When a respiratory virus has got you feeling down, oftentimes the headache and pain that comes from sinus congestion is the worst symptom of all. Try the following quick tips to help find some relief at home, naturally.
- Facial steaming: Using a bath towel, cover your head and a large bowl of hot water with a few drops of Tea Tree or Eucalyptus essential oil added. Breath the steam in through the nose as deeply as you can for 5-10 minutes. Similarly, you can do this in the bath or shower.
- Try a Neti Pot: A traditional tool used in Ayurvedic medicine, neti pots should be used with warm saline for best results. Clear the nasal passages as much as you can by blowing first. Then, leaning forwards in the shower tilt your head sideways. Use the pot to pour the liquid into one nostril, lower the forehead, and then turn the whole head so the liquid runs out the other nostril. Then do the same, starting with the other nostril.
- Sinus massage: There are a few key points on your face you can rub or put gentle pressure on with your fingertips to relieve sinus pain. You may even find you do this instinctually. Try pressing just above the inner corners of your eyebrows then sliding your fingers along the length of the brow. Next, place thumb and forefinger in the space between the nose and the inner corners of the eyes. Apply moderate pressure here for 20 seconds. Lastly, apply pressure to the point of your cheek bones closest to your nose, then pull gently on the lower earlobe on the same side, hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.
- Pineapple: Bromelain, an enzyme in pineapple, may be helpful as a supportive therapy to reduce the symptoms of sinusitis and related conditions that affect breathing and the nasal passages. A 2016 review of studies suggests that bromelain may reduce the duration of sinusitis symptoms in children, improve breathing, and reduce nasal inflammation.
- Thyme Tea: Thyme acts as an expectorant helping the body to break up and eliminate mucous. Try brewing up some fresh or dried thyme with lemon, ginger and honey to drink when you are feeling under the weather.
At Morkare, we take a holistic approach to health, encompassing preventative and reactive healthcare, lifestyle, sleep, diet, nutritional deficiencies and environmental toxins. When acute illness strikes, we can offer online appointments to new and existing clients. We also have a range of OTC remedies available to help get you back on your feet faster. We are here to support you and your family’s health, so please contact us if we can help in any way.
