Natural Remedies for Chronic Sinusitis Relief

Cayenne Pepper is curing my sinusitis. Absolutely crazy and I would have never thought of snorting lines of cayenne considering the burn it must deliver, but it works. I've taken some powder(1/6 of a pinky nail) and soaked it in water(1 teaspoon) and use my finger to drop it into my nose. I did it this way so as to get used to the feel. It works just as good causing my sinuses to discharge profusely and thereby loosening all phlegm in the sinus cavity. I feel that in the next few days I will be rid of this thing.

I had eight years old sinus which was a real chronic problem for me. Even a slightest breez put me into headache. Every morning I had to get up earlier than my sleep was enough to clean my nose. Headache and nose and cheek bone pain was an almost daily problem.

But one day it so happened that my chronic sinus disappeared for ever. Now I never have to even clean my nose even after going through snow breez. I dont have any headache now. Let me tell you what happened.

We brought a couple of goats from the cattle market "IN OUR CAR" to slaughter on Eid (we the muslims slaughter some cattle on this festival). Although the two goats did not do any spoiling in the car but their extremly abnoxious smell remained in the car later for many days. As it was winter we could not travel in the car with the car windows open. It so happened that we had to travel in the same car to another city some 100 miles and back on the very next day. The smell in the car although it had subsided to some extent caused me severe headache when I reached back home. Anyway I took a pain killer and went to sleep. In the morning again I had to take another pill of the pain killer.

BUT... aroung in the afternoon I realised that some thing had happened. My SINUS HAD GONE FOR EVER.... AND ITS OVER FOUR MONTHS NOW. No nose cleaning, no headache no cheek bone or nose pain no secretion.

CAN SOME PHYSICIAN EXPLAIN IT??? I would love to have your comments and wish somebody to investigate it further and keep me updated. Let me tell you I am a natural scientist myself.

Hello John, Usually it is an allergy or intolerance causing the blockage and the blockage causes the infection. Try leaving off all hair sprays, after shaves, colognes, paint fumes, etc. & avoiding all of the above on other people as much as possible and see if it helps to keep your nose/sinuses open. I used to work with a guy who had surgery on his sinuses (2 times that I know of & may have had some before I met him). Poor guy, he always smelled like he had marinated himself in some strong smelling aftershave &/or cologne, but he was averse to leaving his smelly stuff off, when I suggested that it might be the cause of his chronic sinus problems.

Thanks John for your detailed account! I too have noticed a "backlash" with H202, in that it works initially but seems to irritate the tissue and cause re-inflammation. Whether in the ear or sinus. Perhaps it is to strong for some. I will try the GSE.

I had been trying the hydrogen peroxide for about three weeks, and my sinusitis just got worse and worse, until I've had to be off work for a whole week. I've never been that bad before, never had to have a day off work before. Until I went to the doctors 2 days ago, I hadn't even done my dishes for nearly a week! He gave me a spray and some antihistames and they worked immediately. It's sooo good at the moment to just be able to breathe and to go about normal daily life.

I don't think I got the method of using the HP wrong - it is proving difficult here in New Zealand to get a nasal sprayer - I have spent a lot of money buying different brands to get the bottle to use to spray - they have all proved to be sealed, so instead I used an eye-dropper and started with a 5O/5O water/3% HP and then went to a 3:1 ratio - (1%}. I was also using NeilMed saline irrigation once or twice a day. The symptoms just got worse and worse until I finally developed a polyp.

I may have found a way to get a spray bottle, so when I get that, I will try the HP again - more diluted. I will also try the GSE. I will keep people posted, and would appreciate feedback.

To John Hoecker: Your story is familiar to me. I agree about the backlash from H2O2. I will go get some GSE. Would love an update on what's happening with you.

I'd just like to follow up regarding my use of nasal GSE spray for my chronic sinus condition after having been using it for 1 week.

I'm using 3 drops of GSE in a saline solution using a spray bottle. The "pocket" in my sinuses continues to remain open and is moist and draining, which is so important in my eyes - when that pocket closes up, it's typically only a matter of time before i get the standard infection. It has never remained open for this long.

I still do feel inflammation, but i accept that as part of the healing process. After 15 years of infections, I don't expect a 1 week cure. But i have to say that keeping that pocket open is the key to me not getting infected to begin with!

Thumbs up for GSE! Now, what to due about keeping the inflammation down and enhancing the healing??

I have a chronic sinusitis for more than 20 yrs. Jst 1 month ago i discovered your site. And i found out a good remedy for. I jst drink wild oregano oil capsule once a day. Then i drink 2 tbspn Apple cider vinegar on a glass of water 2xday. Then i do nasal irrigation by using 1 tbspn ACV, 1 tspn salt, 1 tspn baking soda 1xday by 3xweek. It did wonders to me my sinus foul odor were gone, no post nasal drip. I have my life back. Hope you try this.

I'd like to give a cautionary thumbs-up for Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) as a potential remedy for acute and/or chronic sinustitis, and I'd like to continue posting my progress as i'm just beginning this treatment. First, a little history (maybe this will sound familiar to some).

I'm a 41-year-old male in otherwise excellent health who has had repeated sinus problems and infections since 1994. In march 2007 I began to have a series of R-side sinus infections (one was a particularly painful sphenoid sinus infection confirmed my a CT scan).

During this time I did frequently use a neti pot with NeilMed salt packs. It did help to clear and open my sinuses, but there was always one pocket of inflammation that was chronic, that never seemed to heal completely. My infections would always start there, where it seemed that once the inflammation in that pocket reached a certain point, that bacteria would become trapped, and within 5 days I'd have another bacterial infection that would require another round of antibiotics.

By september 2007 my ENT doc said if i got infected again, we'd have to have a serious look at surgery (and for the sphenoid, it is a very delicate procedure as it's located near the base of the skull with a host of delicate nerves and arteries that run along it's walls).

When the next infection began to take hold that september, I decided to take see a well-respected accupuncturist/Traditional Chinese Medicaine doc. The treatment consisted of accupuncture and cooking down chinese herbs that I'd have to drink twice a day. The accupuncture does provide near-immediate relief. I could go from a state of feeling the typical fever/chills and sinus pain from that pocket becoming infected, to having it open up deeply and drain/recover within 2 hours. The herbs evidently helped to reduce inflammation and keep it open, as well as boost my immune system to fight off whatever may be the underlying bacteria/virus/fungus that causes this to begin with.

I have maintained with the accupuncture and herbs until now, but at a tremendous dollar cost, and still have not resolved that ever-persistent inflammed pocket in my R-sinus that is the source of all my infections. (note also that a repeat CT a few months ago showed no underlying blockages or malformations in my sinuses).

A few days ago I could feel the pocket become inflammed again and was on the road to another infection. I found this site and have pretty much been throwing the kitchen sink at it - Oil pulling with sesame oil and oil of oregano, sinus flush with hydrogen peroxide and saline H2O, ACV, and tomato tea (yummy stuff, good temporary clearing!). It kept things at bay, but could not keep that pocket open.

Today I began using GSE as a spray. I took a used antihistamine spray bottle, added a pinch or two of NeilMed salt solition, 8 drops of GSE, and water, and sprayed it in my R-nostril. It stinged a little bit in unaffected areas, but BURNED in the pocket with the inflammation. The burning eased up within minutes, but that pocket opened right up, and i could feel that it was moist and draining easily. I must state that typically the only thing that reliably opened up that pocket was accupuncture, so the fact that this simple remedy did the trick was for me very remarkable.

I continued to spray today once or twice when i felt it was drying up or when it felt it was closing up again, typically every hour or two. I had to dilute the original mixture because it felt a bit too strong, doing more than just keeping it open, but producing copious amounts of clear mucous and sneezing. One thing I noticed about other remedies to open up the sinuses (H2O2 especially) was that while it would open things up, there would be almost a reflex backlash of swelling afterward at some point.

It is my hope that by keeping up with this routine, that the GSE spray will keep the pocket open and allow it to drain and heal, and that whatever is creating the inflammation that is the precursor to my infections (be it bacterial/viral/fungal) will evenually be killed off by the GSE.

Forgive the lenghty post, but I wanted to be thorough. I will keep you posted. My hope is that if it works for me, that it may work for you as well, and we all save thousands of dollars in treating and healing the root of the problem, as opposed to just being in a maintenance mode where we are constantly treating symptoms and not the cause.

oh wow. i love xylitol. i am diabetic and have not been able to eat sugar for years. since i found xylitol i have occasionally used it for mouth rinses and also on foods when i want a sweetener. you know that it is poisonous for dogs?

well, i just want to say that i ate a tablespoon of xylitol (hahaha) mixed with VCO and cocoa powder and peanuts.... you probably know what happened...

i had very bad cramps and diaharreah (sp?) the next day... be careful with the amount of xylitol you use - i don't know if snorting it into your sinuses can have this effect - but it is a crazy side effect IMO.

i also use a home-made version of a neti pot. what i do is put sea-salt (and occasionally a little baking soda too) in a glass of warm water and hold one nostril closed and stick the other one in the solution and inhale it. it comes out my mouth and washes down my throat. i can't get it to come out my other nostril using this method - but it does seem to wash allergins, etc. from my sinuses.

djh

xylitol nasal spray: Has anyone tried this for sinusitis or allergy relief?

can you please tell me what amount of pineapple should be eaten per day to be of benefit, and also what were the adverse affects of taking too much pineapple each day?

For a few years I was getting sinusitis which was dripping into my chest and causing further havoc. It would last several weeks usually and leave me miserable with a low grade fever the whole time.

I had used Cayenne Pepper before but sporadically. I was told (don't remember where) that Cayenne Pepper in liquid form mixed with Fizzy Vitamin C would help clear it up. I purchased some CP and mixed it 20-25 drops into one or two packs of Emergen C and poured approx. 10 ounces of lemonade into the mix and drank it down. The effervessence of the Fizzy C seems to help deliver the cayenne pepper more actively to the mucus membranes. The CP must also kill some of the bacteria that is forming in the sinus cavity and mucus lining.

I usually drink it slowy over a minute or two. It doesn't take long but I begin to expell mucus that seems to be loosened up. During the beginning of a cold or sinus condition I start this immediately and have never had a full or even annoying recurrence in almost 10 years. You can do the same thing with a nasal wash but be careful to use only a partial drop of cayenne with some dead sea salt and water to clear stubborn nasal passages if necessary. I have only had to do it once or twice but it is effective. My wife even used a mild cayenne wash for her eyes when we first met and it helped clear up a stubborn infection. I hope this helps someone as it has helped me many times over the years.

I always had Sinus issues as far as 12 years now. Allergies manifested as really quickly. Oil pulling is a god send for people with any of these issues. It became a routine for me before brushing and makes my day a whole lot better. It loosens up the phlegm in the sinuses that accumulates overnight and make it easy to sneeze it out. It seems to also take care of the stubborn plaque and teeth cleaning. Sometimes, if the brushing in the evening does not make me feel clean on teeth, i get to another round of oil pulling to clean up.

However, do not oil pull without at least 3-4 hours after eating and 30mins after drinking anything. This is also mentioned elsewhere. Please follow the instructions meticulously. One thing i noticed is that the amount of time you swish it in mouth depends on how stuffed you are. If you are good, oil takes a while to liquify and if you are stuffed, it liquifies quickly and you can feel it thinning.

This also helps me manage my allergies and I stopped using the sprays and now i am on accupucture treatment to completely get rid of these problems.

If you have that feeling of phlegm stuck in your lower sinuses even with oil pulling, you may want to use netipot. Use kosher salt and warm water. That should give you relief for atleast 24 hours, free of any stuffing what so ever. There are advanced techniques with neti pot (drug stores call it sinus rinse) which can effectively clean every part of sinus over time. Good luck!

For several years I've been dealing with chronic ear and nasal congestion which my ENT chalks up to allergies, which I do have but two months ago I had a nasty URI which has left me with chronic sinus congestion and loss of smell and taste. Two courses of antibiotics haven't cleared anything up but now, after reading about fungus being responsible for chronic sinusitis, I'm going to start using organic ACV, herbal teas (oregano, rosemary & thyme) and fresh garlic. Already using a probiotic with the DDS-1 strain, developed at the University of Nebraska. This bacteria is more stable and has many more beneficial properties than other strains of L-acidophillus.

Regarding the observation of one author who says she won't use ACV because it's antibacterial, garlic is also a potent antibacterial agent, as is oregano oil but garlic is one of the mainstays in the arsenal to not only destroy pathogenic agents in the body, but also to maintain good health.

Never take h202 with tap water. All water must be filtered or distilled. You never know what chemicals are in the tap water that can interact with the h202.

For me:

I mix 4 drops of 35% food grade h202 as in DROPS (not droppers full) in 16 fl oz bottle of filtered water. OR 2 drops of 35% Food grade h202 in 8 fl.oz glass bottle. (pre-mixed) If I feel it is too strong, i just dilute it with more water.

I shake the bottle before i drink it. I also use the (pre-mixed h202 that I made) with my Hydro Grossan sinus/nasal rinse. I usually out 2 tablespoon of my pre-mixed h202 into the hydro grossan water container, and fill the rest with filtered water and salt. I stir the water content and close the lid. I start rinsing my nose with it twice per day.

When I first started out - my nose was totally blocked in one side, constant post nasal drip, could not eat anything without having allergies. I went to doctors and had all kinds of antibiotics and even anti fungal for my candida - nothing worked. I would have phlegm everytime i ate something until I went on strict diet. Even with strict diet, I would still have constant hacking out of plegm after my salads.

One day, I just went on clear broth diet boiling (Chicken bones with filtered water and vegetables(any -but no carrot due to sugar content) and drinking it for every meal. I eat nothing else. This is to help me keep my symptoms down while i do my h202 treatment and let it work. I drank my 2 of my pre-mixed 16 fl. oz of h202 throughout the day (I continue to drink water in between at least 6 cups). I rinsed my nose and throat with the premixed h202 with salt 3 times each nose every 3 hours for the 1st day. The second day, I rinse my nose only twice a day - 3 times each side.I figured that if there is something in my sinus so deep and stubborn, I have to be more aggresive or stubbon than the bug to get rid of it. I was right!

You should have seen the gunk that came out of me. At first it felt uncomfortable, alot of mucus came out through my nose and mouth continuously, i let it come out for 2-3 days whenever it feels like coming out. The 4th day, my post nasal drip lessen considerably and my cough stopped. Amazing! I kept on doing the nose and throat rinse daily (twice a day- once in the morning, once before i sleep) and drinking at least a bottle 8fl oz. of my own pre-mixed h202 daily and now I am back to normal!! I have so much energy to do the things i want to do.

Where I can buy the Oregano Juice? I found the oil but not juice. It is a great website. Thanks very much for helps!Rosa

I recently have suffered from PND [POST NASAL DRIP], which came from sinus and housemite dust. I have had a lot of health horrors over the years but this PND tok some beating. It has been absolutely terrible with horrible throat clearing and cough.

I tried drinking ACV and honey (have to watch the honey coz of diabetes), breathing olbas oil (childrens one) from an inahler, malt vinegar and paprika, small amount knocking it straight back, make no mistake -- it takes some bottle to knock that all back in one go.... Finally, I made my own rinse spray with ordinary table salt and a pinch of bicarb [baking soda]. Can't say it's totally cleared as yet, still got a bit of a cough, and very occasional tickle, but is much better and bearable, able to live with it.

I tried Nasonex and that worked for all of 3 days which cleared the waful hacking cough up which was persistent. I might try it again, as I read somewhere just today is best to wash the nostrils out with spray solution first then that gives the Nasonex chance to get right up into the cleaned out nostrils.

Salt rinse cures my sinus flare ups: I never had problems with sinus until recently when I was diagnosed with allergies from all outdoor things. I was taking shots but, had no luck. I moved and they wanted to start the damn shots over again from the weakest dosage. What a scam!!! So, I decided to do as I was always told. Spray the nose pathage with salt water. I first bought the solution from the drugstore and now, make my own and place in the bottle I bought. I spray up my nostrils in the shower, pinch my nose, shake and blow the crap out. Boy, the next few days I felt great. Now, I only use it as a monthly or so routine. If I sense I have an allergic affect or sinus flare up then, a spray or two a few days or a week or so will solve the problem. I've been sinus ache free and medicine free for a four years now. Darn glad I found your site to tell others and to learn how to take care of myself without a prescription (otherwise known as a low dosage poison). Thanks for the time,
Bob!!!

Just commenting: no idea about the tomatoes for sinusitis but will pass it on. Always avoid dairy products when you have any sinus congestion of any kind. This helps--plus try a infusion of a mixture of these herbs, readily available fennel seeds, flaxseeds (aka linseeds) and fenugreek seeds. Mix equal parts of each seed. It's really up to the person how much of each seed they buy and how long they are going to be taking the combination. It's a combination I keep around. I tend to mix up a 1/4 cup of each seed and mix them into a jar and keep them in a cool dark place until they are needed. When needed place a heaping teaspoon of the mixed seeds into a mug of boiling water. Allow to steep, or infuse, whatever you call it, then stir, (sieve if you like or better, eat the seeds) then drink copious amounts. Really does the trick for any congestion lung and sinus.

I tried GSE for my sinusitis, the result wasn't immediate, as is the case with most natural remedies, I believe. ACV helped a bit. Wanted to suggest something else, though. Try Malavit. It can be used for almost any ailment. It works for me! I get it from Russia, but I found a link in English, too.

I have suffered from sinusitis for years. I gave up dairy, eggs and wheat and that seemed to help, but still had occasional outbreaks. They increased in duration until I was in a constant state and extremely miserable. It affected my ability to get out of bed in the morning. I was becoming increasingly depressed. I finally consulted a homeopath, and the remedy rid me of symptoms for a period of about eight months. I felt this was significant considering I had suffered for more than 2 years with persistent daily debilitating symptoms.

But then the sinusitis came back after a head cold. I am a psychic and sometimes I get psychic information in dreams and sometimes I use meditation. One day I fell into a deep trance and I saw myself cutting into a pineapple and taking a slice and eating it and feeling significantly better. I then heard a voice inside me say, "The reason why you suffer from sinusitis and from heart pain (recently I had developed heart pain) is that you have congestion from undigested protein in these areas. If you eat pineapple you will resolve these issues." I came out of the trance quite intrigued and went online and found out that pineapple--or actually the enzyme found in it, bromelain--is used in the treatment of sinusitis and is supposed to prevent problems with the heart. I called my sister, who is an alternative nutritionist and told me that the gut and sinuses are interconnected. She said my heart pain was probably "heartburn".

She said that a lot of sinus problems are due to insufficient enzymes and potentially insufficient HCL as well. I immediately started eating pineapple nearly every day and noticed a significant reduction in my symptoms. My heart pain cleared up and furthermore I noticed my mood was a lot better too. I decided to take enzymes as well and I find that this is even more helpful. Also, the raw pineapple was starting to affect me adversely in some ways. I would recommend that others look into the enzymatic approach. My sister says many people in this country are deficient in enzymes (as cooking and irradiation of food destroys them) and that insufficient HCL can actually cause heartburn.

For the last 15 years I've had chronic sinusitis, post nasal drip, clogged nose, etc. I was constantly clearing my throat, and sometimes coughing. I snored a lot, which my wife didn't appreciate, and the snoring actually would wake me up in the middle of the night, leaving me tired in the morning. I seemed to catch colds more easily than before, but I attributed this to my very frequent plane travel.

Doctors prescribed antibiotics, but I they did not fully cure the problem and when I stopped the treatment, every symptom returned. (And I just don't like unnatural treatments.) Others said it was allergies.

I wondered: Could my sinusitis be a fungal problem? More exploring on the internet found the answer:

In 1999 Mayo Clinic researchers found the cause of most chronic sinus infections to be an immune system response to fungus, and that this may kick off a secondary bacteriological infection. It is not an allergic reaction, but an immune reaction.
Again, I felt betrayed by the medical profession. Why hadn't anyone told me this?

I went to the health and vitamin store to look for an anti-fungal nasal spray, and nothing met my requirements or budget ($10-15 for a one ounce bottle of ingredients seemed way out of line.) Here's the formula I "invented:"

1. Rinse out a 1 ounce nasal spray bottle
2. Add one eye-dropper (approximately 1 ML) of Oregano Juice (NOT Oregano Oil -it's too strong and will not dissolve in water)
3. Add a pinch of salt (approximately ½ ML) (Iodized salt is OK - iodine is a good anti-fungal)
4. Fill the rest of the sprayer with distilled water, and shake well until the salt is dissolved.

Spray as frequently as once an hour until symptoms subside. For me, this solution began working within an hour; most symptoms were gone in three days. And the price of the ingredients per bottle is just a few pennies.

If the oregano/saline solution is too strong for you, dilute in half with water. If you want, you can add a drop of eucalyptus oil with ½ ML of glycerin, (which will bond the oil to water). I now spray once or twice a day, just to prevent any recurrence.

A very dear friend, who is 75, has had awful sinusitis for years. He heavily cleared his throat every minute or two. I told him of this simple formula, and two days later he called me to say it was working. He then said with amazement: "I don't believe it, we've been talking for over 15 minutes and I haven't had to clear my throat once!"

There are articles and books that claim that some cancers are caused by fungus. If this is true, taking action on fungus early may be very beneficial in the long run. It's time we gave fungus a deeper analysis.