Natural Cures for Common Illnesses

Long before modern medicine, people have been dealing with chronic sinus infections for centuries. Over the years, dozens of home remedies for sinus problems have been discovered, ranging from the use of natural herbal remedies, to applying various mechanical treatments. Many of these remedies may work for you, sometimes even better than pills or sprays a doctor can prescribe.

One of the safest and effective ways to relieve sinus pain is to inhale hot water steam vapors. Get some water boiling, put your face over the top of the pot, and breathe in some warm water vapor. Do it for several minutes. The steam of pure water will loosen and thin out the mucus that is aggravating your sinus cavities. No, it’s not a permanent solution, but even temporary relief is a step forward.

The great thing about water vapor steam that it is 100% safe, there are no side effects, and you can take the treatment as often as you want. Even if it does no good, it does no harm.

If you want to increase the effectiveness of the steam vapor treatment, toss some garlic into the pot. Garlic has long been considered to have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. It also has some plain old powerful vapors. You may not like the smell, but garlic vapors may work wonders for your sinus problems.

After you are feeling better from a steam vapor treatment, make yourself a glass of apple cider vinegar remedy. Mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of warm water and drink up. Take this mixture two or three times a day. Among other elements, apple cider vinegar is high in potassium, which is an excellent booster for your natural immune system.

Now, if you are one of those people who can’t stand food that is too hot and spicy, this next remedy may not be for you. But red cayenne pepper is a superb way to “blow out” your sinuses, so to speak. Most of us have had the experience of eating a super spicy bowl of chili, or maybe some Mexican food, rich in peppers and/or hot ground peppers. What happens? You get a runny nose and a feeling of heat seemingly coming out of your ears!

Many people love this powerful effect of eating super spicy red pepper dishes because it seems to “clean out” your nasal passages. If you have the stomach for hot spicy foods, hot peppers are a tremendous and healthy way to give your sinus cavities a workout, and it can be just the thing to bring some relief from the pressure of a sinus problem.

Much of the pain and discomfort from sinus infections or allergic reactions come from swelling in the nasal passages. Thus, applying warm compresses to the sinus area is a way to bring comfort to that area, loosen them up and bring relief. But what also reduced swelling? That’s easy — ice. So it’s a great idea to apply both heat and cold in alternating fashion to the area around your nose. The effect should be reduced swelling, giving your natural immune system a chance to catch up and help bring your sinus tissues back to normal function.

So try these simple procedures for sinus problems, and they just might work for you. If they don’t, you’ve done no harm, and you know you need to look for further solutions to the problem.