Sinuses.

by celeryhills on February 17, 2011

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I was told by my doctor some time ago that hayfever is a combination of things: the sinuses, the skin, and the lungs. The sinus issue came first. I always had sinus headaches and “pressure episodes”, to the point I was constantly swallowing sinus medicine. My sinuses still are very sensitive to the weather to this day: I know ahead of time if we’re gotta get snowed on. Like this morning.

The skin issue came next. I was breaking out with eczema every spring. Now I break out all through spring and summer. I was told eczema was part two of hayfever.

Several years ago I was diagnosed with asthma. After spending two hours with a respiratory therapist, taking tests and all that fun stuff, my asthma is hayfever related. Sure enough, an allergy pill away keeps the lungs open.

This year, for some reason, the pressure episodes are bad. I would so much love to run to the drugstore and buy sinus medicine, but my blood pressure says otherwise. So I resort to more natural methods:

1. Saline Spray. Yep, plain, unmedicated saline spray. There are the brand names, but I simply buy the store brand. One day I will get around to making my own, like I found here, but in the meantime I buy it. I give it a kick by adding several drops of peppermint oil, 8-10 drops per 3 ounces of solution. I would start off with 8, then go to 10 if you feel the need. It will sting the first time you use it, but as you use it that will go away. This takes away my sinus pressure immediately.

2. Cold and Flu Salve: I swear by Owens Acres Cold and Flu Salve simply because it works, its non evasive and its not toxic. I massage my temples, above my eyebrows, behind my ears with it, and put a daub under my nose. The salve contains pure oils of Camphor, Eucalyptus, Clove, and Wintergreen. A simple Google search of “Organic cough and cold salve” brings up many options.

3. Hot Tea: The steam from a hot cup of tea helps unclog sinuses and the hot liquid makes the mucus thinner, making it easier to drain. Regular or herbal tea works, but be warned that caffeine can dehydrate! Peppermint tea is beneficial, but to be honest, there’s only so much peppermint tea I can drink. If using herbal peppermint tea in bags, double up on them to get a more potent mixture, and as it cools down, simply inhale the steam.

We don’t have to suffer with sinus issues, but we don’t have to drug ourselves up, either. There are natural products out there, all we have to do is find them and use them! What’s great about the products I listed above is that you can take them with you. I am never without teabags, my sinus balm or saline spray, because I never know when a pressure episode is going to hit.