subject: Alternative Sinusitis Remedies [print this page] When you are a sinusitis sufferer, do you sometimes get no relief from the standard treatments? Even with your doctor prescribed antibiotics, are you finding it difficult to clear up your sinuses? This isn't an uncommon condition. Of the almost 35 million Americans suffering from their sinus problems every year, many actually never get any long term relief from their antibiotic treatments. That's why we're here to help with some alternative sinusitis remedies that can help you out with your health woes.
Sinus Background
The sinuses are very important parts of your respiratory system. They are cavities in our skull lined with tissues that serve as air filters for our bodies. The air you breathe passes into the sinuses and the sinus cells clean up any undesired materials present. The materials are then collected in mucus and the body flushes out these mucosal secretions to keep the sinuses clean.
Mucus Problems
There are certain times when the body gets too excited about the mucus. If the body perceives any material filtered in the sinuses to be a serious threat, it can start to overproduce the mucus. This will make sure that the potential threat is trapped. However, the excess production can sometimes become too great that the flushing system has difficulty keeping up. When this happens, clogs and other problems start eventually leading to sinusitis.
Another problem is the constricting or narrowing of the passages that the body uses to drain mucosal secretions. If these passages get swollen shut, the secretions and the contaminants get trapped.
Recent studies have revealed that there are many other causes other than bacteria that cause this particular dilemma. This is why your antibiotics may not be working for you.
To start, it is always best to consult your physician for a proper diagnosis. Finding the cause is definitely worth the time and effort. Allergies, fungi, or viruses can all be at the root so take the time to get a proper diagnosis.
Although there are many different causes, there are certain remedies that you can use to help out the process. As was described above, the problem is in the overproduction of mucus. This doesn't mean you have to stop the production. The mucosal secretion is there to help out and trap the contaminants. What you want to do is help the body flush it out.
Sinus Irrigation
A great technique you can try is some nasal irrigation with the use of a neti pot. The Mayo Clinic suggests the use of saline or salt solution with your neti pot to help drain the mucus. Don't use regular tap water or plain water; without the salt content, the water can worsen the situation.
Herbs
There are some wonderful medicinal herbs out there. Consult your physician about medicinal herbs that can help you flush out the mucus. Pepper, horseradish, and eucalyptus are all great natural decongestants. They can be applied directly in oil form (eucaluptus), inhaled (horseradish),or taken orally (pepper). Some of the oils can be inhaled through steam inhalation.
Habits
Keeping your body's natural defenses up is a very good way to keep yourself sinusitis free. The body's immune system, functioning at a high capacity, has the ability to defend the body against most common infections. You can boost your immune system through some good daily living habits: eating, sleeping, and exercising right.
Drinking the proper amount of water actually helps too. Recent studies show that most Americans don't drink the proper amount of water per day. Try drinking more water; you'd be surprised how much this can help you with your nasal issues.
