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How do I Choose the Best Sinus Congestion Home Remedy?
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
It is difficult to choose just one treatment as the best sinus congestion home remedy. There are a few that most people find effective for sinus congestion relief, however. Among the best treatments are moist heat and humidifiers. An individual may also find nasal washes and avoiding things that stimulate allergic reactions helpful. Even eating spicy foods may sometimes prove helpful for loosening thick mucus.
One of the best home remedies for dealing with sinus congestion is moist heat. An individual may apply moist heat to his face by wetting a wash cloth with warm water, ringing it out, and placing the wash cloth over his face. To be effective, the warm, wet wash cloth should cover the nose and part of the patient’s cheekbones. An individual may get the best results with this home remedy for sinus congestion by leaving the wash cloth in place for at least a few minutes. Once the rag cools, an individual may also benefit by wetting it with warm water again, ringing it out, and repeating the application of moist heat.
An individual may also create a home remedy for sinus congestion by pouring hot water into a clean bowl. He may then hold his face over the steamy water and inhale the steam. If he places a towel over the back of his head while he does this treatment, this will create a tent for the steam, which may make inhaling it easier.
Dry heat often makes congestion worse. For this reason, using a humidifier may prove helpful as a sinus congestion home remedy. Often, people run humidifiers in their bedrooms as night to help treat and prevent congestion. They may prove helpful in other parts of the house as well, however.
A nasal wash may also help alleviate sinus congestion. A person may purchase a nasal wash over the counter and pour it into his nostrils to relieve congestion. Alternatively, a person may make his own nasal wash at home by dissolving a teaspoon of salt in 2 cups (about 473 ml) of warm water. To use this sinus congestion home remedy, an individual usually pours a small amount of nasal wash into one nostril at a time, keeping the other nostril closed during treatment.
Interestingly, even spicy foods may act as a sinus congestion home remedy. A person may eat foods containing cayenne pepper, hot sauce, and horseradish to help thin his congestion. Hot peppers may prove helpful for this purpose as well.
Nicole Madison
Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a WiseGEEK writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.
Learn more...
Nicole Madison
Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a WiseGEEK writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.
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![Inhaling steam vapors will help loosen congestion.]()
By: Gina SandersInhaling steam vapors will help loosen congestion. -
![Humidifiers may be used to help treat sinus congestion.]()
By: StockPhotosArtHumidifiers may be used to help treat sinus congestion. -
![Sleeping with the head elevated at night is a common sinus congestion remedy.]()
By: Junial EnterprisesSleeping with the head elevated at night is a common sinus congestion remedy.
Discussion Comments
Cold compresses, followed by moist heat will always help. First, the cold compresses (ice packs) are applied to the congested areas, which helps to reduce swelling. Then, immediately following the cold with heat will liquefy the secretions, allowing for easy removal.
I eat chips and salsa when I have sinus congestion. The relief may only last a short while, but any relief is better than none.
Decongestants work if the congestion is caused by allergies, but when it's caused by a cold, they do nothing. Spicy foods can help when nothing else can, though.
@healthy4life – I know that hot water is a good home remedy for a sinus infection, or at least for the congestion caused by it, but I've never poured it into a bowl like that. I always just hung my head over a pot of boiling water on the stove.
That way, I know the water is going to stay warm. I feel like the hotter the water is, the more steam it will produce and the more benefit I will get out of inhaling it.
I hang my head over the pot for as long as I can stand to be there. After fifteen minutes, I can tell a big difference, but I like to stay there until I'm convinced my sinuses are as open as they are going to get.
How long will a bowl of water stay hot if you are standing over it with a towel draped around you? Will you have to reheat it every ten minutes or so, or is that long enough to get some sinus congestion relief?
I've tried several home remedies for sinusitis, and the one that worked the best was a humidifier. I can actually get some sleep at night if I run a humidifier on the warm setting in my bedroom with the door shut.
During the winter, the air in the house is really dry because the heater comes on so often. If I go into another room, my sinus congestion returns after a half hour or so. I'm going to have to buy another humidifier and put it in the center of the house.
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