Resolved Question

How can I avoid sinus infections?

Since I was little I have had a severe problem with sinus infections. On average I get anywhere from 8-15 per year. The only solution that my Dr. has offered me is surgery where they drill into my sinus cavaties. I would like to avoid this if at all possible!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Symptoms of sinus infections, or sinuistis, are similar to a common cold, but last longer. If symptoms last longer than two weeks, you probably have sinusitis. Sinus infections can last from three weeks up to three years. Your best bet is to have sinusitis evaluated by a qualified medical professional, preferably one well versed in both conventional and naturopathic medicine.

Many people find relief from using quality colloidal or ionic silver. Use a product that has no more than 20 PPM of small particle colloidal silver. Drink a couple of teaspoons a day as a preventative and once or twice a week take a pump spray or nasal,type spray mister and thoroughly spray and cleanse out each nostril.

A good echinacea extract is often beneficial.

So can be inhaling eucalyptus oil or essential oil of thyme, using mild steam and inhaling from a bowl of hot water, with essential oil of thyme or eucalyptus oil.

Drink eight to ten glasses of water every day.

Drink warm tea, especially green and black teas. This may help dilute mucus.

Locally grown organic honey can also help you develop a tolerance for local allergens.

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Other Answers (3)

• Try using a netty pot. :) It clears out your sinuses and keeps them healthy. And you can get one just at the local drugstore, usually.
  
  Also, check into some herbal medicine books that have sections/herbs relating to sinuses. Michael Tierra, Rosemary Gladstar, James Duke, James Green are esp good authors, but there are a bunch of good books out there.
• nasonex
• Improving Indoor Air Quality: Improving the quality of your indoor air, both at home and at work, is an essential self-care step for helping to treat and prevent respiratory conditions, especially sinusitis. Healthy air is warm, free of pollutants and odors, has a relative humidity of between 35 to 60 percent, and is high in oxygen and negative ions (3,000 to 6,000 negative ions per cubic centimeter). Today's technology makes it easy to ensure that your indoor air meets the above criteria. A negative ion generator can not only increase the oxygen and negative ion content of indoor air, but it can also cleanse air of harmful animal dander, bacteria, dust, mold, pollen, and viruses. Moreover, negative ions help to soothe and repair damaged mucosa of the nasal, lung, and bronchial pathways. For best results, choose a self-regulating negative ion generator that emits at least one trillion negative ions per second.
  
  You should also use a humidifier to keep your indoor air moist, especially during winter months, when air tends to be drier. Choose a warm mist unit. Adding plants to your home and work environments can also help keep air moist. Certain plants, such as chrysanthemums, philodendron, and spider plants, can also help to keep your air free of circulating dust and microorganisms, since they act as natural air filters.
  
  Also be sure that your home and work environments are properly ventilated, and avoid the use of synthetic materials in your home and workplace, including plastics.
  
  Lifestyle: Avoid exposure to secondhand smoke and excessively cold or dry air. If you smoke, seek help in order to quit. (See Addictions for more information.) Make it a point to engage in 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three to five times a week. Stretching exercises and strength conditioning are important, as is ensuring that you get plenty of good sleep each night, sleeping in an environment that is free of dust and contains warm, moist air.
  
  Nutritional Supplements: Useful nutritional supplements for sinusitis include vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, calcium, chromium picolinate, magnesium, manganese, selenium, and zinc. Flaxseed oil and omega-3 oils are recommended, as is a multivitamin/multimineral complex. Proteolytic enzymes taken between meals, along with acidophilus supplements, can be helpful, as can thymus gland extract. Other useful supplements include betaine HCL, bee pollen, quercetin, grapeseed extract, and N-acetylcysteine (NAC).
  
  Relaxation Therapy:
  Regularly engaging in some sort of relaxation therapy on a daily basis can dramatically reduce the stress and tension that often contribute to sinusitis. One of the easiest ways of promoting deep relaxation is to spend five minutes a few times a day sitting comfortably with your eyes closed while you breathe slowly and deeply through your belly.
  
  Here are two other relaxation exercises that are helpful for reducing headache symptoms:
  
  Lie on the floor with your head resting on a pillow. Close you eyes and comfortably position your calves on the seat of a chair. Stay in this position for five to ten minutes, breathing deeply and comfortably through your belly. When you are done, take your time getting up from the floor, continuing to breath in a deep, relaxed manner.
  Sit comfortably in a chair or lie down on a comfortable mattress in a room that is quiet, with the lights off. Take ten gentle, deep breaths, starting in your belly and progressing all the way to your upper chest. Without pausing, exhale, starting at your chest and moving down to your belly, taking longer to do so than you took to inhale. Ideally, you should try to spend two to five seconds inhaling and twice as long exhaling.
  Once you sense yourself starting to relax, tightly tense the muscles of your feet and toes for a count of five, and then relax them. Do the same with the muscles of your lower legs and calves. Repeat this process all the way up your body, moving to your upper legs and thighs, your buttocks, your lower back and abdomen, your upper back and chest, your hands and arms, your shoulders, your neck, and, finally, your jaw, eyes, and face muscles. Throughout this process, continue breathing in a gentle, deeply relaxed manner. When you finish, gently open your eyes and then slowly stand up, continuing to breath as you have been.