Sinus infections are no fun. Especially when your schedule is full and you don’t have time to be sick. In years past I got frequent excruciating sinus infections that included ear ache, neck ache, eye ball ache…well, you get the picture. If you can relate, perhaps these tips will benefit you…I know they helped me.
LONG TERM
- Diet
Water and lot’s of it.. consider buying bottled water. Ouch! I know that one hurts. Do you have any idea how many chemicals are in your water….. Take your weight, divide by half and that’s how many ounces you should drink daily.
Fresh whole food: Everything from a super market, unless it is specifically marked, has been processed, sprayed, dipped, irradiated, fumigated etc. Try to shop farmers markets or your own gardens for all the FRESH organic vegetables and fruits you can get. THINK WHOLE FOOD. Nothing added, nothing taken out. Super market meat is full of chemicals and hormones unless it’s marked or is certified organic. If you can buy your meat from an individual (or HUNT it yourself!) or raise your own…hoo haa, do it! 95% of supermarket eggs have some salmonella. Some of them have mutated and are resistant to refrigeration, boiling and basting with hot oil! So, stay with those home grown, free range eggs!
Cultured food: Let me say that again CULTURED FOOD!!! Oh my goodness there are not enough words in the dictionary to stress how important eating cultured food at every meal is. Kefir, cultured vegetables, kombucha–the trifecta of health. Get started with how-to’s and recipes here: http://culturedfoodlife.com
I had…stress HAD…multiple food allergies. A few I’d had for years (30+) and others stemmed from the Alpha-gal Syndrome which I’d had going on eight years. Within six months of eating cultured food at every meal all but one food allergy is gone and with it all those pesky gluten-intolerance symptoms.
NO NO’s:
P R O C E S S E D F O O D. If it comes in a box, a bag, or needs to be micro waved, throw it in the trash. If it never spoils and comes in a color that is not found in nature, throw it away! If it’s bleached of all it’s color, throw it away.
C O F F E E: Ouch, I know that one hurts. Americans love their coffee, but if you can, start weaning it out of your daily food intake. An excellent substitute is yerba mate, an herb from the rain forest–it has 45 nutrients, more anti-oxidants than broccoli or spinach and a great energy booster. And, it’s cheap! Add a little honey and lemon and you’re on your way to a healthier self.
Eat as much garlic, onions and cayenne as you can…stir fry it (in OLIVE OIL, nothing else–olive oil has sooo many good things in it.) eggs, vegetables, meat be creative, then just eat.
Remember, it took your body a long time to get in this shape so it’s going to take a while for your body to start repairing and revitalizing… don’t expect instant results.
SHORT TERM
- Essential oils: eucalyptus, thyme, wintergreen. Use on hankie, pillow case and a few drops in steaming water with a towel over your head draped over the steam. Can also apply to temples.
- Netti Pot: nasal irrigation. Add sea salt and essential oils. Irrigate at least twice daily.
- Herbal chest rub: chest, bottoms of feet, temples
- Sneasy Season Tea: 1/3 cup:1 cup water. Simmer to reduce by half. Take by the tablespoon as needed.
- Fire Cider/Master Tonic: equal parts garlic, onions, ginger, horseradish and hot peppers. Cover with apple cider vinegar for 6 weeks (you can shorten this time but will not be as strong/effective). Strain, refrigerate. 1 Tbl in water per day prophylactic; 1 Tbl in water per hour if infected.
The FOUR E’s: I keep these on hand all year long: elecapane, eyebright, echinacea and elderberry tinctures.
Elecampane tincture: 1 dropper (30 drops) every 2 hrs 2 or 3 times, then 10 drops morning, noon, night. This herb will loosen up your mucous and make you blow!! The purpose of mucous is to get the offending bacteria OUT of your body by any orifice that’s appropriate! What you don’t want to do is dry it up. It will stop of it’s own accord after it’s done it’s job. It will also unstop your ears…. and
Eyebright tincture: same dosage. This little beauty will lessen the pressure….and
Echinacea tincture: One dropper full each hour until symptoms cease. This wonder stimulates the immune system, is anti-inflammatory, anti-viral & antibacterial–it’s active against strep and staph. Is best taken at the ONSET of problem. (Can also be used as a tea.)
Elderberry tincture: great anti-viral. 1 dropper every 2-3 hrs, then 10 drops 3 times a day. Wonderful companion to Echinacea. (Can also be used as a syrup.) Also, here’s my super little booklet you can download with elderberry recipes http://lizzymckee.com/the-blog/elderberry-solutions/ Using elderberry on a continuing basis will help with your immunity to sinus infections.
Buy these four herbs in tinctures. It will cost $48-50 total. To take them, run a little water in a glass and squirt all the tinctures in the water. Hold each mouthful in your mouth as long as you can because it’s absorbed directly into your system. If you can take it without the water, do it. If you swallow it, it takes longer to work because it has to go thru your digestive system. I squirt the tinctures directly into my mouth under my tongue, but it’s pretty strong that way. Echinacea will cause a tingling sensation, that’s normal. Echinacea can also be purchased as a tea, that’s great to drink several cups a day. You can grow this so easy…it’s Coneflowers, and it’s beautiful.
In addition to the tinctures, be brave– make this SNUFF:
Garlic powder: 1 part: anti-bacterial, antiviral, antiseptic, antiparasitic, antifungal, antispasmodic and stimulates the immune system.
Goldenseal: 1 part: (take apart the capsules) antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory.
Barberry: 1 part: this is harder to find, and can be left out if necessary. And, here’s the KICKER…literally.
Cayenne: one small pinch.
Mix this all together. Take some about the size of a pencil eraser, put it in the palm of your hand and SNIFF HARD. WOW, that stings, but it works. Try to hold in 10 minutes before sneezing or blowing. Garlic and Goldenseal have to TOUCH what they are killing, so if you can get it into your sinus, whala, the nasties are goners. Use this every few hours as needed. If all else fails, mix it with some bottled water and spray it up your nostril or use in a netti pot.
For other flu/sinus fighting ideas check out my eBook: Favorite Flu Fighters at Amazon:
Disclaimer
I am a holistic herbalist. I am interested in holographic health—three dimensional, whole body health—not disease. I am not able and do not diagnose, treat, prescribe for, palliate or prevent human disease, ailment, pain, injury, deformity either physical or mental. My concern is what constitutes health, what supports health and what undermines health. The holistic herbalist suggests using historical and traditional herbal remedies and provides education to help determine the best course of treatment. I do not practice medicine, diagnose, prevent or treat any disease.
FDA The information and statements presented here have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The use of herbs for the prevention, treatment or cure of disease has not been approved by the FDA or USDA. We therefore make no claims to this effect. The information and products offered here are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.