Five Steps to Fight Sinus Infections

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Buy and learn to use a Neti Pot (see demo video below). This is the number one home remedy for treating sinuses. Warm saltwater rinses the sinus passages around your nose, although it can't usually do much for the sinus passages between/above the eyes. Many Neti Pot companies offer powdered saline mixtures, but I just use a pinch of non-iodized salt, enough to make the water as salty as tears. Don't use too much salt, or it will irritate your nose.

Note: The blue plastic neti pot found in most drug stores which is shaped more like a potbellied teapot is harder to use. Its spout is stubby and points up. A long spout with a shallower slope, like this one, is much easier to pour gently and smoothly; you don't have to tip it as far.

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First you cook the bacteria, then you freeze them! I use the Elasto-Gel Sinus Mask. This is a good idea after the hot shower, shrinking tissues that may have swollen from the heat, so that the nasal passages open up for drainage. The mask also helps you fall asleep, since it blocks light. For a home remedy alternative, try a bag of frozen peas!

Tip: I bought two gel packs so one can be cooling in the freezer while I'm using the other.

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There are various home remedies which work by encouraging the sacs of your lungs and/or sinus passages to open wider: menthol, mint, and even wasabi may help. I use Vicks Vapo-Rub Ointment for chest congestion, Altoids ("Curiously Strong Mints") when I'm wheezing,* Menthol Cough Drops, and/or sushi with Wasabi.

*I'm hesitant to suggest Altoids for asthma, because asthma can kill you. Treat it seriously. Manage it in consultation with your doctor. Nonetheless, when I forgot my inhaler on a camping trip, Altoids got me through until I could call in a prescription. I'm not keen on the taste, but I like breathing.

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Boost your immune system with home remedies. Vitamin C and Chewable Zinc Tablets are fairly well-proven to help your immune system, although I find Zinc sometimes irritates my stomach. Several studies have shown that standard doses of echinacea don't really help a cold much, but I still use Ricola Honey-Lemon Echinacea Throat Drops just in case. Chicken Noodle Soup is known to help the immune system as well. Give your body plenty of rest and good food to help it fight back!

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Mucus dripping down into your stomach can irritate it. So do antibiotics. If you wind up on antibiotics, I recommend taking Probiotics (benign bacteria found in your stomach and intestines which aid digestion) and/or eating yogurt, which has probiotics in it.

Even if you're not on antibiotics, probiotics can aid digestion; they're often recommended for IBS. This is the brand my Mom and I use, which seems to work a little better than my second-favorite found at Trader Joe's. We're not vegetarians; if you are, look for vegatarian probiotics or just stick with yogurt to be sure.

Ginger, mint and peppermint teas may also help settle the stomach.

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Mucinex is listed as an expectorant (something to help you cough up phlegm), but it works by loosening mucus, which may help sinuses drain. My doctor advised me to try the non-decongestant version to me as something with fewer side effects than regular antihistamines and decongestants. (The decongestant version is labeled "DM".)