Sinuses are tiny air filled cavities located inside the frontal part of the skull under the nose, eyes, forehead and cheeks. They play a major role in filtering out the inhaled air. A thin mucus is secreted in this area to keep the passage moist, which in turn facilitates in trapping up the debris from the air that enters the nasal passage.
There are some cilia (thin hair like projections) on the lining of the nasal passage that helps in draining down the mucus of the nasal passage at the back of the throat. If the cilia get irritated by some pathogens or allergens, then it stops functioning normally. This slows down the process of sinus drainage and mucus build up takes place inside the sinus cavity. Thus, the lining of the nasal passage gets inflamed and you get blocked sinuses. Some common causes of blocked sinuses are infection by common cold virus, bacterial infection of the upper respiratory tract, deviated septum, pollen allergy or any other forms of allergy, exposure to irritants like dust, smoke or harsh chemicals, etc.
Symptoms
The accumulated mucus inside the nasal passage puts a lot of pressure on the surrounding areas and gives a number of painful symptoms. The worst part of a blocked sinus is that these symptoms tend to last for several weeks. Some prevalent symptoms are as follows -
- Blocked nose
- Breathing difficulty
- Coughing and sneezing
- Fever
- Throbbing headache
- Pain and tenderness in the facial area
- A sense of heaviness or fullness inside the ears
- Jaw pain
- Bad breath
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
Remedies
The medicines that are commonly used for the treatment of blocked sinus are nasal decongestants and antihistamines, which are used to reduce the nasal congestion. These medicines can provide relief but have adverse side effects. In fact, the doctor will often advice patients not to use nasal decongestants for more than three days because of their side effects. In such a scenario, people with blocked sinus like to depend on natural remedies. Here, we have discussed some blocked sinus remedies, which have proven to be highly effective.
Inhale Steam: This is an age-old remedy for blocked sinus and it shows instant results. Take a bowl of boiling water, close your eyes and lean over it to breathe in the steam. But before that place a towel over your head so that the steam does not escape out quickly. Continue to take deep breaths till the water has cooled off. The heat from the steam will help in thinning down the mucus and allowing it to run down. Thus, the blocked sinus will open up. You can add some irritants like lightly fried onions and dry mustard powder to the hot water. These irritants will trigger fast drainage of the mucus and provide relief.
Flush the Blocked Sinus: For this, you need a special pot called neti pot. Alternately, you can use a bulb syringe for nasal rinse. Take two cups of lukewarm filtered water and stir half teaspoon of salt in it to prepare a saline solution. Tilt your head on one side and pour this solution slowly into the upturned nostril through the spout of the pot. The poured saline water will then drain out of the nasal passage through the other nostril. Repeat the same procedure in the other nostril. This will wash out the phlegm build up and the badly blocked sinus cavities will open up.
Oil of Oregano: Add 2-3 drops of oil of oregano in a cup of orange juice and stir it well so that the oil gets mixed properly. It should be taken once every day till you get a complete relief from the symptoms. This oil has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce the inflammation on the lining of the nasal passage. Moreover, it strengthens up the immune system and enables it to fight the infection. This way it opens up the blockage of the nasal cavities.
Echinacea Tea: This is an effective herbal remedy for blocked sinus cavities. Prepare the tea by soaking 2 teaspoons of the herb in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes. Drink this tea three times in a day for best results. It promotes production of white blood cells in the body and thus, improves the infection fighting mechanism of the immune system.
Spring Onion Juice: Extract some juice from a handful of fresh spring onion stalks. Blow your nose gently to clean up the passage as much as possible. However, do not blow it too hard. Dip two small pieces of cotton balls into the freshly extracted juice of spring onion and insert one each into the nostrils. Apply it before going to bed and leave it overnight. Next morning, you can feel a marked improvement in the condition.
Garlic and Honey: This combination provides excellent relief from the pain. Crush 5 garlic cloves to get juice from them. Add two teaspoons of honey into it and mix them properly. Dip a cotton bud into the mixture and apply it generously inside the nostrils. Initially, you may feel a slight burning sensation but after some time, you can feel that the pain has vanished.
These blocked sinus remedies will show desired results provided that they are accompanied by a proper diet. The food components that facilitate clearing up of the sinuses should be included in the daily diet. They are garlic, onion, ginger, horseradish, pineapple, hot chicken broth, fish, etc. There are some foods that contribute towards mucus formation and should be avoided. They include eggs, dairy products, fatty foods, sugary foods, chocolate, etc. And of course, you should keep yourself hydrated by drinking 8-10 glasses of water as it helps in dilution of the mucus.
