing, especially in dry, cold weather. The best thing for me was getting as much humidity into the room as possible (or vacationing in a humid climate, which has literally healed a chronic sinus infection overnight). Winter time is especially brutal because the blast from the furnace throughout the house removes humidity from rooms. Try a humidifier as soon as possible (just make sure to disinfect it every few uses). The climate in India might heal your sinus infection, I wouldn't be surprised!"

03/03/2009: Avril from London, UK replies: "Hi Bill, what works for me is raw rhubarb juice to unblock sinuses and colloidal silver to protect against re-infection. The RAW rhubarb juice stings [but only a little] and starts clearing out within minutes, and keeps working all day. If you mix the two 50-50, there's no sting at all, but the unblocking is not quite so good, so if I've forgotten to do it for about 3 days, I just use pure rhubarb juice to get rid of the congestion and the headaches and impaired hearing that come with it. Hope you find your cure."

01/07/2010: Bonnie from Sun Valley, Nv replies: "I am not allowed to put name brands so I will just give you the name of the herbs. You must purchase 3 bottles, 1-ALJ, 2-CC-A, and 3, Lymph Gland Cleanse. I suffered for approximately 7 years, had surgery and no luck. Finally went to holistic health care. It takes approximately 9 capsules a day with lots of water and get some rest. These infections make your body very spetic, also be sure to take stool softeners or use whatever works, "fiber" to have regular bowel movements. Stay away from dairy and eat babyfood if your stomach is touchy. I can promise that your best bet is whole foods, high fiber, 10 glasses of water a day with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, stay away from sugar, and caffine products. Your body will heal, you may need to repeat this regime for a while until your body builds up its own natural defenses once again. I hope this works for you and have a wonderful trip to India. I have been blessed with good sources of information, and as always if you don't see results very soon perhaps your physician would be your best source, over time the body just gets tired and needs help. It sounds like you have been going through this for quite a while as it is. Gods speed on feeling your innate energy returning very soon."

01/07/2010: Rob from Manhattan, New York replies: "these are the Herbs so people can make up their own...

ALJ = Mullein leaves- fenugreek seeds- fennel seeds- boneset herb.

CC-A = Rose hips Chamomile, flowers Slippery elm bark,
Yarrow aerial parts, Capsicum fruit,
Golden seal root and rhizome, Myrrh gum, Peppermint leaves, Sage leaves, Lemon grass aerial parts

Lymph Gland Cleanse = Parthenium Root (Parthenium integrifolium), Yarrow Flowers (Achillea millefolium),
Myrrh Gum (Commiphora molmol), Capsicum Fruit (Capsicum annuum)"