Finding natural remedies for Sinusitis took me several years but the answer was, if you’ll pardon the pun, under my nose all along. I began getting Sinus infections in my early twenties. The first time I got it was probably the worst I have ever had. It came over me quite quickly and I had no idea what was going on. I had an excruciating pain in my forehead directly above my eyes. It got so intense that all I could do was take pain killers and get into bed and imagine the worst.
I was home from Dublin for the weekend and thankfully my lovely Mum was there to look after me. She called our family Doctor who made a now all to rare house call. He knew straight away what it was and filled out a prescription for me. Phew! It wasn’t a brain tumour just a Sinus infection. Within a day of taking the antibiotic the symptoms began to disappear and by the end of the course I was good as new. The next time I got that tingling feeling and pressure above my eyes I knew what was coming so I acted quickly before the pain incapacitated me. Straight to my GP I went and a prescription was duly written. But, I wasn’t so comfortable with this so I also began to research other ways of managing my health and diet to see if there was another solution. My GP seemed unsure about the importance of food but I discovered that there are lots of food triggers for a sinus infection. For me (and I can only speak from my own experience) I only ever got it after I had a cold. If I continued drinking red wine and eating cheese during my cold I would, without doubt, develop a sinus infection. The lifestyle change came gradually. I begrudgingly waved bye bye to Pinot Noir and cut back hugely on my cheese intake but when I became pregnant a few years later the antibiotic was no longer the quick fix I could resort to. So, I took to the books and found another way. I needed a natural remedy and a home remedy became the quickest option and this is how I discovered the overnight success.
My ‘hardcore’ quick fix is what I like to call my overnight success. If, like me, you aren’t a fan of raw onions, you may struggle with this remedy but it works and quickly. I have to be in a very bad way to put this one into practice but hey, if you like raw onions this is the one for you.
The Raw Onion Sinus fix/Overnight Success recipe.
You will need
I onion and a piece of muslin or thin cotton, large enough to comfortably tie around your neck
Method
Chop the onion into thin slices of an inch or longer. Open out your square of material and place the raw onions in the centre. Fold the material in half keeping the onions in the centre to form a triangle. Now roll the material so that it can be worn around the neck like a neckerchief with the onions neatly wrapped in the middle. Now bear with me……..wrap the ‘onion’ kerchief around your neck and go to sleep for the night. In the morning you will notice two things. Firstly, you, your pillow, bed linen and room all smell of raw onions. Secondly and most importantly, all sinus pain will be gone. Voila. No costly trip to your Doctor or the pharmacy and of course no need for an antibiotic.
Every time I have endured this treatment it has worked for me. I have also worn it during the day/evening and not worn it to bed with similar success. In terms of other remedies I find them to be slower leading to results but they do work and generally I do them in combination with each other.
Steaming with Peppermint and eucalyptus
This is a pretty tried and tested method and if done regularly at the start of a head cold works wonders.
I fill a stainless steel bowl with just boiled water and I add a few drops each of peppermint and eucalyptus essential oil for immediate and longer relief. Place your head over the bowl and cover your entire head and bowl with a towel to trap the steam and inhale for a few minutes. Do this as often as is required but certainly three times a day.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Believe the hype. Apple cider vinegar is brilliant. It has lots of benefits apparently which aid well-being but for me it’s my go-to aid for sinusitis. It helps thin mucus and 1 tablespoon taken in a glass of warm water three times a day works. I take it for up to a week but by many accounts apple cider vinegar can be taken every day for a variety of other benefits as part of an alkaline diet or to aid with weight loss.
Hot Lemon drink
M
ix the juice of 1 lemon with an inch of thinly sliced fresh ginger with a spoonful of honey and a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon in a cup and top up with hit water. Drink straight away.
My final sinus remedy is primarily a great tasting soup. I refer to it as my Sinus Soup which is decidedly unappetising but Spicy Vegetable Soup will work just as well.
It’s vegetable broth that takes very little time to prepare.
Ingredients
1 good sized onion thinly sliced, 1 stick of celery chopped, 2 cloves of garlic sliced or crushed, 1 large potato cut into bite size chunks, 1 courgette or Zucchini diced, 1/2 red pepper cut into bite size chunks, 2 carrots sliced, a good handful of shredded Savoy cabbage, 4 roughly chopped mushrooms. 1.5 litres of stock. 1 level teaspoon of Tumeric, 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, a good grind of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of dried mixed herbs and 1 inch of thinly sliced fresh ginger.
Method
Fry the onion, celery, Savoy cabbage, mushrooms and garlic with a tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot. Once the ingredients have softened add the herbs and spices and make sure all of the vegetables fully coated. Add the potatoes and carrots and add the stick. Simmer over a medium heat for 30 minutes or until all of the undereducated are cooked.
Serve steaming hot.
Green Bee 
Ah! I wondered why hot lemon drink made the senses feel so clear. Top tip.
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