I got carried away. I have 14 sinus buster tips here that may help you avoid serious sinus infections, sinusitis or other sinus problems. It’s a myth that sinus infections are only seasonal. Sinus infections can occur more often in winter when houses are closed up and not getting the proper ventilation. But seasonal allergies affect people more often in the spring and summer months. Some people suffer all-year-round. Many don’t know why.
1. Make sure your home is ventilated as much as possible in the winter months. Air it out when you can. Use air cleaners and especially use an air cleaner in your bedroom at night.
2. Use daily saline nasal irrigation. Use nasaline or the neti pot. Don’t add baking soda, hydrogen peroxide or anything else to the solution. There is a lot of misinformation floating around the Internet; these substances can irritate and even damage the lining of your nose and sinus cavities and if you think you had problems before, you could certainly have then now. Saline solution only. A sinus buster!
3. If you have to travel or don’t have access to irrigation, then carry some saline nasal spray with you. It won’t reach the sinus cavities but it will provide some moisture in your nasal passages. It may not reach your sinus cavities however. Use it several times a day.
4. Drinking iced drinks like iced tea and any drink containing ice will not help and can actually aggravate your sinus problems. However if you have a full blown sinus headache, you may find a cold, all-fruit smoothie made with fresh and frozen fruit, will help it.
5. Make sure to get enough sleep. Prop yourself up on pillows to restrict sinus drainage from entering your lungs at night. You don’t want to get pneumonia,
6. Get plenty of exercise, especially outdoors to get good blood flow to the sinuses and clear your nasal passages.
7. Make sure your bedroom air isn’t too dry at night. Air it out in the daytime if possible. Problems occur when the sinuses dry out for any reason. If you find you get nosebleeds at night or wake up with them, then the air may be too dry in your bedroom. The most common cause of nosebleeds is lack of moisture – air that is too dry. Some people use humidifiers but these can cause mold and moisture problems in your house also. So that would be a last resort. You’d want to get the kind that is ‘bacteria free’.
8. Some advice has been to take hot showers, but I would only recommend this unless you have proper filtration, otherwise you’re inhaling chlorine fumes and whatever chemicals are still left in the water. You can try inhaling steam with distilled or spring water over the stove with a towel over your head but irrigation would be much better.
9. You can use hot compresses to relieve some of the swelling and help increase blood flow. This may not be good if you have a sinus headache.
10. If you suffer from allergies and it’s allergy season, try to give your sinuses a break. Keep your windows closed at night. The peak time for many allergens is between 5 P.M. and 10 A.M.
11. Whether you know you suffer from allergies or don’t know if you have any try to reduce the stress on your sinuses at night. Use hepa air cleaners. Use hepa vacuums when you vacuum. Use dust mite mattress and pillow case covers which are relatively cheap to help keep the allergens under control. Wash your sheets and other bedding in hot water often.
12. Get tested for allergies including pollen and dust mites.
13. Avoid inhaling dust, new or old household dust; avoid smoke and all fumes.
14. Quit smoking if you smoke and avoid all smoke from anyone who smokes in your household. Ask them to smoke outside.
These are just a few of many sinus buster tips that can help you get rid of sinus infections forever. Using these tips should help get you on the path to perfect health.
