Quick Sinus Relief: Natural Remedies for Congestion

Oil Pulling

Posted by Diane (Minneapolis, Mn) on 11/29/2007
★★★★★

I thought it sounded crazy. But I am always game for a healthier me. This morning was my first try at "Oil Pulling" and I had Immediate Results! my sinus cavities cleared up Immediatley. I can't wait until I reap the benifits from the Mollasses and ACV.. I'm turning everyone I know onto this site. thanks Earth Clinic

Steaming

Posted by Rosa (Orlando , FL) on 07/28/2007
★★★★★

I was miserable last thursday night, I could not breath through my nose, my throat was so irritated and swallen I could hardly breath, I tried the nasal sprays and did nothing at all. without sleep and desperate for an immediate solution, I jumped on the internet and here I found the perfect remedy, I drank the ACV and it felt like burning at first but it sure cleared up my throat. I heated some water in the microwave with at a bit more than a third of ACV and very carefully inhaled the vapors, I felt such relief right away, This is the best remedy ever!

Saline Rinse

Posted by Richie (Newport, NC) on 02/21/2007
★★★★★

I have been taking pain killers for four(4) months now, and have noticed mucus was becoming very thick and amber in color. being a person who pays attention to what comes out of my body, I became alarmed. I do not like the idea of taking prescriptions, but at the time this was my option.

Anyway, long story short; found your site, agree with most of your cures, but I also know that one size does not fit all. I tried most of your sinus remedies, payed attention to what ingredients were working, and found a simple technique to drain sinuses early morning w/little prep work. Turn on hot water, grab coffee cup, put 1 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp H202, small amount of hot water( enough to make paste out of sea salt) take q-tip, dip in solution until saturated, put in nostril , tilt head back and inhale deep. This will make you cry, but your sinuses will drain immediately. I suppose, just based on my own exp. that when taking meds, the binders in the meds that can't/ or don't get broke down find something else to bind to in your body. For me, it has been my mucus. Which also lends me to believe that the cure is worse then the disease, because we don't know how long these things can stay in our system or what else they are attaching themselves to that can become problematic over the course of your life

Cayenne

Posted by Devon (Scottsdale, AZ) on 12/26/2006
★★★★★

This is a very good temporary solution. Some people claim that it helps with sore throats but I'm still testing this theory. I found these steps to be particularly effective.

1. Heat about one cup of water to steaming and add about 1 tablespoons of red (cayenne) peppers. Stir for approximately one minute and press the peppers with a spoon as you would a teabag for added heat. (Easy Tip: The peppers do not have to be fresh and I actually used the bottled kind that people sprinkle on pizza)

2. Strain. (You may chose not to do this if you like chunky water.... EWWW!)

3. Try not to burn your mouth! Blow on the mixture for a little bit (just like you would tea!) and gargle for at least 20 seconds at least three or four times. (It helps to swallow a bit of the mixture)

4. Blow your nose until it's ALL outta there and you're not getting the post-nasal drip! (THIS IS KEY) Repeat every 15 minutes as necessary. My personal experience may differ from yours. Today I was diagnosed with a sinus infection and I commonly have these (about every 3 months) so I figured why not try something new.

I would also recommend a saline nasal spray to bathe the sinuses morning and night. This has a similar effect and disinfects your nose. It works! I find that the more you use these methods the more effective they are.

Cayenne

Posted by Devon (USA) on 12/26/2006
★★★★★

Just a quick amendment to what I said earlier.

USE ONLY ONE TABLESPOON OF PEPPER IF NOT A LITTLE BIT LESS. One tablespoon per cup was pretty hot. And if you use that recipe it's a fairly big batch so you can save what you don't use and reheat the mixture in the microwave if you need it later. If you are using the stuff I used (the kind of red pepper sprinkled on pizza instead of whole peppers) I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND STRAINING and possibly even use a cheese cloth. If the stuff gets in the back of your throat it can really tickle.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Cayenne

Posted by Tina (Helena, AL) on 12/15/2006
★★★★★

Hi There.

I ran across this website the other night as I was searching the internet in search of a natural approach to cure a sore throat that was so advanced that my tonsils were red and looked blistery and I could hardly swallow. It was very painful. I ran across the recommendation for the Cayenne pepper gargle but then saw that if I added ACV to this that I could drink it and it would cure my sinuses also which I have had a problem with for years and had a discharge of muscous every morning that was almost a reddish-brown color and tons of pressure in my head and had been taken Advil cold and sinus for it. I began drinking it yesterday morning and still did the Cayenne pepper and water gargle last night. My throat is already cleared up and I believe my sinuses are beginning but I am not sure what is happening with my sinuses. It seems to me like I am coughing up alot of stuff that has probably been there for while and I noticed that my mucous is now a light yellow color.

My nose is also stuffy and I feel like I am literally coughing up stuff out of my chest that I didnt even know was there (lol). I am still drinking this little mixture today and will continue to as I believe that what is happening is that I am healing and that all of this that has been there is beginning to come out and I can tell because although my mucous is not clear yet and is very light yellowish, it is not brown/reddish which says something (lol). Despite all of this (The stuffy nose and coughing up mucous) I seem to feel great with a very high energy level and no pressure in the head causing it to ache. So I will let you know the final result and am very greatful for this remedy and this wonderful website and will be consulting it regularly for my health concerns and my clients.

Steaming

Posted by Hana (Bayonne) on 07/25/2005
★★★★★

Remedy #2: Steaming Hot Towels: IS A BLESSING! THANKS TO WHO EVER WROTE THAT!

Eucalyptus Oil

Posted by Jessie (Tahlah)
★★★★★

I like to add a little eucalyptus with water in a bowl and microwave it for a few minutes and put a towel over my head and take in all the steam. It gets stuff out of your system so be prepared to clear up.

Smelling Black Pepper

Posted by Cindy (Illinois, USA) on 01/10/2021 523 posts
★★★★★

I used potato soup with lots of butter and lots and lots of black pepper to help finish off the sinus garbage. And I "sniffed" EVERYthing! The peppery soup, hydrogen peroxide, DMSO, ClO2 - basically just about everything I have. It was SOOOOO annoying and I just couldn't break it up. But the black pepper and soup seemed to do the trick.

Black pepper contains quite a bit of sulfur. As do potatoes - or, rather, they should but the soil is so depleted in the states that you have to amend the soil of your potato patch - if you grow your own.

Cayenne

Posted by Amanda (Des Moines) on 09/08/2016
★★★★★

Cayenne for nasal congestion. This worked for me. I snorted a very small amount. I proceeded to use some saline spray afterwards. I am pregnant and tend to use nasal spray daily.

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Brenda (Columbus, Ohio) on 09/30/2015
★★★★★

Tried the 2 tbls coconut, vinegar (didn't have ACV) 2 tbls honey, dash of cayenne pepper, added quarter of raw onion and mug of hot H20 for sinus pain. Pain left quickly, w/in a few minutes. Woke up with sinus pain this AM. Not much mucus, pain was worrisome. Raw coconut Vinegar has 17 amino acids, minerals, vitamin C, broad spectrum B vitamins and has nearly neutral ph. It works faster for me for acidic stomach or indigestion. I use it with water for first morning beverage often. I get it at health food store.

Hydrogen Peroxide, Sea Salt

Posted by Dwight (S. Florida, US) on 12/19/2014
★★★★★

I mixed sea salt and hydrogen peroxide and squirted in each nostril to try to relieve my stuffy sinuses. The solution is very uncomfortable and it remains in my sinuses until I repeat the process about 3 times.Only then will it start to come back out the same nostril and if I keep it up some will eventually come out the opposing nostril. It just seems to get soaked up there.

Wheatgrass

Posted by Audrina (Los Angeles, Ca) on 07/21/2014
★★★★★

Wheatgrass (the juice powder) works miraculously well for clearing out sinuses! I feel relief immediately when I drink it, and if I keep drinking it everyday I have discovered that I can even eat foods like wheat and dairy that formerly made me stuffy. Wheatgrass does not have wheat. Make sure you don't take too much too soon, though! When I first tried it I took too much - 1 tablespoon and got very stuffy. I guess it was detoxifying stuff. When I cut back and started with just 1/4 teaspoon, my sinuses immediately cleared up. Now I can take 1 tablespoon, no problem. If you have chronic sinusitis or allergies that affect your sinuses, wheatgrass could be your cure! As an added bonus of taking wheatgrass, my hair is stronger and fuller than ever and has a very smooth texture.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Olive Oil, Baking Soda

Posted by Doddie (Georgia, Usa) on 03/14/2014
★★★★★

2T ACV, 2T Olive Oil, 1/4t baking soda in 8 oz warm water, was the only ingredients I did have. Been suffering from chest congestion and hacking up phlegm for 6 days. Relief from the coughing, congestion, within the hour! My nose drained and 2 hr later it is still working. Unbelievable! The worst thing I have ever had to drink down in my life (and I am good at drinking horrible tasting stuff for medicinal purposes) . I had use the last of my honey before I got sick. This really does work, and I did manage to drink it down. I will try the ACV, honey, baking soda, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice the next time. The coughing stopped almost immediately. I had to post because it worked so well!!

Kimchi

Posted by Samantha (New York, Ny) on 07/30/2013
★★★★★

Kimchi for sinus infections/congestion: I have just recently discovered after adding other fermented foods to my diet like fermented veggies & sauerkraut that KIMCHI works wonders at clearing up sinus congestion!! It's a must try!!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Rosie (Artesia, New Mexico ) on 05/15/2013
★★★★★

I was having such a hard time breathing so I googled home remedies and came across this one using ACV. I heated 6oz of water, 2 tblsp ACV and 1 tblsp honey on the stove and drank it warm. It was actually not bad tasting and worked great. In a matter of minutes I could breath. I will definitely do it again.

Camphor

Posted by Hippocrates (Odin, Missouri, U.s.a.) on 04/28/2012 9 posts
★★★★★

Hello all, I have suffered from sinus problems my whole life. This often leads to headaches caused by the sinuses being inflamed. I love to sleep with a fan for the sound, but this causes them often, so I must not. Drinking milk before bed does the same, so I must not. As does certain times of year, temperature too low in the house, humidity changes, smoke, etc, etc.

One thing I found helps lessen the pain is the "nose bullets" as I call them. Tubes you stick in your nose and inhale the vapors. They contain Camphor/Menthol. They do not "cure" a sinus headache, but lessen the pain. Heating up some "chest rub" in a jar does the same, but it is not as portable. Also, rubbing the "chest rub" onto your forehead helps soften the pain. I use Neti pots but add 1 teaspoon or less of Xylitol and several drops of hydrogen peroxide per each pot full to the standard salt/baking soda powder that is out there.

I post these not as medical advise, but something that has worked for me to make living with sinuses more bearable.