Natural Remedies for Chronic Sinusitis Relief

I've had the worst sinus infection for about 2 months along with ear infections and I couldn't hear. I live in Alabama, and since I moved here my sinuses have been horrid. But it got worse two days ago, my right eye was so swollen, a huge pocket of fluid on eyelid, and below where dark circles are, even just above eye lashes.

I just happened upon this site, and decided to do the oil pull, and I had some cold-pressed coconut, good stuff! I've been into natural healing for years, and tried a neti pot with sea salt, and couldn't even get that to go through! Also I take herbs everyday which have helped through the years.

So I also have had eczema since moving here, on my ear lobes, on forehead next to hair line. I know that's a sign of lowered immune system function. So after cleaning my teeth, I did the coconut oil pull. It tasted so good! I was surprised. So I did it for 15 minutes, swishing it around, and went to bed. I woke up this morning with the whole right side of nose all red! Also with eczema bumps on it! Wow! This stuff works fast! The poison is coming out of my system! I did another oil pull this morning, and then neti pot, and finally got it unstopped.

I still have that lump of sinus crud in the back of my throat, it feels thick, but I know I'm going to beat this thing. I also put coconut oil on eczema on nose, it's good for that, it has many anti-bacterial properties!

So just day one, I will update as I go! I'm very disabled, arthritis, many back and joint surgeries, so looking forward to seeing if I get good results as other have on those aches & pains oil pulling. I'm so glad I found this site!

Did your white tongue clear up right away?

Milk of magnesia diluted with some filtered water in a neti pot which is made for nose irrigation( neti pots are inexpensive and easy to use )I simply poured the mixture into my nasal cavities for a few minutes and rinsed It works fast.

I too had reactions everytime I was in our family room which is wall to wall carpet and we have a fabric sofa. Well when I was upstairs which is all hardwood floors with a leather sofa set, no reaction! Our bedroom is hardwood floors no reaction. I wash the bed sheets every three days to keep my allegies reaction down.

Didn't help me. Drank it down trying to avoid another sinus infection and relieve the awful pressure in my face. Unfortunately, it upset my stomach so badly that I threw it all up 40 minutes later. Sticking with Mucinex.

Hi Teck from Ohio, fellow polyp sufferer, going for my second surgery, in 2 months! Trying to keep control until then. I've added a 50mg zinc tablet to my diet. Now I am drinking mint tea with ginger &green tea bags. Read some info and a clinical trial on mint tea, got nothing to lose by trying it. There may be a genetic connection to a protein we lack. I'm curious if any of you were preemies or RH factor? Also, a parent with autoimmune disease.

Hi - I started taking 2 teaspoons ACV in 8 ounces of water 3X a day (I tried taking 2 tablespoons but it was too much for me and dried my mouth out) to irrigate my sinuses, and while it helped, it did not "cure" my problem. I had tried many sinus irrigation remedies in the past, but the sea salt always irritated my nasal passages, so now I am using 1/4 teaspoon of HIMALAYAN PINK SALT in 8 ounces of lukewarm water with just ONE drop of ACV vinegar to irrigate each side of my nostril/sinus. I used a squeeze bottle instead of a Neti pot (much more effective! ) Not only do my sinuses feel immensely better, but the horrible thrush and dry mouth cleared I had cleared up! My tongue is nice and pink now instead of having ugly whit spots and hurting when I swallowed or ate certain foods. I suspect that my sinus infection had been drainng into my mouth, and that is why this rinse worked so well. Good luck to everyone here who is suffering!

I also wear a t-shirt on my head (over my eyes and ears not my nose and mouth) and since I've been doing that I've not had any sinus infections that I can recall. Sometimes I won't bother with it and I can feel one coming on.

My Sinusitis attacks are GONE! I have been noticing that everytime I had a Sinusitis Attack- the crown of my head towards the back of my head would feel very cold! I would get relief from my Sinusitis Attacks by using a blow dryer on my head to warm my head. So I started wearing a warm Hat or Cap 24/7!

At night (if it is really cold) I not only wear my cap or hat but I also will wrap a sweatshirt or T-Shirt around my head on top of my hat to ensure my head is not cold at all. THIS HAS STOPPED ALL SINUSITIS ATTACKS! I have not had any problem with my sinuses at all since I kept my head warm!

It seems that I never had a sinus problem---but I seem to have a Cold Head problem that triggers my sinusitis attacks! My Sinusitus Attacks had become so bad they were now like panic attacks! Really horrible and ruining my life!

Whatever was draining (mucus/liquid) was burning my ears, sinuses, throat, and chest. I no longer need to irrigate my sinuses with my neti pot and various treatments as my sinuses are now back to normal. I have suffered from Sinusitis for 11 years!

Hope this helps YOU as it did for me!

So I googled my problem... Sinus congestion and allergies... and happened to come upon this site.

I was amazed that nobody had ever mentioned ACV to me. I went out and bought some Organic ACV and made the recipe someone had posted earlier with ginger, honey and ACV.

My son was blown away as was I that within minutes I was able to breath! I stopped sneezing and sniffling. I took my first and only dose so far at around 10 am this morning. It is now 6:30 pm and I am 99% symptom free! I made a big batch of it and plan on taking it every day!

I have taken the strongest of Antibiotics - did not work!

I have an appointment with an ENT in April, I hope to be canceling the appointment!

I am so thankful I found this site, and for all the reviews people had posted. Had it not been for the reviews from you folks I would have still the hopeless feeling I suffered with for over a year! All I can say is WOW WOW WOW I wish I had known about this stuff a year ago when my problems started!

Thanks again to everyone!

Having treated many sinus conditions for many years I will say from experience that the vast majority of sinus problems come from infected teeth. It takes a well trained dentist to find the bad tooth. Diagnostic X-ray is generally ineffective unless the condition is more than significant. Many times it's under a crown or a failed root canal or multiple metals in the mouth (galvanism). An additional complication comes after a tooth is too aggressively extracted and the sinus drops and fills in the new space as the bone resorbs and sometimes results in a fistula (CT scan will show it) The fistula has to be lifted and closed. Bacteria from the mouth communicating with the sinus will cause severe infection/inflammation until it is corrected. If these problems are not effectively addressed the sinus treatment is generally only palliative and the condition will continue to return.

I can't sing the praises enough for the air purifier method. I've tried all of these methods and they provide relief to a certain degree but don't stop it... My situation might be a little different given the poorness of the air quality in my local. Some people do have pretty good success with Netipots which I have and do use myself. In any regard both methods work on cleaning the nasal tract. I've never heard of bleeding with sinusitus or UTI's so you might want to watch that. Ps you might want to consider eliminating dairy from your diet or at least reducing it considerably as its a major culprit in creating sinus allergies... Good luck and good health!

Hi Mayaman, I have been struggling with infected sinuses for two weeks now, really miserable but everybody is having the flu in Switzerland and France where we have just been, so it is normal but it is taking to long to cure itself. I don't usually have such problems, actually only once in my life in 2001. My nose seems to be really infected and is now even starting to bleed. I have a humidifier but that doesn't seem to be helping much, never had an air purifier though. I might look for one as you really seem to think that it helps. Someone here suggested sniffing with urine but I don't really know how to do it. I suppose one can put a bit in one hand and sniff it? Worth trying, I suppose...... I am taking all kinds of vitamins, drinking lots of orange, lemon and ACV juice, foot baths with magnesium, salt steam bath, but nothing helps.

I've struggled with chronic sinusitus due to the very poor air quality of the area I live in which I believe is ranked in the top ten worst in the USA. I've been to this forum and have tried the ACV, tried the Netipot, tried the cayenne, tried diet, and they have all helped to provide some relief this stops it cold. Just put the purifier on your nightstand and keep it on the whole night. Works wonders! I just did it after having to take the week off of work due to a URI. Even after antihistamine, eating healthier, netipots, juicing, it still was throbbing and sapping my energy. My Mom swears by this and recommended it to me. After one night the pressure was gone and I felt much better. My wife tried it last night and felt much better this morning. My wife swears by this now and says she does it just for preventative measures- too much success...

Actually, I just did this the other day (except for getting rid of carpets--I live in an apartment). As I was cleaning, I started noticing some allergy issues. On the left side of my face, my eye was watering and my nose was running. It was to be expected, though. There was so much dust, and I live in the ground level, so mold develops around the windows very easily.

Over the next few days, my allergies worsened. I took some anti-histamine drugs which usually work. But the congestion got worse and worse. Finally, I must admit that I am having a full-on sinus infection now.

On the bright side of things, I know that it won't be perpetuated by a dusty/moldy room anymore. I can use Vit. C, ACV, and other remedies to get rid of it. Hopefully.

Hi Bill! Having suffered from sinusitis for years I would like to know about how much Iodine can be used in a neti pot to use on sinusitis or the sinuses safely? If you know? Or does anyone know?

On utube there is an herbalist that makes Lugol's iodine from scratch. Interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Znqej6FBxTA#!

Back in the 20's or 30's my grandmother got a large goiter in her neck. The doctor had her use straight iodine on the goiter and sure enough the goiter disappeared never to return! In those days the iodine sold to the public was stronger than that sold today I'm told. I was told the Iodine was about 100% but I can't verify that.

Concerning neti ptot methods for getting rid of sinusitis, it is fairly well know that iodine is stored naturally in all mucus glands in the body -- including the nose, eyes, breasts, uterus, prostate, lungs and intestines. So when mucus is excreted over any external surface in the body -- iodine within the mucus should provide the first line of defense against all external bacteria, viruses and fungus entering the body. However, I should also add that about 95% of people are chronically lacking iodine in their body nowadays.

I read a fairly classic piece of research a while ago by Dr J D Stone and Sir MacFarland Burnett who both won a Nobel Prize for their research on Cloning. They completed a very simple but famous experiment which ultimately proved the efficacy of externally using lugol's iodine in a unique way. They created a sealed chamber that sprayed a lethal mist containing a large amount of influenza viruses and introduced a group of mice into the chamber. But before they put the mice into the chamber, they put a drop or two of iodine on just their snouts or noses. The mice were left in this chamber for quite a long period of time then removed and none of the mice caught the flu.

So in my mind, since iodine is also lethal to fungus as well, this would probably work in the same way and kill the fungal form of sinusitis/rhinitis if you use a neti pot containing dilute iodine in water to get rid of the the fungus in the nose causing the sinusitis.

Another suggestion. Since there is nothing worse than flying somewhere on holiday only to find that you've caught the flu or cold from the plane's regurgitated air supply when you arrive -- I now snort(using a dropper) a capful of water with several added drops of iodine in the morning whenever I have to catch a plane and, since doing this, I have never caught a cold or flu or been ill from a plane trip since, but friends and family who have travelled with me have caught these bugs and become quite ill on holiday. Also, when iodine is taken in the nose like this, it will slowly sublimate and pass into the lungs, thus helping to protect this area of the body as well. I also see absolutely no reason why using iodine against nasal fungal problems should not work as well as it has done against the flu or colds.

Source: http://www.thyroidscience.com/reviews/derry/Derry.flu.iodine.9.19.09.pdf

Having a chronic sinus issue is torture and I have had one for 4 years after moving into a house with mold. The mayo clinic website describes taking 2,000 biopsies or core samples from chronic rhinitis/sinusitis sufferers, 93% of whom displayed fungal involvement. Fungus is like a bat hanging in the cave of your sinus, and taking diflukan etc may well not affect the fungus because there is no blood-flow to it.

So save yourself a lot of liver toxicity and realize that this is the arena for aromatic herbs, not pharmaceuticals. The formula bi yan pi yan which contains magnolia flower is perfect for swampy sinus, it will not kill fungus, but will alleviate the habitat of mucous in which it thrives. Bi yan pi yan is slightly toxic but not in comparison to over the counter pharmaceuticals, etc, and a break needs to be taken after 10 days, so this is not a 24/7 remedy but will dry a swampy sinus with same efficacy as claritin or benadryl, without side-effects. The only downside is that you have to take frequent doses, say 4 x daily, of 4-5 tablets each time. These are herbs and not pharmaceuticals, so it's a better option.

Also, diet of course is crucial, in chinese medicine swampy sinus is a result of dirty water in the digestion, meaning that food allergies are prevalent esp in chronic cases. I'm using alkalol which is useful aromatic wash in neti pot. Only a capful is required.... Aromatic herbs can penetrate both topically and internally, so bi yan pi yan and other aromatics can address all of the sinuses, not just the maxillary (cheek) cavity... Whilst neti pots are key also. Am about to try dag solution which uses phenolated iodine and borax, which reputedly is very strong.

I will get back with the results. the only reason I still have fungus is because I am breathing it in daily. When I leave it disappears quickly, and I'm about to move. Neti pots are better than the squeeze spray bottles because a gentle gravity feed is more cleansing, yet more time consuming. If you neti in the south please use filtered water and boil it due to the presence of amoebas whom enter the brain through the ethmoidal sinus. This is pecular to southern U.S. only

Susan, although I don't know what amounts Aleister uses, I use 2 parts baking soda to 1 part kosher salt. I've used this for the past year or so to brush my teeth and it works very well. I mix it up ahead and place it in a small container in the bathroom so it's all ready for my toothbrush. The salt can be a bit abrasive so always be careful with it's use. Hope this helps.

Linda :-)

Can you share how much baking soda and salt in your mixture? 50% each?

My non-expert advice... First... All of the water you are drinking should be pure.. Distilled water... Now the water companies put out a lot of stuff trying to deter people from discovering that distilled water is perfect... And anyone can make it... They say it leaches minerals... And that is true... Because it is so pure it leaches stuff... But get this... It only leaches the bad stuff the body can't use... Second... You should find a way to eat at least 5 cloves of RAW garlic a day (while infection persists) quit drinking any form of caffeine while infection persists... Your body uses water to flush out unwanted infections.. So you have to drink a glass of pure water every 30 minutes (while infection persists) and caffeine will simply dehydrate you as it is a diuretic... Now... That should begin to take care of this inside...

I also recommend you take 2000 mg's of l-lysine a day... Its an amino acid that boosts the immune system... Now... I've another sure fire way to help... But most people won't do it... And that is cayenne in your saline/baking soda nasal flush... Look it up if you need to... But the deal is... It causes blood flow to increase dramatically which brings in a wall of white blood cells... Also... I had an abcess back when I first got into holisitc healing... And it scared me back to the doctor.. For the last time... They gave me anti biotics and scared me told me if I didn't get the tooth removed I could die (couldn't afford the dentist) scared me and pissed me off at once... The antibiotics didn't help... Came back quickly and stronger... So I went back... Only this time... I didn't take the antibiotic... Instead I packed my mouth with wet gauze loaded with baking soda (draws out infection) and salt (to kill infection after it's out but you might substitute it with peroxide I think) it went away within a couple of days and never came back...

I now brush my teeth with baking soda and salt every day... As fluoride is poison that calcifies the pineal gland which produces melatonin and serotonin (another reason to drink pure water) Next... You should drink ginger(straight from the root not dried) honey tea 3 times a day while infection persists... This should all work for you... If not... You can find me on FB my name is Aleister Gates and we will try to figure it out...

BTW.. Its been 3 yrs now... Still have the tooth... Have never had another problem with it... See... The human body is amazing... If you give it the tools it needs... It can heal just about anything... And once it has... It has its own learned built in defense for it... But ANTIBIOTICS render this process null... They artificially do what the body was designed to do perfectly... I'm not say no one should EVER take them (I myself wouldn't take them) because there are a number of things in your body to get functioning correctly before your immune system is powerful enough to trust this much... Your body has a number of systems it uses to filter out things in our surrounding and infections within.. Etc etc... And all one needs do to be healthy is ensure that each of these systems get plenty of what they need... Plenty of fiber.. Plenty of water... Plenty of oxygen etc etc etc... So.. Like a car needs its oil changes and its radiator flushed etc etc... So to is the human machine... Bot now I'm just rambling... Hope I helped someone... Its all I live to do.

This is to Tricia from Ireland.

Ref. your problem with mucous [if you still have it]. It sounds to me as though you had a bad sinus infection. I was advised by an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist to simply sniff pure menthol crystals. These can be bought quite cheaply and all you need to do is inhale them whenever you think about it. I suffered an infection for three months before I got this information and the Menthol crystals really worked for me. I am never without them now and if I feel my sinuses are becoming a bit clogged I sniff them often during the day and pretty soon the problem goes away.

Hope this suggestion helps. PS be careful not to get any crystals up your nose, they really sting and taste nasty.

I've never liked ACV. I could tolerate it a bit in salads and that was it. I've been struggling with sinus infections ever since I was a kid. I used to have sore throats, nasal drips and nausea as a consequence. On top of that I've been diagnosed with hypothyroid and PCOS. In other words I have problems with insulin and metabolism that have weakened my immune system and make me prone to anything I can get from my pupils and cute as they may be they are generous with all sorts of viruses; I never seem to miss one. These last few months have been bad. I don't take antibiotics, so I usually try natural remedies and quick over the counter drugs that just mask your symptoms and keep you mildly functional. (some of them have for sure antihistamines) As I cannot stay on them forever, the moment I stop the sinusitis comes back with revenge. Like you, I was desperate. I already watch what I eat (vegetarian trying not to eat too much of bad carbohydrates) and try to stay fit.

I bought organic (to be honest the cheapest kind I could find in my local supermarket) ACV and gave it a shot. It's less acidic than the ordinary I used for salads. My nose cleared up immediately, after just one cup of water with two spoons of ACV. I continued taking it every morning and evening before meals. There are other things I noticed. I used to have some vaginal discharge on regular basis. My physician thought it was maybe uncomfortable, but nothing to worry about and my gynecologist agreed after a few tests. Well, it's gone! I've been googling the connection between the two and can't find anything. I'll keep using it and see what's going to happen.

I found the following tea mixture to relieve the symptoms of sinusitis: add 1 tablespoon pureed ginger root, 1 tablespoon dried nettle leaf, 1 tablespoon rooibos tea, and crush a stick of cinnamon (optional; for flavor -- it covers up the flavor of the nettle leaf which isn't bad, but isn't good either) to a 10 ounce tea pot. Bring water to a hard boil and pour on the tea. Let steep 10 minutes. Tastes good sweetened with honey, though I prefer it just spicy not sweet. Drink 1-2 times a day, for example in the morning and evening. I usually only have it in the morning, but I find it works better twice a day for bad symptoms.

For ginger puree, I usually buy a bunch when it's a good price at the farmer's market or Asian grocery, puree it a food processor, and freeze it in 1 tablespoon balls. It keeps well in the freezer. For dried nettle leaf, I look for it at a cheap price in the tea shop or health food store. I've seen it at Fred Meyers, though it was too expensive. I prefer loose leaf. I also bought rooibos in loose leaf from a tea shop.

Can you please tell me what is candy sugar? I have all other ingredients at home, just don't know what is candy sugar! Thank you.

I just tried mixing ACV, baking soda and salt and then putting it in syringe, leaning forward, tilting my head to one side over the sink while "shooting" the mixture in the nostril on the top. Don't forget to do both sides!! For me one side was much worse than the other. (Test your angles, because sometimes this goes into your throat and the soda burns a bit. ) I saw how one person used a netipot on utube and she did the same thing as what I did (except I used a syringe instead of the pot) and as the water went in one nostril, it instantly came right out the other. For me, nothing came out at first but in about a minute, a ton of clear mucous started coming out and it lasted about 5 minutes. I couldn't believe that all of that was up there! Not to be gross, but I want you to know what to expect if it's working. At first I felt more stuffy, but about a half hour later I kind of started to feel the same as I did before. I am wondering if I have an infection so I will try using Grape Seed Oil, or it may be that this is just a first time and I've got a built up of 40 years and it will take time to loosen everything up. Regardless, I am glad to be rid of all the mucous that did come out and am confident with time, I will breathe like I've never breathed before in my life, and I didn't even know what I was missing. Wow.

The amazing thing is that I never had ANY symptoms, no headaches, no allergies, no breathing problems (that I could tell, )... Nothing. The only thing I had was an aversion to having my nose touched or squeezed together all my life, it felt raw (for 40 years! ) I do have Lyme and yeast on my tongue, so I am looking closely at my body and treating any hints that it gives me. But after doing this I realized that I probably have sinusitis and this needs to be put into a rotation of my protocols such as oil pulling, drinking ACV, Oil of Oregano which I found all on this website! These have been helping me tremendously as well. I am so excited that after 9 years of being incredibly sick with nobody being able to help me, this site is helping me get better piece by piece and all naturally. I've taken care of the mouth and nose so far, my ears are next!

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

So I have sinusitis. This sucks, especially when your wife hates smelling you when you are close to her. I have had it for some years.You know how much I hate this if it keeeps my wife at a distance.

I also had a deviated septum, took antibiotics that last temporarily up to when you stop using it, then the smell returns. I decided to try ACV and combine different usage options along with the vitamin C.

I have been trying the ACV for about 3 days, drinking the water mixture 8oz x 2 tbs of ACV, along with 1tbs of ACV in a neti pot 2 times a day, flushing with warm boiled water, morning and night.

Along with the ACV mixes I have been taking 1000 vitamin C at night. Yes! I have been drinking lots of water, this seems to be really working. Since last night I have not heard a complaint from my wife about any smells.

I am going to continue the mixture for the next 4 days, using the vitamin C for 30 days, let's see what happens. So far so good! I really hate taking prescription drugs, since I have to take one prescription for the rest of my life.

I am really hoping this works! Thanks for the advice on the ACV.

Hi, I just poured some into the palm of my hand and gently snorted it up my nose. I guess a Qtip would work - Kinda, but I think you need some volume. Maybe a syringe (with the needle removed) would be suitable. Since doing this I have researched it (nasal fungus/yeast) in some depth, and it does seem nasal fungus is a (little) known issue. See following:

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/news/20041008/airborne-fungus-may-cause-chronic-stuffy-nose

Anyway, I am still very, very impressed with the MoM results. It beats the hell out of all those damn drugs!

How did you get the MOM in the sinuses? Did you use a Qtip and insert in nose or did you drop it in your sinuses directly?

I have variously reported some of my successes here on Earthclinic over the years, and now have another to report. I have from time to time had a number of common issues with eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis etc. , etc. which may or may not have been candida related, but almost certainly was caused by Malassezia spp. This has mainly been scalp related, but also in and behind the ears, the fold of the nose, the cheek's and the eyebrows. With a range of simple treatments commonly used on Earthclinic I have managed to sort all of these issues. On top of these problems I have also had sinusitis on-an-off for years, and I have also suffered from asthma from time to time (despite being a very active sports person).

So, I thought why not take Ted's 'Milk of Magnesia' treatment to the next level and put it in my nasal cavities? Why not? Well I did so. Bang! I have now gone a week of on-and-off irregular treatment and believe my sinusitis has cleared up completely! The very first time I tried it I almost had instant relief. What I have found is that you don't want to snort (sorry! ) the MoM back towards the soft palate as it kinda irritates that, but just apply it reasonably to the cavities, massage the nose, and/or leave it in the passages(…or flush) if you wish. Anyway, my problem is solved! Waking-up in the morning is now so, so refreshing! Bliss. Thank's Ted for the inkling of the idea. No more crazy medicine bills, and no more grumpy morning me. Yippee! Snot be gone.

Sinusistis cured: I have had sinusitis for about 10 years and went to doctor after doctor tried every medication on the market. Benadryl and Allegra worked the best for my case but I now am cured of the problem and only rarely do I need medication.

My husband used to use one of our room in the house for storage. He had things that should have been in the garage in that room. I never complained because these items were his valuables. There were pictures, linens, vintage blankets (wool) and other vintage items in the room. Well he finally emptied his storage room one day after making a storage shed for the stuff, and this act plus removing the carpets in our home caused ME TO LOSE MY SINUS PROBLEM! PLEASE GET RID OF UNNEEDED JUNK IN YOUR HOME! I suffered years for nothing! I was allergic to something in that room. Like the old saying goes: CLEANILNESS IS NEXT TO GOD-LINESS.

Could be parasites too. Pineapple and raw, shelled pumpkin seeds kill parasites (drink distilled water with this remedy). I recently had bad digestive issues and wound up in the ER. I started drinking pineapple juice the next week and it really helped a lot. I had an Indian aunt who used to heat up pineapple juice for us when we were kids to help our stomachs. That probably destroyed the enzymes though.

hi I just wanted to say that a couple of years ago I stopped using dairy (except for small amounts of full fat greek yogurt) and while I didn't notice at the time I can tell that I have much less mucous when I don't eat dairy. when I do eat it now (even the yogurt but not as much) I will have the mucous again and it is uncomfortable! funny how you don't miss it when it goes but you sure notice when it comes back! I also notice some grains to cause this as well.

I've been wondering this too. Do you think if you had raw milk or raw milk cheese in moderation you'd be ok? Our local farmers markets have the raw milk cheese. Raw milk is available at a farm that's 1/2 an hour a way. I hope I don't have to give it up 100%. I've been wondering if that's why I have such a hard time flying and get tremendous pain in the ears because of the mild chronic sinus congestion. I also get clogged up if I eat market dairy.

I have suffered with sinus infections since I was in my 20's so off and on for approx. 40 years.

I recently started wondering if I could be allergic to all dairy, as after eating ice cream I cough and have phlegm for 20 minutes or so. It took a week or so, but since I have not had any dairy the coughing and post nasal drip has completely stopped, and my sinus' have not bothered me at all.

I think if people suffering with sinus infections can give up all dairy (it's not easy), but the reward of alleviating sinus problems and sinus infections is so worth it.

I suffered from acute sinusitis. I am from India and I found a good old book of home remedy. I found one remedy in book and tried. I am cured now. I use to have 3-4 sinusitis attack in a year lasting for 1-2 month. I was usually cured by antibiotics. I use to get attack after usually having cold. If your symptoms of sinusitis are similar then please try this formula:

1. Take 2.5 cup of water (500-600 ml)

2. 7-8 black-pepper (crush them in between two spoon)

3. One piece of ginger (30-50 gm), Crush with some heavy utensil

4. Candy sugar minimum 10-15 pieces

5. 7-12 leaves of Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum)

6. 3-4 clove (I added from my side as found it more effective)

Now boil the content in a pot in low flame/heat for 20-30 mins till it becomes one cup. Low flame is important as high heat may reduce medical effect. Should sipped as tea (i. E. Hot) Now one of the difficult parts is its timing. It should be taken in morning 4:30 AM -5:00 AM empty stomach. As it is bitter and strong, you may feel little vomiting in initially few doses, but soon it will be in your habit. I would advise you to take this for minimum one month. I got permanent relief on 6th day, but I continued for some more time. In book dose was written for 7-10 days as usually you get relief with in this period. Now I get sinusitis once in 2-3 years and I take same medicine. Continuous honey intake is also good. Start this treatment when sinusitis happens to you or about to happen.

I personally feel sorry for not making this effective therapy public as I never knew so many people are suffering from this. I would request some pharma company to make some dry tablet of content which can be boiled and water can be taken as medicine, as Tulsi is not available in every home and in every country. Please email me in mahesh. Chandra2005(at)gmail.com. Also, please consult your doctor if you are not sure to start this medication. But to just assure you, you can observe many of the contents are used as daily food, so must not be harmful to you.

No, Francisca, no need to get complicated. I just dilute the regular Hydrogen Peroxide 3% further in water in the cover of the HP container, put it in my mouth (NO SWALLOWING) and swish it around in my mouth and then just breathe some breaths while it is still in my mouth. I got the idea from Bill Monroe's inhalation system. I thought: if he squirts it in there, maybe just breathing while it's in my mouth, will help too, and for me, it does!

Thanks Bess, I can't find the recipe I used for the nose spray but I think that it is the same you have. Of course I can try again and keep it in the fridge! Only two drops of GSE shouldn't make a lot of difference other than preservation. You came up with the right idea saying that my nose problems could come from the pillow but somehow I don't think so as we travel a lot and I have this everywhere. Sometimes also during the day. And on the top of the pillow case I put a satine pillow case (seems to be good against wrinkles and for the hair). And my pillow is anti-allergic. I think that all my allergy like nose problems come from an over sensitivity to temperature changes, therefore I have them during the night as somehow my body temperature seems to go down (have had this since I was a child, sometimes better, sometimes worse) and I go to the bathroom meaning that I get cooler when I get up. The same happens in the morning. Even if I read in bed I tend to sit up so I am colder than while I was sleeping. Anti-histamines stop all this but I try to avoid them. My hope was that the xylitol spray would quiten all the sneezing and nose running.

Thanks Msgm but how do you do it? Do you put the solution on the palm of your hand? Or do you mean that you put it in your mouth and then breath it to your nose? Do you use HP 3% and then dilute it further?

Francisca: I've had a lot of success with those millions of sneezes and runny nose, by just rinsing with diluted HP (the regular stuff from the store) and breathing thru my mouth while the stuff is still there, oh, maybe for 1/2 minute. I do this a few times a day when I have anything going on with nose/throat/lungs.

I bet you can do that with Xylitol and whatever else you want, melted in water, and just breathe thru it while it is in your mouth.

Hi Francisca - I have a recipe (probably the same as yours) for xylitol nose spray but I haven't made any yet. I use the neti pot every night and it seems to have resolved any sinus problems. I also use a Q-Tip and put a few drops of oil in my nostrils to prevent them from drying out (it's very dry here). I use sesame oil but I'm sure any good oil would do.

Xylitol Nasal Spray
>1/2 cup distilled water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1-1/2 teaspoons Xylitol
2 drops GSE
Pinch baking soda
Do AM and PM
Tilt head forward (bend over slightly). Spray twice in each nostril - keep head tilted forward for 15 to 30 seconds to allow spray to penetrate. Lay down for a few minutes to allow solution to enter sinus.

If your mixture is cloudy, I wouldn't use it. Actually, I wonder if you would need the GSE at all if you keep the mixture in the fridge to preserve it. Personally, I think the GSE would sting. Try making the recipe without the GSE, keep it in the fridge for preservation and see how that works.

I was wondering, since you sneeze during the night and first thing in the morning, could it be your pillows? My husband got a new pillow (I don't sleep with pillows) and he has been very stuffed up every morning lately although he's fine after a hot shower. Maybe there is something in your pillows that doesn't agree with you. I know there are special "anti-allergy" pillows, pillowcases, etc. you can buy.

Hope you find something that works for you. Take care, Bess

Neti pots and other traditional methods of irrigating the sinuses are reliable and effective ways to manage sinusitis. A recent approach to dealing with these symptoms is to use a nasal spray which works similarly to traditional salt water sprays but with improved salts and other ingredients, which makes it more efficient. Keeping the sinuses clear of mucus help immensely with comfort for chronic sinusitis sufferers.

I made the Xylitol Nose Spray as advised here to try to stop my nose from running. At the time I didn't manage to open the spray bottle I had bought so I left the solution in a dark colored bottle, not in the frige for a few days. When I was pouring it into the spray bottle I noticed a lot of dark bits a bit like little mosquitos and a lot of clouds floating around in the dark, glass bottle so something went wrong. I used grapefruit seed extract as directed but the ones you buy here don't state any precentage. Once I read that in order to use it as a preservative it should be 60%. Could that be what went wrong or the fact that I didn't keep it in the frige? As I have a lot of allergies or whatever that make me sneeze a lot and my nose run, often during the night or first thing in the morning I was interested in trying. Xylitol nose spray is not sold here in Europe!