4 Solutions for a Sinus Headache
A sinus headache is a disease in which the lining of the paranasal sinuses becomes inflamed. Although it’s more common in young children, many adults also suffer from it. But are there any natural remedies that you can use to treat it?
Natural solutions are giving such good results for different conditions that we had to take the opportunity to share some of them with you. Let’s see what options we have to alleviate a sinus headache.
Fighting a sinus headache
Fighting a sinus headache isn’t easy. Therefore, we’re going to take a look at some natural solutions that work very well. However, always be sure to keep in mind your doctor’s recommendations.
1. Physiological saline solution
Physiological saline solution is a good option to treat sinusitis, as indicated in the article Consensus document on the aetiology, diagnosis and treatment of sinusitis.
When most people think of saline solution, they think that the only way to get it is to buy it. However, you can make your own saline in the comfort of your home.
- Take a little water and put it in a container
- Add a little salt (very little)
- Rinse your nose with it
2. Teas
We especially recommend teas to alleviate the symptoms of a sinus headache. This is because they provide great hydration, which is very important for this condition.
There are a wide variety of teas you can choose from. However, there are some that are much more useful than others. If you have a sinus headache, you can start with the following options:
- Calendula tea: This has anti-inflammatory properties that are essential for treating sinusitis.
- Peppermint: This is a good option to relieve pain, in addition to providing your body with adequate hydration.
- Lemon balm: This tea is also widely used due to its analgesic and sedative properties.
3. Inhale steam
Inhaling steam is another natural solution to clear the airways. Therefore, it’s a very useful remedy when you have a cold or the sniffles. In the case of sinus pain, it also considerably reduces pain.
For this treatment to have the desired effect, you need to put water to boil in a pot on the stove. Then add some herbs, for example, mint or eucalyptus. When the water reaches boiling point, turn off the stove and move closer to the water.
You can put a towel over your head to concentrate the steam. We don’t recommend you breathe the steam for more than five minutes. After that, your paranasal sinuses will be cleared.
4. Compresses or hot cloths
The last of our natural options to relieve sinusitis is to use compresses or warm cloths. This is just as effective as breathing steam. However, in this case, you might get much greater relief.
- Soak a compress or cloth in very hot water
- Add some herbs to that water, like mint
- Drain the compress or cloth and put it on your nose
- Make sure it covers the sides and forehead well
You can leave the compress or cloth on your face for between five and ten minutes. The heat will provide immediate relief and a feeling of comfort. Also, the pain will decrease and your airways will clear. We recommend combining these treatments to make them more effective.
Natural solutions for a sinus headache
Something to keep in mind when using these natural solutions is that the relief they provide doesn’t solve the problem. That is, this isn’t a magic cure, and the pain is likely to return again after a while.
Therefore, it’s important that you always follow your doctor’s recommendations. They can provide you with other solutions that, combined with the natural ones in this article, will give you very positive results.
In addition, before diagnosing yourself, you should see a medical professional. The reason is that sinusitis can have different causes, such as a fungus, bacteria, or allergies. Depending on the reason for your sinusitis, the treatment will be different.
We hope this article has been helpful for you and that it’ll help you feel better when you have sinus pain. What helps you most when you have sinusitis?
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Albañil Ballesteros, M. R., Calvo, C., Hernando Helguero, P., Martínez Campos, L., & Domínguez Aurrecoechea, B.. (2014). Diagnóstico y manejo de la sinusitis: actitudes de los pediatras. Pediatría Atención Primaria, 16(61), 23-33. https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S1139-76322014000100005
- FICA C, ALBERTO, & DÍAZ P, JUAN CARLOS. (2003). Enfoque diagnóstico y terapéutico de los pacientes adultos con sospecha de sinusitis aguda. Revista chilena de infectología, 20(3), 184-192. https://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0716-10182003000300006
- Gallegos-Zurita, Maritza. (2016). Las plantas medicinales: principal alternativa para el cuidado de la salud, en la población rural de Babahoyo, Ecuador. Anales de la Facultad de Medicina, 77(4), 327-332. Recuperado en 01 de mayo de 2019, de http://www.scielo.org.pe/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1025-55832016000400002&lng=es&tlng=es.
- Lastra Valdés, Humberto, & Piquet García, Rosario. (1999). Calendula officinalis. Revista Cubana de Farmacia, 33(3), 188-194. Recuperado en 01 de mayo de 2019, de http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-75151999000300007&lng=es&tlng=es.
- Sánchez Govín, Ester, León Fernández, Marielys, Chávez Figueredo, Diosothys, Hechevarría Sosa, Isabel, & Pino, Jorge. (2010). Caracterización farmacognóstica de Melissa officinalis L. (toronjil). Revista Cubana de Plantas Medicinales, 15(4), 198-208. Recuperado en 01 de mayo de 2019, de http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1028-47962010000400003&lng=es&tlng=es.
