I get questions nearly every week on my Facebook wall about natural remedies for sinus infections. Sinusitis can be downright miserable – your whole head throbbing with pain, congestion, plus a raw nose from constant blowing. I see folks in my office all the time in search of ways to treat sinus infections without antibiotics, and thankfully there are some super effective natural remedies for sinus infections that will effectively treat and prevent this condition.
Many folks run to their doctor for antibiotics when a sinus infection strikes, and 20% of adult antibiotic prescriptions are being written for sinusitis. A recent study, however, shows that “a 10-day course of amoxicillin compared with placebo did not reduce symptoms.” (source) It is estimated that at least 90% of sinus infections are actually caused by viruses, which are completely unaffected by antibiotics. (source)
Not only do they often not work, but antibiotics wipe out both the harmful and beneficial bacteria throughout the body. Even if they do work, frequent use reduces their effectiveness, and side effects from antibiotic can include digestive upset including diarrhea, cramping, and indigestion, yeast infections, allergic reactions and more.
Luckily there are safe and effective natural remedies for sinus infections that will end your suffering.
Natural Remedies for Sinus Infections
Break the cycle with sinus irrigation
Many folks love the classic neti pot, which looks like a stout tea kettle. With your head tilted to the side, a stream of saline water is poured through the nasal canal. Some find that the sensation of water going up your nose feels unbearably like inhaling a swimming pool, but with practice, this technique can bring you quite a bit of relief.
My kids' holistic dentist did some research of her own and found that of all the nasal irrigation systems on the market, the NeilMed squirt bottle is the most effective at irrigating high into the turbinates of the sinus cavity. Even for head colds, this has cut the recovery time for me by at least half.
She also recommended the addition of 1/4 teaspoon of xylitol to the solution of water, salt, and baking soda – which can help to penetrate through thick mucous and inhibit harmful bacteria from thriving in the sinuses. You can order an inexpensive NeilMed here.
Now, let me be clear: xylitol itself does not grow on trees, it is made in a lab – traditionally from birch and more often from corn. (source)
Before you get in a huff because xylitol is not really natural, I'm not suggesting that you start making baked goods or sweetening your tea with this stuff. Used occasionally as a sinus rinse or regularly in toothpaste, xylitol seems to really help without causing harm – and thankfully there are non-GMO options like this one.
Don't over do it, though – overuse of sinus rinsing (constant use for more than a couple of weeks) can can interfere with the body’s natural processes, and it's best to treat the reason why you are getting sinus infections in the first place.
Heat or cold?
For most cases of sinus congestion, heat brings pain relief and helps to unblock congestion. If you have extreme burning and inflammation, however, you may find that a cold compress helps to cool the irritation. This herbal eye pillow can help whether you need heat or cold.
Treat the root causes of your sinus infection
The human body works synergistically, so when one area is out of whack the whole body experiences disarray. For example, digestive imbalance may lead to sinus issues. This is because digestion plays a key role in immune health. Both of these can be exacerbated by a stressed nervous system.
Probiotics
Probably the most important way to address the root cause of sinus infections is to incorporate probiotics. These essential strains of bacteria are the good guys that keep harmful bacteria in check in the digestive tract and sinuses.
There are two ways to get probiotics – through food or supplements. Foods rich in probiotics include yogurt, kombucha, unpasteurized miso, and naturally fermented sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles and more. While probiotic foods should be adequate in healthy individuals, those with health issues should also take a probiotic supplement such as this one.
Some folks find that doing sinus irrigation containing the contents of a probiotic capsule is extremely helpful in healing from sinus infections and re-establishing healthy flora.
Vitamin D
Both empirical evidence and studies show that to support a strong immune system, it is essential for the body to have adequate vitamin D levels. Yet most folks are walking around deficient in this essential nutrient.
The body’s cells need vitamin D to trigger the immune response to bacterial threats. (source) And people with with low levels of vitamin D are more likely to develop a respiratory tract infection. (source)
The best way to get vitamin D is through daily sun exposure, and you can read about how to get vitamin D in winter here.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants (like vitamin C) do not directly act against bacteria and viruses, but they greatly reduce cell damage by neutralizing free radicals. When cells are not being damaged by free radicals the body has more fortitude to defend against infection.
Antioxidants are a daily, essential part of good health, but the trick with using antioxidants to fend off a sinus infection is to be sure to catch it early. Once your head is throbbing and compacted, you may slow or reduce your symptoms but you can’t ‘cure' your infection by taking antioxidants or eating antioxidant rich foods.
Read more about antioxidants and other immune support supplements in this post on common cold remedies that really work.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbs
One of my favorite tools for my patients suffering from sinusitis is called a tiger warmer (don't you just love Chinese names for things!), which gently heats the affected areas to support healthy drainage. That combined with a few acupuncture needles usually has patients getting up from the treatment table already feeling better.
They are then sent home with an herbal formula that will support healthy digestion and immune function, reduce inflammation, and resolve phlegm – treating both root cause and symptoms of their sinus infections.
Colloidal silver
Colloidal silver can be taken internally or used in irrigating the nasal canal, but among all of the natural remedies for sinus infections, I prefer to use this one only as a last resort.
For the most part, colloidal silver is safe to use but should not be taken daily for long periods of time – not because it will turn you blue or build up silver in your system, but because its capacity to destroy microorganisms cannot distinguish between beneficial and harmful bacteria.
Read more about colloidal silver here.
Using food as the best prevention
It should go without saying, but one of the ways to prevent or heal infection is through healthy eating. Read 16 ways to adopt a real food diet here.
For starters, you definitely want to avoid processed foods and sugar as well as conventional, pasteurized dairy – especially during an acute bout of sinusitis.
Eat plenty of fat, homemade broth, and fermented foods to support your recovery. You can learn more about immune boosting foods here.
Do you suffer from sinus infections? What natural remedies for sinus infections have you found work best?
*Just a reminder: Information in this post should not be mistaken as medical advice. While I am a health practitioner, I am not your health practitioner, so please consult with your own qualified practitioner to determine the best course of action for your health.
My husband travels by air all the time and before and after the plane ride, he irrigates his sinus with saline. And, he never gets sick! A great preventative. Thanks for the great tips here. I will tweet this great post so that others can see alternatives to the stuffy sinus without pills.
Since 1896, Alkalol has been making this soothing nasal wash, mucus solvent and cleaner that brings relief to irritated sinus, nasal passage and throat tissue. i just get a small nasal spray pump and use it before and after tge plane ride and it helps
I typically get sinus infections every couple of months. Thanks to my pregnancy, none for months! The chiropractor has really helped. I take natural process vitamins to boost my immune system when I feel one starting and go for multiple adjustments, ears, nose and neck! It has cut down the duration of the sinus infections and makes me more comfortable in the meantime
I’m a big fan of acupuncture and think it is fab (as is your article). Please please I need to let people know about my journey. It all started twelve years ago after severe stress and I contracted sinusitis which I juts couldnt shift no matter what the docs threw at me. Nearly gave up hope until I found a nasal spray on line that has indian spices in it (turmeric,ginger,cumin,cinnamon),
This was sent from the heavens because it has healed my sinuses completely and i no longer have t suffer the pain and the fatigue.
Hi Maxy, could you please share the name of the spray? Thanks !
It was called sinusoothe nasal spray sinus and headache formula.
Homeopathy does wonders for sinus infections. They usually give you Kali Bichromicum for that and it works in few hours.
My youngest son who has Cystic Fibrosis and gets lots of sinus infections has really cut down on the frequency by doing nasal sinus washes 2 x day and sometimes 3 x day on weekends. He uses the NeilMed Sinugator … we just love it! It’s battery-operated. Easy for kids and adults to use. Google it and see for yourself. Henry was getting sinus infections about every 3-4 months, but we have stretched the episodes to 5 months. Daily washes cut down on sinus headaches, throat clearing, and lots of post-nasal drip. The sinugator comes with salt packets, but we ordered the 7% hypertonic saline packets (extra strength) and really recommend those. Salt works wonders!
I have been suffering from chronic sinusitis for about 4 years, and have tried everything from antibiotics to surgery. Holistic is really the way to go. I have an electronic nasal irrigator, and usually add xylitol, alkalol, and when I think I’m getting an infection, grape seed oil. I have never tried baking soda though, trying it tonight. I irrigate at least once a day and it has made the biggest difference out of everything I have tried.
I found that dabbing fermented (non-seafood) kimchi juice in the nostrils about once a day for a week or two completely cured my long-standing chronic sinusitis infection.
My whole family did this and it successfully treated all of us.
Most brands of live, fermented kimchi contain Lactobacillus sakei, and studies done by Abreau et al (2012) showed that Lactobacillus sakei treats sinusitis. In fact, they are now working on a nasal spray containing L.sakei, but it’ll take a while till it’s available.
We were so amazed by how well it worked that I started a web-site last December about it (see Sinusitis Treatment page) and also posted other studies about microbes and health. The site is lactobacto.com
Soon it’ll be a year and a half that we are off all antibiotics, and only using kimchi juice as needed when ill. Note: the kimchi juice must be fermented at least 2 weeks and the kimchi jar not opened more than 6 days (L.sakei dies off about a week after opening the jar).
Hi I’ve read your article in a couple different locations I am having a difficult time finding where to get this Kimchi Juice. Short of making it my self which I could but don’t want to. I hope you could E-mail me this info please I have a bad infection and it hasn’t gotten better in 4 weeks. Please help my e-mail is hairbygisela@msn.com Thank You! Hope you get this since this is a year later from this post.:)
Can you explain to me exactly how you do this procedure of kimche in the nose please. Thank you.
how is the kimchi juice fermented , Thank you for your help.
Hi Janisse – Thanks for your question. Since kimchi is a fermented food, it’s juices are also considered fermented. Hope that helps!
We live in the foothills of the Rockies and I frequently get headaches from the change in barometric pressure. We call this Chinook Headaches. I never experienced them before I moved to Southern Alberta, but now I know how migraine sufferers feel. Any suggestions? Please. and thanks.
Thank you so much for this very coherent and helpful post. My husband bought me the NeilMed Sinus Rinse this morning. I do have one question. If the sinus infection is a virus, how does rinsing the nasal cavities with a probiotic help it? I accept that it does, I just don’t know how that works, since the probiotic is to replace bad bacteria with good bacteria, or at least that is my understanding, and here we’re talking about a virus..
I have battled chronic sinitus for years and learning about using a neti with probiotics is the only thing that helped and i tried everything. If you are in the middle of a sinus infection it is best to do it for 7 days straight once a day. The key is to sniff as much of the probiotic up your nose that you can in order for it to reach the nasal cavity. usually during a sinus infection people are constantly blowing their noses and doing a neti pot with just salt that is clearing out the remainder of good bacteria as well. You need to get that good bacteria back up there and even if you feel better after a few days my holistic dr suggested treating it like an antibiotic that would need up to 7-10 days to drive the bad bacteria out. Everyone is different obviously, but it worked well for me and whenever i even feel a little of a sinus infection coming, i start this process! Been good ever since. good luck if you try.
Mike- what type/brand of probiotics did you use?
Thanks! I’m in the same boat and am planning to try your method.
what type/brand of probiotics did you use?
I’ve never sniffed anything up my nose so doesn’t It make you sneeze choke or something? Also how do you keep it in there once snorted? Sorry if this is silly questions just never done this and kinda scared to. Thank You ! Desperate right now so I’ll try anything, just about. 🙂
Sinusitis is not a virus but bacterial. The sinuses normally have many microbes living in them – a microbial community or sinus microbiome. Antibiotics and infections throw the community out of whack and deplete it of “good bacteria” (because antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria).
So now the latest research is on HOW to get the good bacteria back into the sinuses. Adding “probiotics” such as Lactobacillus sakei back into the sinuses cures sinusitis (according to research and experiences of people). L. sakei is found in foods such as many brands of live fermented kimchi as well as some culture starters. It is NOT found in yogurts or the usual probiotic supplements currently in stores.
Sinusitis can be bacterial, viral or fungal – and may be a combination of these. I do like the
sinus rinses but never thought of using probiotics nasally. Thanks for your informative site. Comments are interesting also.
I’ve been suffering from Sinusitis for several months and have been putting everything in my nose from Coconut Oil to Apple Cider Vinegar. What helped the most for me was going to a local Chinese grocery store and purchasing Kimchi radishes. It cost only $3.99 for it. Twice a day you need to take a spoon to get a small amount of juice / liquid out of the jar. You then take your finger and dabb the liquid into both nostrils while inhaling to ensure that it gets up into your nasal cavity.. I did it twice a day and by the 2nd day, I felt better. You have to have a strong stomach for it though because the Kimchi I used was made with fish / seafood. They do sell Kimchi made without using seafood, however its more expensive and you will probably have to order it because its difficult to find. Also, I’m not sure how effective that Kimchi will be. I just know what worked for me. Good luck! Heal yourself and avoid surgery at all costs!
I can’t say thank you enough.
I’ve told my family dr. And my allergist that my sinusitis is at its worst on days when my IBS is at its worst. They both told me there was no correlation. Now I know I’m not crazy!!!
That might not be the case actually. You may be eating a food that upsets your stomach or that you’re sensitive to AND it may have high levels of histamine.
Histamine is what’s behind allergies as you know and it can be found in certain foods as well. I’d keep a journal of what you eat to see what days the IBS is bad and then compare your food choices to a histamine chart.
I suffered from IBS and what helped me was a food sensitivity test. The most common irritants are gluten and dairy but your body may be rejecting foods like chicken or carrots as well and you’ll need a diet change.
When I changed my diet my allergies got much better and my sinuses stayed more clear.
Is it a problem with instilling probiotics in the sinuses when they contain cellulose? I just applied into nasal cavity with a qtip but think it would be more beneficial dissolving and using via NeilMed bottle.
It’s important for people to know to use distilled water in the neti pot. We had a man in our state die 2 years ago, because he used his tap water in his neti pot when he was having sinus problems and a bacteria from the pipes got in there that goes right to the brain and killed him. This is a bacteria that is usually found in ponds or warm water. Here is an article about that. http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2011/12/19/143960631/second-neti-pot-death-from-amoeba-prompts-tap-water-warning
I’ve found that adding about 1/2-1 tsp of H2O2 to the usual water and salt in a neti pot also helps. It will leave you with a metallic odor in your sinuses for a short time, but it works.
These seem like really great products for those who often overuse their nasal sprays or just don’t have the spray on hand. I’ve tried the neti pot before, and even though it was really weird the first time, I had great results. I would recommend everyone who has terrible allergies to try it at least once.
Can you take allergy med or does it make it worse
Hi Konnie, if you’re wanting to treat your sinus infection naturally it would not be advisable to take allergy medication on top of these recommendations. I hope that helps! xoxo Emily