If the infection is not fully blown yet, inhalations should be your first course of action to alleviate discomfort. Boil a pot of water and then add minced fresh garlic to it (3 to 4 cloves should do). Get yourself comfy, cover your head and pot with a towel and start inhaling.
It might be uncomfortable at first, but it will help. The steam alone is an amazing decongestant and helps to clear the breathing pathways. When you add other healing ingredients, the positive effects multiply. Garlic is an extremely potent natural antibiotic, and is antiviral and antifungal. See also my article on how to make garlic syrup for chest infections.
Steam Inhalation with Apple Cider Vinegar
Instead of fresh garlic, you can also use apple cider vinegar. A 1:1 proportion with steaming water will create a powerful mix. Apple cider vinegar thins the annoying mucus.
Steam Inhalation with Tea Tree Oil
Some swear by adding tea tree oil (a few drops will suffice), as the oil is another strong natural antibiotic and antifungal. By inhaling it, you deliver the antibiotic directly to your suffering nasal membranes (this may hurt at first, and you may feel a burning sensation).
Also eucalyptus essential oil helps clear nasal and chest congestion caused by colds and sinus infections, so you can use it instead or with tea tree essential oil.
Neti Pot / Sinus Irrigation
One of the most popular treatments using a salt and water solution to flush out the nasal passages is the neti pot. This is a small ceramic pot that you fill with a mixture of ½ to 1 teaspoon of salt to each 16 ounces (two cups) of warm water. Some prefer to add an additional ¼ teaspoon of baking soda, per cup, to the mixture to adjust the pH of the irrigating solution to that of the body. You need to use previously boiled water to prepare the solution. Don’t use tap water.
Once you’ve filled the neti pot, tilt your head over the sink at about a 45 degree angle. Place the spout into your top nostril, and gently pour the saline water into that nostril. The saline water will flow through your nasal cavity and out the other nostril. Blow your nose to get rid of any remaining water, then refill the neti pot and repeat the process on the other side.
The basic explanation of how the Neti pot works is that it thins mucus and helps flush it out of the nasal passages. People suffering from daily sinus symptoms found relief from using the neti pot on a daily basis. Once the symptoms subsided, you can reduce it to three times a week.
You can also use a special bottle to rinse your sinus. I’ve used a bottle called NeliMed Sinus Rinse to rinse my sinuses and I found it extremely easy to use. You need to fill the bottle with the same water solution that I mentioned above, tilt your head over the sink at about a 45 degree angle. Put the nozzle tip snugly against one of your nostrils. Squeeze the bottle and repeat the same process for the other nostril.
Sinus Rinse Bottle
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