People have been looking for better sinusitis remedies for centuries to treat their sinus problems. In the old days people would treat their sinuses with ingredients that they had around their house. Today, we have the luxury of science and modern medicine to treat our sinusitis, but don't give up on grandma's remedies quite so fast. A lot of the old remedies are just as effective as many of today's medicines.
Cayenne pepper was a key ingredient to one of these old fashioned treatments. All they would do is take a teaspoon of cayenne pepper and mix it with a cup of steaming hot water. They would drink around three cups a day of this mixture. Another favorite ingredient the old timers used was eucalyptus. They would mix a few drops of eucalyptus with boiling hot water then inhale the steam for about ten minutes. To make this remedy more effective, they would also put a towel over their head to form a tent over the pot which helped keep the steam from escaping. The herb thyme was also a popular ingredient used in home remedies. Since this herb has strong antiseptic properties, it was used to treat respiratory infections. What they would do with it was steep a couple teaspoons of it in a cup of boiling hot water and drink around three cups a day. The only problem with the home remedies is they can't treat an infection that's caused by bacteria in the sinus cavities.
When an infection is present that is a result of bacteria, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to treat you illness. Antibiotics work real well for treating sinus infections, but they are of no help when it comes to treating sinus problems caused by allergies or viruses. Your health care provider will usually recommend a decongestant to help reduce the amount of mucus in your sinuses for this situation. The majority of these decongestants can be bought over the counter, and they will be in the form of a pill or nasal spray. As an additional benefit, you should also get some pain relief.
If you're looking for a quick and simple treatment that you can use right now, all you have to do is perform a facial massage on yourself. This is performed by pressing your thumbs on each side of your nose for around thirty seconds. You can perform this procedure as often as necessary.
A vaporizer is another useful tool you should have to fight your sinusitis. Nighttime is when your sinuses act up the most, so this is when you want to whip out the vaporizer. Dry air reeks havoc on your sinuses at night, but when you use a vaporizer, the discomfort will be reduced or even eliminated.
The most important thing to remember is don't let your sinusitis go untreated. It doesn't matter what treatment you prefer; just make sure to use something. If left untreated, your little stuffy nose problem can lead to chronic sinusitis which is a much more serious problem that can linger around for years.