The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Carol Leadbetter (Liverpool) on 12/18/2024:
Cayenne pepper can be taken with a good quality olive oil 1 tablespoon add a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of honey and it doesn't burn so much and is so much easier to take. I also have a drink of something on hand to immediately wash it down. Loads easier
I don't think people realize how big their sinus cavities are. When you snort a bit of cayenne, yes, you're going to clear the nasal cavity, which can be a lot, but you're ALSO going to loosen up all of the stuff up and out in the other areas of your sinuses which are HUGE and which some seem to be reporting as a rebounding pressure or a rebound congestion or even another infection. It is highly unlikely that it is any of this but, rather, stuff deeper in the sinuses that the cayenne has also loosened up. If you often have sinus infections, it is probably the SAME infection simply never getting cleared out in the first place and continuously spreading down into the nasal cavity. Google "sinus cavity" and look at the images. You are not going to clear that huge space of infection by merely clearing the nasal canal to the point you can breathe better and that infection is probably going to come right back down and hit you again.
I don't think people realize how big their sinus cavities are. When you snort a bit of cayenne, yes, you're going to clear the nasal cavity, which can be a lot, but you're ALSO going to loosen up all of the stuff up and out in the other areas of your sinuses which are HUGE and which some seem to be reporting as a rebounding pressure or a rebound congestion or even another infection. It is highly unlikely that it is any of this but, rather, stuff deeper in the sinuses that the cayenne has also loosened up. If you often have sinus infections, it is probably the SAME infection simply never getting cleared out in the first place and continuously spreading down into the nasal cavity. Google "sinus cavity" and look at the images. You are not going to clear that huge space of infection by merely clearing the nasal canal to the point you can breathe better and that infection is probably going to come right back down and hit you again.
Grateful for relief! The cayenne works. I do, however, recommend aloe for the skin around the nose. It offers a cooling effect and keeps redness and burning sensation at a minimal. I CAN BREATHE! YAY!
Grateful for relief! The cayenne works. I do, however, recommend aloe for the skin around the nose. It offers a cooling effect and keeps redness and burning sensation at a minimal. I CAN BREATHE! YAY!
Wow. So grateful for these reviews. I did it, and feel 1000x better than I have in days. Nasty sinus infection and a lot of blockage and pain. Cayenne cleared it out almost instantly. I’m a believer.
Wow. So grateful for these reviews. I did it, and feel 1000x better than I have in days. Nasty sinus infection and a lot of blockage and pain. Cayenne cleared it out almost instantly. I’m a believer.
I have been suffering with sinus infections for years. It seems that every time I get sick I will soon have a sinus infection. I have tried a tonne of different things (netty pots, sinus rinses, vaporizers, sprays, tea 16 hours a day, ...). Long story short, I got sick this week, got very congested, teeth started to ache due to pressure (thats when I know that its a sinus infection for sure) and, so, I decided to try snorting some cayenne pepper.
I did just a pinch quickly in each nostril and it didn't take long for my eyes to tear up like crazy and for me to wish I hadn't done that as it burned like crazy! I decided to jump in the shower so the I could help loosen things up. And did it ever work. About an hour later, one side was still a little plugged so I decided to snort a little more in there (maybe 1/4 of a pinch). It didn't burn near as bad.
Anyways, it worked! Today I have woken up and am about 100% better. It was totally worth the pain as far as I am concerned. I think I might try having a shower to loosen things up before doing it the next time. The only other thing that worked for me is using a netty pot with a few tablespoons of peroxide in it. That too hurt like the dickens and you will literally foam out of your nostrils. It also took me quite a few days to have it be effective rather than just one! So if the cayenne thing won't work for you maybe give that a shot.
Nosleepinellendale (Ellendale, North Dakota) on 02/11/2017:
A Bakers Dozen Thumbs Up
I work at a grain elevator so you could imagine that sinus infections are nothing new for me. Well I didn't have time to make it to the doctor and was hoping my body could kick its butt on its own. Well, it didn't. I've had the sinus infection for a little over two weeks now. It was so bad to the point where when I first started the treatment I could barely even snort the cayenne pepper dust through a straw but after I gave my nose a few good hard blows to momentarily clear a passage I got the job done. I let it drain and then repeated the steps 2 or 3 more times. It burned like H-E-double hockey sticks but I just woke up from a two hour nap where all my sinuses drained down the back of my throat and for the first time in what feels like years I can finally breathe again. I will definitely be using this home remedy again in the future. #DontBeAWuss
I wanted to add some tips on relief during the burning:
1) in-breaths through the nose actually provide immediate temporary relief!
2) after 15 minutes I did a neti-pot (regular with salt, not with cayenne) and this finished off the pain. I recommend this if the pain feels like it's been too long (10-15 minutes)
I swabbed some cayenne directly from the top of the jar (no water) and did the insert Q-tip and breathe method.
I have used cayenne pepper to clear the sinuses for several years, yes it will sting, maybe make you cough, but the results are great. Please don't use too much... I first just snorted it, then I have started to make a liquid and used the Q-tip method...it is the results that work....one must get the pepper into the sinus cavity...so don't be hesitant when you inhale, plug the other nostril and inhale deep. I will always used it...I grow my own peppers...
This is one of the stupidest things I have fallen for. Snorting cayenne did nothing but make me sneeze and inflamed my sinuses to the point where I lost all sense of smell and taste. I've also tried apple cider vinegar, garlic, colloidal silver, none have worked to even relieve my sinuses. Keep cayenne where it belongs: in food.
Well I've just tried snorting cayenne for the first time. Maybe too much, it felt like my head was on fire spreading all the way to my ears for about 3 minutes, even got a bit dizzy. It got better after about 30 minutes. Yes it helped to clear my nose but think I'll need to do this several times a day to get it deep inside sinuses as my head still feels like a rock. I'm gonna keep snorting it but much less powder :-) it helps when sinus gets really bad so thanks muchly for the tip.
For many years I have used this remedy . Equal parts Golden Seal and Bayberry Bark Powder, and as much Cayenne Powder as you take, over time you will get braver and add more Cayenne. Do salt solution first than take as much powder as you can handle.
My teeth were throbbing because of a Sinus Infection. I have at least one root right up there, but half the teeth in my mouth were throbbing. I thought I was going to go out of my mind. Sniffed the cayenne and the throbbing of the teeth quit.
Not sure what caused my sinus infection this time, I ate a slush-ee and washed my hair and accidentally fell asleep with my ceiling fan on. Woke up a few hours later to a sore throat and sinus pain.
Cayenne pepper was my first thought. I dabbed a q-tip in the pepper and put it up my nose and snorted. It burned, I cried and sneezed for about 4 times back to back. After blowing my nose after a few minutes, my pain was lessened by about 50%. I had to do it a few more times throughout the day.
I also put cayenne pepper in orange juice and gargled a few times throughout the day and it helped some. Whenever I get sick, which is rare, its usually with a sinus infection, but it seemed like the cayenne pepper didn't work as well as it did in the past.
This has been a miracle for me!!! I've been in so much pain I couldn't even sit down without getting severe sinus pressure. I was a little chicken of more pain lol, so I dumped some cayenne pepper on my phone screen, and took a Q-tip and barely touched the pepper. Then I put it far up into my nostril also...That was about two hours ago, and I've been too busy doing things from having almost NO PAIN to post my results until now!!! : ) I'm free, I can sit, I can walk lol it may sound silly but that's how bad the pressure and pain WAS..That was just a few spreckles of cayenne pepper on the end of a Q-tip, one for each nostril. That small of an amount and it worked and it barely burned...no worse than adding too much salt to a Neti Pot (oppsies! : ) )...thank you guys, my sanity and happiness is back!!!! : ) ( :
Breathing at last, breathing at last, thank God Almighty I can breathe at last! I applied cayenne pepper on the tip of a q-tip and inserted the q-tip as far into my nostril as I could and then snorted. Yes it burned like I don't know what for a good 3 to 4 minutes. But I can breathe now!!!
I have suffered for years from sinus issues related to allergies. This last week I got a cold and things went from bad to worse, waking up 4-6 times a night because I couldn't breathe.
A friend recommended making a Cayenne pepper/lemon tea. I took half a teaspoon of the powdered pepper, a squeeze of lemon, and boiling water. Drank it down and in five minutes I was breathing as clear as I ever have. My only hope is that it lasts at least through the night.
Try this tea instead of snorting...no pain, and same immediate effect.
I could not believe what I was reading and watched videos on youtube and I said nothing else is working for me. So I tried a bump of Cayenne and! BAM! It was instant pain, probably because of my sinus infection. I thought this would be a stupid idea but I have done a lot of other worse stupid things so I gave it a shot. Pain lasts a little 2-5 minutes, tears about 1 minute and then you are cleared out! Really works I will find out if my infection is fixed. I wonder how many times I have to do this?
Years ago I read the book, Curing With Cayenne, by Sam Biser. Our family uses cayenne for many things, but particularly for the nose and sinuses. We make cayenne tincture from Biser's recipe. At the first sign of a cold, or any nose irritation, we put a few drops into cold water and use a Q-tip to swab it all around, way up into the nose. It helps a great deal to prevent colds and flu. I believe that when the germs first get into the nose and begin to grow, that is the best time to clean them out and prevent th
If you don't have cayenne tincture, the powder works fine to just put some in water and let it set a bit, then use the q-tips. For an established infection, snorting it or using it in a neti pot might be needed.
Also, after cleaning out the nose, add a bit of water and then drink the rest, gargling at the end. This helps the throat and body to fight the infection. Cayenne also eases the pain associated with the virus. Or any pain, for that matter.
I used to get a lot of colds and sinus infections. I haven't had one now for along time. And the last few times I did get colds, they went away quickly and didn't turn into sinus infections.
I believe that it is true that if there is one herb we master, it should be cayenne. Another herb equally important is garlic. If you had no other medicine but those two things, you could probably stay healthy.
I tried snorting cayenne after reading about it here for my sinus infection. Like the other readers say, it hurts like nobody's business for a few minutes, but definitely helped ease the sinus pressure and pain. Thumbs up but I am going to keep looking for a less intense fix.
Cayenne in a nasal rinse did not work well for me. Immediately after irrigating my sinuses with a small pinch of cayenne in the normal saline solution, my sinuses felt better and a lot of yellow mucus came out. But a little later I experienced rebound inflammation resulting from the irritation of the cayenne. I ended up staying up most of the night because every time I laid down and started falling asleep, I would wake up with a gasp for breath. It was scary. I had to force my breathing to get enough oxygen. Perhaps it was the irritation in my throat but I could not bear to breath through my mouth and seemed to experience the same gasping when I tried. Sitting straight up or standing helped me to breath better, but if I fell asleep and my head tilted in any direction, I would wake up with the gasp for air. Scary! ...I've had rebound inflammation from other sinus rinses here too: ACV, H2O2 come to mind. And I've used Sinus Buster many times, until I realized that it was causing rebound inflammation. But this was the worst case ever! I ended up eating and taking an Advil in the middle of the night trying to reduce the inflammation. It was better this morning, but because my sinuses were swollen shut all night, my sinus infection was even worse by today. Trying betadine & baby shampoo sinus rinse now. (so far, no rebound inflammation after one rinse)
I put a shake of grounded cayenne pepper in warm water. Used a qtip to stir it and put the tip up my nose. Like way up there. I did start coughing but it was all that nasty flem... It was so gross. But so worth it. I also just put a dry tip and put that all in my nose.... Again as far up as possible. I cryed like a baby and it did hurt but you know what I can breathe and the pressure is gone I feel awesome. This is now my sinus relief remedy!!!! I love it!
Looking through all the other comments, I was skeptical, especially since I know how much of a wuss I am when it comes to hot stuff, but wow!
I was desperate: I couldn't breathe, and nothing was coming out and no medicine was really helping. If I was sitting or standing I was fine, but laying down was miserable, let alone trying to sleep.
I decided to swab some cayenne pepper in my nose; why not, nothing else is working. At first, I didn't get it high enough and thought, "Wow, this doesn't hurt at all, but it's not helping either."
Then, I tried again. It hurt, but not near as much as I thought it would. I waited for 5-10 minutes and decided to blow my nose- and actually got stuff out! Wow! Now I'm clear as a bell and can actually breathe. Thanks SO VERY MUCH. I thought I'd regret it; I only regret waiting so long to try it.
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