Conquer That Stubborn Sinus Infection Using Home Remedies

Sinus_infection_remedies

Written by Sheridan

August 16, 2016

Have you ever had a bad cold or flu that lingers and no matter what you do, you can’t seem to get rid of it?

You can improve your diet by eating extra nutrient dense foods like broth, fermented foods, probiotics and camu camu, a product that has approximately 460 times the vitamin C that is found in an orange. You could also consider eating lambs liver which is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet!

However, if you have persistent sinus problems, it may be caused by food intolerance or an environmental toxin. It’s important therefore to rule out other factors.

Common food intolerances that may cause sinus inflammation include dairy, wheat, gluten, genetically modified ‘modern’ foods, additives, preservatives and flavour enhancers. Other causes may be a bacterial overgrowth in your digestive tract. By having a stool test, it will help to confirm if this is an issue you need to address.

There are many factors that may be contributing to your issues, so I suggest consulting a practitioner to ensure you are covering all bases.

If you don’t feel better by improving your diet and resting your body, you might need another home remedy.

Citrus Seed Extract Nasal Rinse

Bacteria can sometimes be very stubborn and difficult to remove, as they create a barrier around them known as biofilm. Xylitol (all-natural sugar free sweetener) is used in the nasal rinse because it breaks down the biofilm allowing the citrus seed extract, with its antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial properties to target and kill the bacteria. After you use the citrus seed extract rinse to kill the bacteria, it’s important to use the probiotic rinse so that you can add back good bacteria.

Ingredients

  • 250 mL (1 cup) of filtered water
  • 0.5 tsp Changing Habits Seaweed Salt
  • 0.5 tsp bicarbonate soda
  • 1 tsp xylitol
  • 4 drops Citrus Seed Extract (eg Traveller’s Friend)
  • Netipot or nasal rinse (purchased from your local chemist)

Method

  • Mix the salt, bicarbonate soda and xylitol with ¼ cup of boiling water in a bowl or mug until it’s all dissolved. It usually takes 5-10 minutes.
  • Pour this liquid into your netipot or nasal rinse. Then add the extra ¾ cup of room temperature water followed by the citrus seed extract. The temperature will now be lukewarm.
  • Follow the instructions as per your netipot or nasal rinse.
  • After this rinse, do a probiotic rinse (up to a couple of hours afterwards)

Probiotic Nasal Rinse

Ingredients

  • 0.5 tsp Changing Habits Probiotics (or a tbsp of another fermented food such as sauerkraut juice or water kefir). If you only have a probiotic capsule, use the contents of the capsule instead, though we highly recommend to always use probiotics from food
  • 250 mL filtered water
  • 0.5 tsp bicarbonate soda
  • 0.5 tsp Changing Habits Seaweed Salt

Method

  • Mix the salt and bicarbonate soda with 0.25 cup of boiling water in a bowl or mug until it’s dissolved. It usually takes 5-10 minutes.
  • Pour this liquid into your netipot or nasal rinse. Then add the extra 0.75 cup of room temperature water and probiotics.
  • Allow this mixture to sit on your bench for 30 minutes. This will allow the good bacteria from the probiotics to infuse into the mixture.
  • Follow the instructions as per your netipot or nasal rinse.

Happy changing habits.

Sheridan Williamson
Nutritionist

August 2016

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9 Comments

  1. Amy

    I had a lightbulb moment recently while watching an interview with a holistic dentist, he mentioned that people with crowded teeth have smaller jaws and narrow passages so tend to suffer from sinus problems. This is absolutely me!
    I usually suffer through a sinus infection once a year and try to avoid antibiotics where possible so I’ll be saving this post

    Reply
    • Jess

      You could see an Osteopath who may be able to release restrictions in the palate, jaw and face to potentially open up more space and help clear the sinus.

      Reply
  2. Kelli

    Hi Sheridan, hubby has chronic sinus issues and uses saline rinses…is the above a one off treatment or to be used more frequently?

    Reply
    • Tessa Pennick

      Hi kelli,
      We would recommend it as a one off, no more than a week 🙂

      Reply
  3. Nic

    This is my daughter – has been for 4 years, once she gets a cold it takes WEEKS to shake it off. We discovered that she was allergic to egg whites. Since eliminating eggs from her diet, blood tests have now shown she no longer has an egg allergy but an allergy still exists. She is due to see an allergist in July. Even when we find out what the allergen is, for the long term/getting to the root cause, is it best to just concentrate on her gut health? Or would it be a case for going on the GAPS diet?

    Reply
    • Jordan Pie

      Hi Nic,
      So sorry to hear this about your daughter, hopefully it improves a bit faster now since she has removed eggs from her diet. Yes I would strongly encourage you to implement some beautiful gut healing foods into her diet such as bone broth, gelatin, collagen, fresh veggies, quality meats and fats from nature and more. We have lots of different blogs and recipes on our website regarding gut health if you would like more information on this.

      Reply
  4. Anna

    Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  5. Sheree

    Very interesting. Every time I get a cold I end up with a debilitating chronic sinus infection that takes weeks to clear. I suffer from sinus related issues a lot with headaches and facial pain. Where would I start with foods to check any intolerances?

    Reply
    • Kerry White

      Hi Sheree. You could visit your chosen healthcare provider and ask for a food intolerance test. Otherwise, an elimination diet like the 4 Phase Fat Loss Protocol or Hunter Gatherer Protocol might help you identify any foods that do not work for your body. You can find out more here: https://changinghabits.com.au/where-to-start/

      Reply

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