Quick Sinus Relief: Natural Remedies for Congestion

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Linn (Maine, Usa) on 05/21/2012
★★★★★

Best remedy ever! I was skeptical. I have been sick with severe sinus congestion/infections since January, it is now almost June. Over the counter sinus sprays helped temporarily, then not at all. Tried Steam, and neti pots, flushes, etc. Doctors prescribed antibiotics, steroids, allergy medication. All temporary or no response. Out of desperation I tried 6 oz of water, two teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar, and approx two teaspoons of honey. Heated in the microwave. Within a minute I could blow my nose, within ten minutes I released all the pressure in my head. I still have tons to get rid of, this is the first thing I have tried that actually got rid of the congestion. I am thankful. Thank you so much for sharing!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Lorraine K (Garner, Nc) on 05/12/2012
★★★★★

THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! My husband drank 1/2 a cup of 2T ACV, 1 t honey & 8 oz of boiling water. He had to stop drinking it b/c it was gross. When he stopped he was able to blow his nose which is awesome. Then this morning he woke w/NO head pressure/congestion or headache. Yes, he will try that again b/c he hates medicine. THANKS!!!

Camphor

Posted by Hippocrates (Odin, Missouri, U.s.a.) on 04/28/2012 9 posts
★★★★★

Hello all, I have suffered from sinus problems my whole life. This often leads to headaches caused by the sinuses being inflamed. I love to sleep with a fan for the sound, but this causes them often, so I must not. Drinking milk before bed does the same, so I must not. As does certain times of year, temperature too low in the house, humidity changes, smoke, etc, etc.

One thing I found helps lessen the pain is the "nose bullets" as I call them. Tubes you stick in your nose and inhale the vapors. They contain Camphor/Menthol. They do not "cure" a sinus headache, but lessen the pain. Heating up some "chest rub" in a jar does the same, but it is not as portable. Also, rubbing the "chest rub" onto your forehead helps soften the pain. I use Neti pots but add 1 teaspoon or less of Xylitol and several drops of hydrogen peroxide per each pot full to the standard salt/baking soda powder that is out there.

I post these not as medical advise, but something that has worked for me to make living with sinuses more bearable.

Neti Pot Remedy

Posted by Desigirl (Oakland Gardens, Ny) on 04/17/2012
★★★★★

Jalneti or neti done with jal (water) from the Indian Ayurveda is a process of gently cleansing the ENT (eyes) canal which could be done once a month or so.

About 4 Oz. Of saline-warm-filtered water is poured through each nostril followed by pranayam (preferably Bhastrika pranayam) for at least 5 minutes. This is like blowing into the bellows to dry up the leftover water moisture in the ENT canal.

The fast and deep breathing is done for drying the ENT and not cleansing the nose etc. As pointed out by another commentator. * If this drying of ENT is not done one may develop Pneumonia as water may seep through to the lungs causing infection.

The problem happens when half knowledge is passed on by these so called specialists leading to more danger to the patient than when he first started out.

Tomato Tea

Posted by Holly (Fresno, Ca) on 04/15/2012
★★★★★

I honestly can't believe this WORKED! I have had a terrible cold with a sore throat and the worst sinus congestion for four days straight. Fearing a sinus infection, I was preparing to head to the Dr. in another day. I had tried everything I could think of, Sudafed, Dayquil, and even Nasal Spray (which only worked for a couple of hours, not 12 like the label promised). Desperate, I went online to try a "natural" remedy. I was willing to try just about anything. And what do you know? It WORKED. Within 20 minutes my congestion felt less "throbbing" and one more cup and 2 hours later - my sinuses are TOTALLY CLEAR! My throat is starting to feel better too! I am definately going to use this remedy again if I ever feel a cold coming on. One thing, I added a little honey and I crushed my garlic with a garlic press. It seems to have helped get the garlic to juice out a bit more. THANK YOU so much for this amazing recipe!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Jerrod (Tucson, Az) on 03/27/2012
★★★★★

Just wanted to say thank you I couldn't sleep all night so I looked up head congestion and found this site. Luckily I had a bottle of ACV I chugged what was left in the bottle down and now my head feels clear. I will go buy me another bottle tomorrow. Thanks again great tip, I will also be making some of that tomato tea sounds awesome.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Leanne (Toronto, On) on 03/23/2012
★★★★★

I just recently began to develop sinus congestion. I was completely stuffed up & had no decongestant in medicine cabinet. I decided to try a remedy that had read about in an old book my mom had.

I combined 1cup of water with 2 tsp apple cider vinegar & a heaping 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper.Within minutes my sinuses began to clear. The bonus of this recipe is that the cayenne is great for a sore throat. It makes it feel better & is anti-microbial.

Pink Himalayan Salt

Posted by Shana (Los Angeles, California) on 03/16/2012

Also I wanted to add that it's helpful to add 1 drop of ACV into the solution of pink salt (1/4 teaspoon) to irrigate. Drinking the ACV (2 teaspoons in 8 ounces of water 3X a day) is extremely helpful for clearing sinsuses as well. As well as taking large quantities of Vitamin C (Reactiva C works well). But irrigation (for me) is key!

Tomato Tea

Posted by Jennifer (Sunrise, Fl, Usa) on 03/15/2012
★★★★★

I can't believe how well this works. I'm still in shock!

2 days ago, I started to become sick with the flu when I was on a 18-hour flight. On came the chills and fever, and then my nose kept running non-stop. To make it worse, the changing cabin pressure on the descent gave me excruciating sinus pain and made my ears clogged to the point where I couldn't hear out of both ears anymore. I can't take cold medicine because I have thyroid disease, and I am slow to recover because my metabolism is very slow.

Yesterday my sinuses and fever got worse. I remembered reading about this remedy on Earth Clinic and I was eager to try it. Luckily I had all the ingredients on hand. I used V8 Spicy Hot juice, lemon juice (bottled), minced garlic, a lot of tabasco sauce (as much as I could stand) and a dash of celery salt for taste. I heated it in the microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes and then sipped and inhaled the fumes as directed. About 10 minutes after I started to sip it I noticed an increase of nasal discharge. I had to keep blowing my nose over and over again, but this time when I blew my nose I actually felt like I was clearing it out, instead of the feeling of blowing your nose and feeling like it gets clogged up again 5 minutes later. The pressure in my ears released about 60% and I regained most of my hearing. My fever increased and for a few hours I felt pretty rotten, even though my nasal passages had cleared. But in a few hours I felt at least 60% better, which is amazing considering that it usually takes me 3 weeks to recover from a cold! I slept all through the night with no problem.

This morning I made another tomato tea. While drinking it, I felt my left ear "pop" and the pressure released. I now have full hearing in my left ear and a 70% improvement in my right ear. I then took a hot shower afterwards (the steam helps to open the sinus passages) and kept blowing my nose. My nasal congestion is about 85% gone, I don't have a fever or chills anymore, I got most of my hearing back and I don't feel groggy anymore!

It doesn't seem so crazy why this works when you do some research on capsaicin. Capsaicin is also the active ingredient of pepper spray. Capsaicin is an irritant, and when you inhale pepper spray, your body pushes it out by forcing your sinuses to clear themselves and making your nose run uncontrollably. Have you ever eaten a really spicy dish and had your nose start to run?That's the capsaicin at work.

I have Vietnamese friends who swear by a similar remedy that works in the same way as the tomato tea. They swear by eating pho (a hot fish/noodle soup) when you are sick. They put a lot of Sriracha (Vietnamese hot pepper sauce) in the soup and breathe in the hot fumes. The steam and pepper helps open and clear the sinuses.

I have also been drinking echinacea tea with a tbs of coconut oil and I've also been drinking some ACV throughout the day. (I don't take the ACV too close to the tomato tea though, because ACV is alkaline while the tomato tea is very acidic).

Thank you, thank you, thank you Earth Clinic for this wonderful remedy! I can celebrate my 30th birthday this weekend without feeling miserable :)

Pink Himalayan Salt

Posted by Shana (Los Angeles, California) on 03/09/2012
★★★★★

I have tried forever to use salt to irrigate my sinuses, and I never could because I found the salt to be extremely irritating, and it actually made me more stuffy afterwards! That is, until I tried using Himalayan Pink Salt in a squeeze bottle (i have found a squeeze bottle to be much more effective than a neti pot bc it really gets the solution up into the sinus cavities). If you, too, find salt too irritating, try using Himaayan Pink salt - I don't have to use baking soda or anything else with it - it's soothing & makes a world of difference!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Sherry (Barnesville, Georgia) on 03/04/2012
★★★★★

A Huge Relief! 5 days before a scheduled surgery my sinuses shut down. First I thought it was a cold or head cold, but had no other symtoms other than sinus trouble. I was in a panic that I would have to re-schedule my surgery that was 6 weeks in the making:( I tried the cup of hot water and thankfully had Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey on hand. It cleared up the congestion and headache immediately. Will try again before bedtime as it seems sleeping is the worst. Thank you for this site. Will be back!

Pickle Juice

Posted by Paul (Wrangell, Alaska) on 02/21/2012
★★★★★

Reading your site on nasal congestion. Just tried a shot of pickle juice and water. 20 min later, nose has stopped draining. Cool.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Isabel (Tulsa, Ok) on 01/31/2012

I mixed 8 ounces of hot water with 3 tablespoons of ACV with honey. I have been drinking it twice a day for 3 days now. Its hard to say if its curing me or not. I've been feeling a little better since I took it, but it may have just been the fact that it is the end of my cold/flu whatever it is. My congestion is really bad, and it cleared away while I was drinking, but came back a few minutes later. Overall, I still feel awful, but the congestion doesn't feel as strong. Hard to say, but worth a shot! I think my sickness was just too serious, I need stronger meds.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Petnut (Spokane, Wa) on 01/25/2012
★★★★★

I read through this post and thought I would try it - within minutes my sinuses are draining. I put about 2 tbs in a cup of tea with some stevia. Lovin it.

Tomato Tea

Posted by Julz (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) on 01/25/2012
★★★★★

The tomato tea is not only delicious, but it honest to goodness is the only things that's worked thus far for my sinus infection. Finally I can breathe!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Brenda (Manning, South Carolina) on 01/23/2012
★★★★★

I've gone through sinus surgery and suffer at least once a week with congestion and running. Got bad tonight that I could not breathe thru BOTH nostrils. I am pregnant so I can not take anything. I drank 6 oz of warm water with 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar and one tbsp honey. Warmed it in the microwave for 20seconds. After about 5 minutes, I can breathe thru left nostril. Right one is still blocked but I'm happy to have at least one to breathe from!!!

I do know that cutting sugar and caffeine will help. A nutritionalist also said that milk/dairy is mucous forming. Can't live without all three! I also learned thru study that continuous decongestants will actually worsen congestion. Hope this helps everyone because it is miserable not being able to breathe!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Sarah (Austin, Texas, Us) on 01/23/2012
★★★★★

I tried this remedy just now, to the letter, and it literally worked immediately! I'm blown away! To the OP, thank you so much! :D

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Priceless (Dayton, Ohio) on 01/18/2012
★★★★★

Ok I was @ my wits in... I had spend over $50 in over the counter medication. I had ended up over medicated myself @ this point due to now insurance already missing a week of work the only one working in the home... I found this remedy. I honestly went and bought the ACV and fixed my glass as soon as I walked in my home. Instantly I started feeling better. I did wake up around 3 am due to the pressure I guess. I took a tylenol so I could return to sleep. Took another class 8oz this morning..! Everyone @ work was like you look like you went to the SPA!! You look better!! ...

Most of all I thank GOD for healing. But I appreciate this website.. I told everyone @ work.... @ lunch one of my co-workers is running to get some ACV... I do hope this helps someone.. Because everyones remarks definitley helped me..

Thanks for all the responses!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Ali (Edmonton, Ab) on 12/27/2011
★★★★★

In the city of Edmonton, this time of year, it has been really brutal for cold and sinus problems! It's very dry, dusty and there is no snow.

I have been suffering from colds and sinus trouble... and I refuse to take antibiotics, because I do know for a fact that there are natural cures for everything.

I swear by apple cider vinegar uses for many things, but I have not tried it for sinus trouble, THANK YOU for all the comments. I will try the ACV now.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Juju (Atlanta, Ga) on 12/27/2011
★★★★★

I've been suffering from a really bad cold, I have a horrible stuffy nose and I haven't slept for two days. I tried the hot water, honey, cayenne pepper and Apple Cider Vinegar recipe and it seems to work! I took about 3 sips and my nose cleared up! Let's hope it stays unstuffed through the night!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Bonniem (Riverside, Cal., United States) on 12/22/2011
★★★★★

Hello I have been using a drop of Apple Cider Vinegar in warm water in my Neti pot. It works great for sinusitis! I irrigate my sinuses and even use a little in my ears which also helps. I get great comfort from using ACV in water in my Neti pot.

Is this safe? I only use it when I need to and I only use about one drop of Apple Cider Vinegar in the water.

Can this upset the PH Balance in my sinuses? Anyone know?

Tomato Tea

Posted by Kaelyn (Rockport, Tx) on 12/19/2011
★★★★★

I did not have any V8 on hand, but I used a can of Amy's organic tomato bisque soup, I added 5-6 cloves of finely chopped garlic, fresh squeezed lemon. I only had taco bell hot sauce packets so I used those and added extra cayenne pepper. I did add a little worcestershire sauce for added flavor. I heated it on the stove as to not kill any of the nutrients by using the microwave. IT WAS DELICIOUS. Really spice but sooo good. I could breathe freely through my sinuses within the first five bites!!! I have been eating garlic for days to help my immune system but this cold has finally caught up to me. Thank you earth clinic! I love you!