8 Effective Home Remedies To Treat Sinus Infection

A sinus infection happens when your nasal cavity gets infected. The nasal cavities itself becomes inflamed and swollen due to the infection. It should be noted that there are two different kinds of sinus infections: acute and chronic sinus infections.

An acute sinus infection quite normally comes with a cold and is triggered by the congestion. Most acute sinus infections last about four weeks.

The word chronic refers to the word long or constant. So on that note, chronic sinus infections either last for 12 weeks or longer or they keep happening within a short period of time.

# Nasal Spray

One way to help you to fight against congestion is to use a nasal spray, one with saline solution as the salt can help to break up the blockage. Do not use this more than three times a day for longer than a week. Using a nasal spray for longer than needed, especially a medicated one can make symptoms worse.

# Allergy Pills

You can buy over the counter allergy pills. What they do to help is not limited to dust mites and pollen, but can do wonders for congestion caused by a number of different things.

# Neti Pot

This is a way to literally flush out your nasal cavity. It is a little scary to use the first time, but many people find it very helpful. You can buy these small kettles looking contraptions over the counter. All you have to do is read the instructions on the box and you should be ready to go. Some people even find these to be helpful in treating seasonal allergies.

# Bromelain

This is something you should ask your doctor about using before you look into purchasing as it can mess with other medication you may be on. Bromelain is a protein found in pineapple that helps to fight down and soothe inflammation. If you do not want to take bromelain supplements, simply eat a serving of pineapple.

# Steam

Steam is an age-old tactic used for battling stuffy noses. Whether you took a hot shower or sit a sauna for a while, steam can help to loosen the blockage in your nose a bit so that it can come out.

# Spicy Foods

Hot spices in food can also help to break congestion. So the next time you are looking for meal ideas online, look into some extra spicy taco food or maybe even some Cajun based goods. This will make your nose runny for a little bit, but it is great for getting out extra mucus.

# Hydrate

Dehydrated is not something you want to be when suffering from a sinus infection as it can make the symptoms (namely the irritated throat and cough) worse. So make sure that you are drinking enough water.

Some of you may be unsure of how to know if you are truly hydrated. One easy way, though it sounds a bit odd, is to watch the color of your urine. The brighter your urine, the more dehydrated you are. You want your urine to be almost clear.

# Humidifier

Moisture is almost always good. You want the air so that it is easier to breathe, but you do not want wet windows either. When using a humidifier, you want to check the filter about once a week. When the water level in the tank goes down that means that you either need a new filter or that the filter needs to be cleaned.