Healing Your Sinuses Naturally

As discussed earlier, sinusitis can be caused by allergies and viral infections. However, there are many more causes of sinusitis such as the common cold, asthma, stress, pollution in the air, side effects from medication, extreme temperature fluctuations, immune system deficiencies, nasal polyps and many more.

Some of the most common symptoms of sinusitis are headaches, facial pressure and pain especially when bending over, discharge from the nose (thick and yellow/green, for acute; and thin and clear, for chronic), itchy eyes and nose, nasal congestion, cough, loss of smell and taste, and even the chills and fever.

Sinusitis is generally categorized as acute or chronic: temporary sinusitis lasting up to 8 weeks is considered acute and sinusitis that goes on for over 8 weeks is considered chronic. The symptoms for acute and chronic sinusitis are similar, but the symptoms of acute sinusitis are more painful.

Sinus congestion and symptoms that can lead to sinusitis can be treated through various means. Treatments range from conservative natural remedies, sinus massages, to over-the-counter medication, antibiotics, corticosteroids and even surgery, in chronic cases. I'm not a fan of OTC medication or prescribed medication mainly because of their adverse side-effects and overall damage to the immune system.

The intention of this web page, as mentioned right up front, is to provide natural remedies and solutions for relieving sinusitis symptoms. The natural remedies that will be covered below are: the sinus rinse with the Neti Pot and SinuFlo from NeilMed; Sinus Soothe drops from NativeRemedies; and sinus self massage by Heather Wibbels, LMT.

In the sections below, you will find concise information on each of the above mentioned natural sinus remedies. Please note that the information in this web page is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as professional medical advice. Please consult your physician for diagnoses and treatment.

Poster: Buy at AllPosters.com

In 2008, I developed symptoms of pan-sinusitis which is the infection of all four paranasal sinuses, as well nasal polyps, which caused me major pain and discomfort. I had constant sinus pressure, nasal congestion and sometimes could barely breathe normally with many sleepless nights.

Initially, I tried various over-the-counter (OTC) medication for sinus congestion, but it only brought temporary relief. Since the OTC medication didn't help, I visited my family doctor who after examining me, put me on course of antibiotics. The antibiotics worked for a little while, but the sinusitis symptoms were back after a month or so.

At this point, my physician put me on a course of stronger antibiotics which worked better than the previous course, but I was back to my physician after a couple of months. Given that the medication was not correcting the sinusitis, my physician recommended I take a CT scan to determine the extent of the nasal blockage.

The findings of my CT scan determined that I had developed pan-sinusitis and polyposis which basically meant that all my sinus cavities were blocked with mucosal thickening and nasal polyps. My physician referred me to a sinus specialist who after studying my CT scan and doing an endoscopic examination confirmed that sinus surgery would be a good option and correct my sinus issue.

I decided to go with the endoscopic sinus surgery which lasted about an hour under general anesthesia. I was in hospital recovery for about two hours and was able to return home the same day. I was recommended to take a week off to recover from the surgery. Refer section below to see what an endoscopic sinus surgery looks like.

Overall, the sinus surgery was a success and my sinuses felt brand new. I could breathe normally again. For normal maintenance, I do regular nasal rinses using the Neti Pot when I feel nasal congestion and it works really well for me.

I would recommend using the Neti Pot at the first signs of nasal congestion so you can avoid going through what I went through. I waited until an infection developed and it was too late to avoid surgery.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence.
Info Research Source: Wikipedia

This information is made available for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as professional or medical advice. Please consult your medical professional
for diagnoses and treatment.

Updated: June 3, 2012