The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Light Bulb Therapy
Posted by Josh (Orlando, FL) on 03/17/2007
★★★★★
After reading the Lightbulb therapy and thinking it was crazy I tried everything else to get rid of my severe congestion. I finally consented and as the heat was applied to my sinuses (I guess??) the congestion cleared. My congestion has been so bad that no amount of neti pot salt water rinsing (with Peroxide or Col.Silver will even penetrate). So this was a relief and hopeful.
Horseradish
Posted by Laura (Westminster, Vermont) on 03/25/2007
★★★★★
I'm surprised that you have no mention of horseradish on your website. I used to take antibiotics at least once a year for sinus infections until 12 years ago when my naturopathic doctor recommended horseradish. Since then, I have had no problems if I eat a lot of horeradish (usually about a jar a day) at the first sign of infection. Until now, that is. I have developed a sinus infection and the horseradish I just brought home from the grocery store is not strong enough. So, I am going to try some of the other things listed here, at least until I can get my hands on some stronger horseradish.
Unpetroleum Jelly
Posted by Charles (Fostoria, OH) on 04/04/2007
★★★★★
I got rid of a very long and aggravating sinus infection (w/blood specks etc.) by using a product called UNPETROLEUM JELLY...blow and clean your nose, then apply a small amount to a cotton swab and insert gently into the nostril and rotate around the inside so the entire inside is coated, as high as you can go(be very gentle); repeat for the other nostril. Apply morning and bedtime. It took about a week but I've been infection free ever since and I now do this daily.
Ice Packs
Posted by Linda (St.Paul, MN) on 04/08/2007
★★★★★
I rarely get sinus infections but have one as a result of a cold. I have been miserable for 4 days and the antibiotic has given me no relief. I have been using steam, hot compresses, saline nose flushes. My cheeks and teeth and whole face so inflamed and painful. Well since nothing worked I thought I would try the opposite and got a flexible ice pack I had in the freezer. I rested it in all different places on my face and eyes. I can't believe how much better I am feeling. My swelling went down and I am breathing well too. I think my sinuses were so inflamed that the ice was just the trick I needed. I am sooo happy now.
Onion and Carrot Juice
Posted by Shirley (Inverness, Scotland) on 04/28/2007
★★★★★
I have has the worst sinus infection since january, had antibiotics 4 times, tried every cure under the sun, i had read about onion juice and another said carrot juice so thought, well i will give them both a try together. i cannot believe within an hour of drinking them the pressure had gone, the onion juice i got by boiling a heap of onions until soft mash them then sieve them, i bought carrot juice but now juice my own, am still drinking it and i think i will have at least one cup of this a day for ever , it actually tasted quite nice which surprised me, i also add tomato juice just for a bit of flavour, and sometimes when boiling the onions i put in a couple of cloves of garlic, next stop for me was the hospital, but what i believe is, there are a lot of cures and only one will work for you, but which one?
Betadine
Posted by Sabrina (Denver, CO) on 09/24/2007
★★★★★
Add 2 drops of Betadine (Povidone Iodine) to the NeilMed sinus rinse bottle along with the room temperature boiled water and salt packet. Betadine is an antiseptic. I tried this solution at the advice of a family physician, and it's the first thing that's ever worked. I did this rinse 4-6 times per day while I had the infection, and it got rid of it within one week. It's the first time I have kicked a sinus infection without antibiotics, and I usually get 4 sinus infections per year. I also added 1/4 tsp of hydrogen peroxide for good measure, but that's something I did, not the doctor's suggestion.
Dental Care
Posted by Lill (Portland, Maine) on 04/08/2007
★★★★★
My son suffered from one sinus infection after another, which set off his asthma. Winters were horrible until last winter when he had his wisdom teeth removed. He hasn't had a sinus infection since. We believe that the impacted teeth were putting pressure on his sinuses. Might be worth checking if nothing else works. Lill
Dental Care
Posted by Jeff (Boca Raton, FL) on 08/08/2007
★★★★★
Five years ago my right cheek puffed out and it was diagnosed as a salivary gland infection. That cleared up but then I had jaw pain which I thought was from tooth decay under a loose crown. Fixing that didn't help and I saw several dentists and doctors trying to find out the problem. Eventually I gave up and lived with the pain.
Two weeks ago my cheek blew up badly and eventually a salivary stone 1/8" by 5/16" came out of the duct. I thought the problem was solved but the swelling persisted. It got so bad that the pain eventually drove me to a doctor. He found another stone was in the duct, about 1/8" by 1/8". The larger stone had a point on it which I was able to grab with tweezers and pull out but this one doesn't and I'm still working on it. But I'm able to push it aside and let the gland drain. Although it fills back up, when drained I was amazed to find my hearing improved and my sinus on that side drained and I could breathe freely.
I had always thought there was a reason for the initial swelling but when I mentioned that I read about salivary stones on the internet and asked an oral surgeon if that could be the problem, he actually got mad and said things like "everyone thinks they're an expert because they read it on the internet". I had asked nicely and couldn't believe his response. I had been miserable for weeks and felt like throwing a punch in his direction but I just left the office. My guess is that he lost a bundle when net stocks crashed.
I wanted to leave this message to show how a seemingly unrelated problem can cause sinus and hearing symptoms... I think an infection has been dragging me down for years and although it's not over yet I feel better than I have for a long time since I've gotten most of the infection out. So check for hard lumps in the gland, from what I've read these stones are more common than most believe.
Dental Care
Posted by Michelle (Roseville, CA) on 10/05/2007
★★★★★
I had a raging infection in one of my top molar teeth. Around the same time I got the worst sinus infection I have EVER had. The pain in my tooth went away, so I didn't get it checked out. For the next year, every time I got sick, even a minor cold, I got this same major sinus infection. Finally after the year was up, I consulted a nutrionist about the causes of sinus infections. The first thing she mensioned was a bad tooth. I had forgotten about the tooth infection I had. Thank God, that same week, the tooth pain returned. I was determined to rid myself of thesr horrible sinus infections, so I went to the dentist and got my tooth pulled. That sinus infection lingered and lingered even after I got the tooth pulled, but that was the last one I ever had, and it has been almost a year now! I am so grateful something FINALLY worked for GOOD!!!
Olive Leaf
Posted by Linda Redmond (Asheville, North Carolina) on 10/22/2007
★★★★★
The best and only cure that worked for my lifelong, formerly constant, miserable, life-controlling and debilitating sinus infections is inexpensive Olive Leaf. I make tea from it (boil about a shotglass-full or less of dried leaves in 2 cups water for 20 minutes - it makes one cup of tea). It is also available at health stores in powder, capsule, tincture and supercritical gel cap form. I find tea the most effective, but have had great results with any decent, reputable brand. Olive leaf is known as a wide-spectrum godsend for many, many illnesses and infections from mild to severe to dangerous. I have always found it easy to look up on the web. It is an ancient tried-and-true herb with a fascinating history, reported to give no side effects except a slight lowering of blood pressure and a non-stimulant mild increase in energy (probably due to its elimination of infectious forces in the body). Take it slow at first if you are highly and chronically infected, so you don't get a big healing crisis/die-off reaction. Dosages are available in books and websites, but you can take it every day (I usually do), and it is reported to be impossible to overdose on it -- I feel lightheaded if I take more than 4-6 cups in a day (a very large amount which I'd only use if severely ill) and I am a small individual. It seems to be a best-kept secret, so spread the word and many blessings!
Eucalyptus Oil
Posted by Marie (New Providence, NJ) on 11/27/2006
★★★★★
I used to get a sinus infection with every cold I got. then I would take an antibiotic and it would go away. for the last 3 years, I have taken 2 drops of essential oil of eucalyptus directly on my tongue at the first sign of a cold. As a result, I have not had the sore throat and stuffy nose that usually came with my colds AND they have not turned into an infection. I haven't had any antibiotics in 3 years. I recommended this to my sister in law who suffered from the same ailments and she swears by it too.
Eucalyptus Oil
Posted by Simon (Dubbo, Australia) on 10/24/2007
★★★★★
After getting a heavy bout of sinus infection / congestion I was keen to try the apple cider vinegar (with 'mother' in it). On Day One I consumed about three tablespoons at once and followed it with a chaser of flavoured water. The sinus seemed to get somewhat better, but I felt close to vomiting for a couple of hours after, and also had a headache, which I am not sure was just coincidental. I continued this for three days, one shot a day, but could not find any obvious improvement in my conditions. I then tried the tomato tea which was pleasant to drink, but didn't have any obvious effect on my sinuses. I then started putting eucalyptus oil on a clean handkerchief and continued sniffing this on a regular basis (up to once every couple of minutes). I would reapply eucalyptus oil to the handkerchief about four times a day. This really dried up the nasal passage and reduced the pressure in my sinuses. Of an evening I put the handkerchief near my pillow so the fumes are constantly being drawn into my nostrils as I sleep. I now use it on an as required basis and sniff it once or twice an hour if I feel sinuses building up. Eucalyptus oils are not all the same strength. The stronger the better.
Eucalyptus Oil
Posted by Steven (Saint Petersburg, Florida) on 12/04/2007
★★★★★
I am prone to sinus infection as well as bronchitis, the florida weather had gotten a little cooler and I felt a sinus infection coming on and then an onset of bronchitis. So I brewed a .50 oz of eucalyptus ( like you do coffee or tea in a coffee pot (12 cup) and then I put some sugar in, (optional) and drank that one time, and i felt the difference overnight, I then continued to drink a cup for the next couple of days to make sure that everything was cleared up.. I still make a pot of Eucalyptus tea. its great for cool nights and days, or refreshing on hot days.
Carrots
Posted by Christie (Thunder Bay, Canada) on 12/14/2007
★★★★★
I was 4 months pregnant and got a sinus infection. I couldn't take medication for it, and after 5 weeks of not being able to TASTE, I heard that carrots (beta-carotene) would help. I ate one carrot per day for about three days, and on the 4th day my nasal passages started "letting go". I blew my nose for about a week straight! But it worked!!!
Organic Tomato Juice
Posted by Jacob (United Arab Emirates) on 10/18/2006
★★★★★
Organic tomato juice cures sinus and nose infection. I USED TO HAVE A CHRONIC SINUS AND HIGH NOSE BLOCKAGE DURING THE NIGHT. AFTER USING TOMATO JUICE WITH GARLIC AND LIME, I FEEL VERY GOOD AND ALSO WHILE SLEEPING. I USED TO CLEAN MY NOISE WITH SALT WITH WATER. NOW AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS -- NO MORE SINUS.. THANK GOD
