Sinus pain can really derail your whole day. The throbbing pressure in your head is distracting and can make it impossible to get work done or enjoy time with family and friends. Over-the-counter sinus medicines can help, but often that’s just trading the discomfort of sinus pain for a loopy, doped-up feeling. These natural remedies for sinus pain and pressure can give you some relief without nasty side effects!
Between allergies and the monthly colds my preschooler brings home, my poor sinuses take regular beatings. These are the natural remedies for sinus pain I use to feel better.
1. Neti Pot
If you’ve never used a neti pot before, it can seem a little bit daunting, but it is a miracle when it comes to relieving sinus pain and pressure. If your nose is so stuffed that you can’t breathe through it effectively, it may be too late for the neti pot. However, if you’ve got sinus pain from allergies or a lingering cold, flushing it out with a neti pot brings instant, lasting relief.
I’ve been using my neti pot since 2010, and back when I first got into it, I shared some tips and tricks to help you get over the awkwardness and neti like a pro. Really, the trick is getting the swing of mouth-breathing while you’re doing the pot. It’s almost meditative, once you get into it.
2. Humidifier
Dry air is so hard on your sinuses! Run a humidifier to help yourself breathe easier. At my house, we start the humidifier an hour or so before bedtime, so the room’s air is already less dry from the jump.
The key with a humidifier is to clean it regularly and thoroughly. As with anything that holds standing water, mildew can be a problem, and you don’t want to diffuse mildew or bacteria into your home’s air! This guide includes instructions on how to effectively and naturally clean your humidifier.
3. Hot Showers
Think of the hot shower as a humidifier on speed. The warmth loosens up mucous, so you can gently blow it out of your nose right in the shower while the steam helps soothe your poor sinuses.
You want as much warmth and steam as you can handle, so when you start the shower, close the bathroom door. That way, you’re trapping all of that therapeutic, warm, steamy air.
4. Hot Tea
A cup of hot tea is really just another warmth and steam delivery system, but it’s one you can enjoy at almost any time of the day. Don’t just sip the tea: inhale the warm fumes into your nose. A sore throat from post-nasal drop often goes hand-in-hand with sinus pressure. Unlike a humidifier or a shower, hot tea also helps relieve a sore throat.
For even more pain relief, choose ginger tea. There is good evidence that ginger is a natural pain-reliever. It’s a natural anti-inflammatory, which makes it great at helping with sinus and throat pain.
5. Spicy Food
Have you ever eaten a curry so hot that it made your nose run? That’s great for relieving sinus pain! It may not be the sexiest meal you’ve ever eaten, but a bowl of spicy goodness gets things moving and takes some pressure off of your sinuses.
Related
5 Natural Treatments for Sinus Infections
7 Ways to Prevent Sinus Infections
This article was originally published on www.Care2.com. Read the original here.
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