Sinusitis
Colds, flu, allergies, and air pollution can cause sinus infections or chronic sinus inflammation. Symptoms of sinusitis include nasal congestion, pressure or pain in the sinuses, headache, and a yellowish-green mucous discharge. To get rid of a sinus infection, you need to relieve the congestion and eliminate the invading microorganisms.
Eucalyptus to relieve sinus congestion
Inhaling hot steam loosens and thins the mucus in your sinuses so that it
can be expelled. Eucalyptus essential oil has powerful antimicrobial properties,
and peppermint essential oil has a strong penetrating fragrance that helps
to open sinus passages.
2 litres (3.5 pints) boiling water 5 drops eucalyptus essential oil 2 drops
peppermint
essential oil
Carefully pour the boiling water into a heatproof bowl and then add the essential
oils. Make a towel tent over your head and the bowl, and breathe in the steam
for ten minutes.Take care to not bum yourself with the steam. Repeat twice
daily.
Relieve pain with compresses
To ease pain and encourage drainage of mucus, apply hot compresses to your
sinuses. Eucalyptus oil helps decongest stuffy nasal passages and the heat
eases pain. Add three drops of eucalyptus essential oil to a small basin of
hot water Soak a thick
cotton washcloth in the water and place it over your sinuses, being careful
not to bum yourself. Rewet the cloth when it cools and reapply for a total
of ten minutes. Repeat the compress treatment several times a day as desired.
Strengthen immunity
To help your body overcome a sinus infection, take echinacea and garlic. Echinacea
boosts immune function and garlic has powerful antimicrobial properties.Take
half a teaspoon of echinacea extract three times a day for ten days.You can
repeat the dosage after a three-day break if necessary. Eat one to two cloves
of raw garlic each day to strengthen your immune response.
Drink hot liquids
To relieve sinusitis, drink plenty of fluids to thin mucous secretions. Hot
liquids are especially helpful-try peppermint tea for its decongesting properties,
and vegetable or chicken soup with a clove of chopped raw garlic to fight
infection.
