Sinusitis
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Hot Shot — Mix one-half clove of garlic with a teaspoon of cayenne pepper (red chilli) powder, a teaspoon of honey and the juice of one lemon. Mix some water and drink this jolting mixture three times a day for a few days. Capsaisin, the chemical in spicy foods that burns your tongue, is a blood vessel dilator that can help drain your sinuses and thus ease the pain.
Spicy Tea — In a cup of hot water, combine one teaspoon powder each of cinnamon, sage, bay leaves and juice of one lemon. Drink as needed.
Chicken Soup — A good doze of garlic, onion and parsley in your favourite chicken soup recipe will help your stuffy nose and make you feel better allround.
Garlic — Eat one or two cloves of raw or lightly cooked garlic daily. This herb has anti-bacterial properties and may help fight infections.
Fenugreek Seeds — Eat one teaspoon of overnight soaked seeds with lemon juice and honey in the morning.
Jal Neti Kriya — This is a very simple exercise in which warm water is put in through one nostril and drained out through the other nostril or the mouth and vice versa. Take care not to breathe through the nose while practicing this kriya.
Deep Breathing/Anuloma-Viloma — Simple breathing exercises in which you (i) by closing the right nostril, inhale through the left nostril for 4 seconds (ii) hold the breath for another 4 seconds (iii) exhale slowly through the right nostril by closing the left nostril for 8 seconds and vice versa. Repeat this exercise for at least 12 cycles for good results.
Steam Inhalation — Steam can help drain your sinuses and relieve pressure. Put a few drops of eucalyptus oil in a pan full of just boiled water. Cover your head and engulf the pan with a towel. Inhale the steam for five minutes after which keep the head and face covered for further few minutes.
Nasal Irrigation — Irrigating nasal passages with saline water twice a day can bring relief.
Hot, Wet Compresses — Apply hot, wet compresses to your face several times a day.
Hot and Cold Face Wash — Bathe your face with hot water — as hot as you can bear – and then apply cold water for a shorter duration.
Homeopathic Medicines — It is said that homeopathic medicines strengthen the patients’ constitution and eradicate the underlying causes such as sensitivity to cold air, nasal allergies and asthma which are often behind chronic sinusitis. Silicea is said to be very effective in treating sinusitis in individuals who are extremely sensitive to the least amount of chill in the air and often develop frontal headaches or heaviness. Kali Bichrome is said to be helpful in cases where the discharges are very stringy, sticky and yellowish-green or when the patient complains of constant pain in the root of the nose.
