COLD, FLU AND ACUTE SINUSITIS – SYMPTOMS, CAUSES, AND THE 12 MOST EFFECTIVE HOME REMEDIES TO GET RID OF COLD, FLU AND ACUTE SINUSITIS FAST
Acute sinusitis, also called acute rhinosinusitis, is a common disease and affects around 1 in 8 adults per year. A stuffy nose and pressure on your cheekbones, headache, pain, pressure, or tenderness behind your eyes, nose, cheeks, or forehead may mean that you have acute sinusitis (1).
This disease is a temporary inflammation of the membranes that line your nose and surrounding sinuses. If you suffer from acute sinusitis, the cavities around your nasal passages (sinuses) are inflamed and puffed up. This holds back your ability to exude mucus from your nose and causes mucus to build up.
Mostly, the causes of acute sinusitis are the common cold or flu. Unless a bacterial infection develops, most cases resolve within 5 to 10 days.
Generally, home remedies are sufficient enough to treat acute sinusitis. However, long-lasting and persistent acute sinusitis may cause serious complications.
Hereby, I want to share with you some effective tips and home remedies that helped me heal from acute sinusitis. These did work for me. However, these suggestions might not work for everybody, so before you start any home treatment, consult your doctor first.
Acute Sinusitis Causes
Acute sinusitis is usually triggered by the common cold, but there can be other reasons that may cause disease as well. Illnesses and conditions that may cause or lead to acute sinusitis include:
- An infected tooth. In exceptional cases, bacteria may spread from the affected tooth to the sinuses.
- Bacteria
- Cystic fibrosis (genetic health condition where thick, sticky mucus builds up in the body)
- Deviated nasal septum
- Fungi
- Infected adenoids
- Intranasal allergies, such as hay fever
- Nasal polyps or other tumors
- Viruses
- Weak immune system (1, 2, 3, 4).
Acute Sinusitis Risk Factors
You may be at increased risk of getting acute sinusitis if you have:
- Cystic fibrosis
- Immune system disorder such as HIV/AIDS
- Nasal passage malformation, such as a deviated nasal septum, nasal polyps, or tumors
- Weakened immune system
- Activities that cause pressure changes, such as scuba diving and flying
- Cystic fibrosis
- Fever or some other allergic condition that influences your sinuses
- Intranasal allergies
- Large or inflamed adenoids
- Spending a lot of time in a daycare, preschool, school, workplace, public transportation, or other areas where infectious germs are frequently present
- Tobacco smoking or frequent breathing in of other pollutants (1, 2, 3, 4)
Acute Sinusitis Complications
Sometimes acute sinusitis does not go away and becomes chronic sinusitis which can last more than 8 weeks. In very unusual cases, acute infectious sinusitis may cause an infection that expands to your ears, eyes, or bones. It could also cause meningitis. That’s why it is very important to treat your cold or flu properly.
Call instantly your doctor if you have a serious headache that doesn’t respond to medication, a high fever, or vision changes. These may be signs that the acute infection has spread outside your sinuses (1).
Acute sinusitis complications are uncommon. If they occur, they might include:
- Chronic sinusitis. Acute sinusitis may be an outburst of a continual condition known as chronic sinusitis which lasts longer than 12 weeks.
- Ear infection.
- Meningitis.
- Other infections. Sometimes an infection may extend to the skin (cellulitis), bones (osteomyelitis), or skin.
- Partial or complete loss of sense of smell. Nasal blockage and inflammation of the smell nerve (olfactory nerve) may result in temporary or permanent loss of smell.
- Vision problems. If the infection spreads to your eye socket, it can cause reduced vision or even blindness (1, 2, 3, 4).
Acute Sinusitis Symptoms
Symptoms of acute sinusitis include:
- Aching in your upper jaw and teeth
- Bad breath (halitosis)
- Cough, which might be worse at night
- Chest Discomfort
- Drainage of a thick, yellow, or greenish mucus discharge from the nose or down the back of the throat (postnasal drainage)
- Ear pressure
- Extreme Exhaustion
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Headache
- Difficulty breathing through your nose
- Pain, tenderness, swelling, and pressure around (or behind) your eyes, cheeks, nose, or forehead that worsens when bending over
- Reduced sense of smell and taste
- Sore throat
- Toothache (1, 2, 3, 4)
Acute Sinusitis Treatment
There are many ways to nurse flu, cold and acute sinusitis. The treatment depends on the cause and seriousness of the illness. Occasionally also intranasal allergies are thought to be linked to the cycle of acute sinusitis.
If this is the case, allergy medicines could help you relieve allergic sinusitis more easily. However, according to some people, acupuncture may also provide some relief in case of acute sinusitis which is caused by allergies.
You might even need surgery to remove nasal polyps or tumors, or to correct a deviated nasal septum. But those are extremely rare cases (1, 2, 3, 4).
Prescription Medications For Acute Sinusitis
Your doctor may suggest antibiotic treatment in case he or she suspects you might have acute bacterial sinusitis. And it might be the only and best way for treatment, as there are conditions where only antibiotics may help. At the same time, it is not wise to carry out this destructive treatment too lightly for every cold or flu. Why?
Firstly, antibiotic resistance is now quite frequent, which means the illness no longer responds to antibiotic treatment. Secondly, antibiotics demolish all bacteria in your body – also the good bacteria that can help combat the disease. But during the sickness, when your body requires good bacteria the most, it is not wise to eliminate them.
In my personal experience, it is possible to get rid of acute sinusitis without antibiotics. So, if for some reason you have chosen to avoid antibiotics, you can try my method (1, 2, 3, 4). However, my method may not be helpful for everybody, so if you do not see any changes during the first two days of home treatment, consult your doctor immediately.
Acute Sinusitis Home Treatment
It is never too late to start the treatment below. However, please note that treating your body is a full-time job that requires total commitment and consistency. Also, if you don’t observe any changes in your condition – even the small ones (because the healing takes place with tiny and initially unnoticeable steps until one day you are healed) by the 4`th or 5`th day, then you must surely consult your doctor. Because I can’t guarantee that this treatment will work well every time and for everyone.
The recipe for self-healing is like a recipe in a cookbook. Even if you have followed the advice and quantity carefully and somebody else succeeded, your result might still not be the same.
Common Cold and Acute Sinusitis Home Treatment Recipe – Up To 7 Days
1. Balancing and Restoring Your Gut Flora With Probiotics
As soon as I suspected that the cold or flu had become acute sinusitis, instead of taking antibiotics, I started taking probiotics. For a simple reason. If my body was already so ill, then there were not enough good bacteria to protect me. So, I needed to boost my immune system, and get those good soldiers back as quickly as possible. You can read more about The 40 Health Benefits of Probiotics.
2. OTC Pain Relievers Like Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil)
A person who has suffered from acute sinusitis knows that those headaches are tormented. So, in addition to the analgesic effect, Ibumetin also has an anti-inflammatory effect. Ask your doctor for advice before taking the medicine and see if it is contraindicated for you. It must not be taken on an empty stomach, but only after a meal.
According to my experience, it was sufficient to take 3 tablets (Ibumetin (400 mg)) for about 3-4 hours in the first three days.
- On the day 4 – 2 tablets,
- the day 5 – 1 tablet
- and on the day 5 – 0,5 tablet.
You may take Ibumetin only if you are certain that you have acute sinusitis. Common cold usually does not require painkillers.
3. Vitamin C and Vitamin D
Obviously, my body also had inadequate reserves of vitamins C and D, and during the illness, the body needs these vitamins in greater quantities than otherwise. So I took a total of 4000 mg of vitamin C a day for the first three days and reduced my dose by 500 mg each day in the next few days until 500 mg a day, which is usually also the suggested daily dose. It should also be mentioned that taking such high dosages is arguable and is not always considered right.
However, vitamins were a mandatory part of my home treatment. If you don’t want to eat them so much, you can take the suggested dosage on the label, or a little more than usual. Studies consistently demonstrate that smokers have lower plasma and leukocyte vitamin C levels than nonsmokers. For this reason, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has concluded that smokers need 35 mg more vitamin C per day than nonsmokers. Therefore, smokers can certainly take a little higher dosage of vitamin C. (5)
4. Minerals and Nutrients From Broth
To overcome the disease, one of the most important factors is boosting the body’s immunity and providing minerals and other nutrients. Otherwise, your body simply has no power to fight viruses and inflammation.
So I cooked myself a large amount of great broth which lasted for a few days (because it includes about 3-4 hours of cooking, and I did not have time and energy to do that every day). My broth recipe includes chicken legs with bones, ginger, onion, carrots, garlic, and chilly. Eating fresh salads may work also, but food in processed form is easier for the body to absorb nutrients and during the illness, you don’t want to burden your body that much.
If you do not have the time or the energy to cook the soup and grate a carrot or cabbage salad, some necessary minerals are also available also in the jar. However, a bowl of good warm broth is beneficial and nourishing for you anyway.
5. Grapefruit Seed Extract
The grapefruit seed extract is thought to have antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties (10). Therefore, I wanted to give it a try. I followed my common sense here and took a few drops more than the recommended amount on the label for the first three days with water or juice.
I did it because on the package label are prophylactic doses that you should take to avoid becoming ill. But I already was ill, so in my opinion, I needed to replenish the stock for quick recovery. In the next few days, I followed the instructions on the medicine package.
My healing experience is based on the following doses: 45 drops in diluted form on the first three days (Product name “Citro Life”) and 30 drops on the following days.
6. Natural Antiviral and Antibacterial Herbs Such as Garlic and Onion
Onion and garlic may have natural antibiotic and antibacterial effects (6, 7). If your stomach can deal with it, you can also cut raw onions (thin slices) into the same soup or broth mentioned above, and a few smaller garlic cloves per bowl just before eating like I did. In my experience,1 raw (medium-sized) onion and 3 cloves of garlic hidden in various foods (I added a few slices also to my sandwich) during the day made a miracle happen.
One more thing I do with garlic when my child has a stuffy nose and he finds it hard to sleep is that I crush some garlic cloves and add these near to his bed. It seems that garlic vapors help him breathe better.
Ideally, just as many of these natural antibiotics may be beneficial to eat daily. You can also cut a few slices of the raw onions and add them to your sandwich. However, monitor how your stomach reacts to the raw garlic and onion because it might be too strong for some and may cause stomach problems. In this case, consult your doctor first.
7. Saltwater Washes (Nasal Saline Lavage or Irrigation)
I rinsed my nose with self-made salt water about 3 times a day, at least every first three days (four times as needed) after every 3-4 hours. Further days – I reduced rinsing times.
For me, this is the only way to get the mucus out of the cheekbones in the case of inflammation. In case of any nasal rinsing, you should certainly know how to do it right and without sufficient knowledge, I do not suggest you test it.
If you still want to try, you should first definitely find out how to make a suitable saline solution and how the process works, as you may hurt yourself if you do it wrong.
8. Ginger, Lemon, and Honey
Ginger is thought to possess an anti-inflammatory effect (8). So, I drank at least one big cup of ginger tea every day. I did the ginger tea by pouring the boiled water on the finely grated ginger root and letting it stand for about 10 minutes. Before drinking, I let it cool down a bit and then added a few lemon slices and honey. Ideally, and if I have the energy to treat myself more, I drink one big cup of ginger tea and another cup of hibiscus tea a day during the sickness.
Do not forget that lemon and honey should be added only after the tea has cooled a bit. You can also eat pure honey a few teaspoons a day. To me personally, the more – the better.
9. Cabbage Leaves
This may be a bit unbelievable and may also look silly, but, according to my personal experience, it seemed to work when I placed cabbage leaves on my painful cheekbones and forehead. The cabbage leaf should not be very cold. So I warmed it up a little before with my hands. If you want to try this method, you can also hammer the cabbage leaf gently with the meat hammer, so it is softer.
I put a little honey on the cheeks so that the cabbage leaf stayed there better and kept it until the cabbage leaf was already dry and withered. This type of cabbage leaves compression can be repeated several times a day until you feel you no longer need it.
Cabbage leaves are thought to possess anti-inflammatory effects (9).
10. Stay Hydrated
Fluids help to thin mucus so it will come out more easily.
11. Natural Face Cream for Painful Nose Skin
During the runny nose, the nose tends to flush around and be tender, so it makes it painful to snuff. If the skin is already severely affected, then I use the Bepanthen ointment, as it may relieve it.
But to prevent redness, soreness, and broken skin around the nose, I lubricated my skin as often as I could with fragrance-free cream. According to my experience, the most natural and handmade cream MyMim.Me Mousse was the best. Now I use it daily, as it seems to be extremely moisturizing and helps fight aging signs.
12. Other Relief Methods
Here are some other commonly suggested treatment methods for cold, flu, and acute sinusitis. I did not use any of these, but you might find some of the suggestions below to be helpful.
- A humidifier. This can help keep the air moist, so it is easier to breathe.
- Saline nasal sprays. Using these several times a day may help to rinse and clear your nasal passages.
- Over-the-counter (OTC) nasal corticosteroid spray. Sprays such as fluticasone propionate (Flonase) may reduce intranasal and sinus inflammation.
- Sleep with your head elevated. This encourages your sinuses to drain (1, 2, 3, 4).
Summary
The treatment above is a combination of conventional medicine, natural remedies, and a cold mind. Where all the puzzles are carefully put together so your body will be stronger at any given moment. It is not a scientifically proven method of treatment – but has been successful in my case. According to my experience, if this treatment works also for you, the first signs of healing should signal on the third day and you should be completely healed within about seven days.
Since you have greatly boosted your immunity and restored your body’s medical skills, you can be sure that the next virus will not beat you up so badly anymore.
However, if you feel that you do not have enough energy or possibilities to follow everything carefully, or, the first signs of healing do not appear fast enough, I suggest you consider other treatment options, including first consulting your doctor as you might need antibiotic therapy.
NB! The information provided here is for informational purposes only, so do not consider it as health care or medical diagnosis and treatment. Do not consider this information as a guarantee of the results you want to achieve. In addition, this information is not intended to replace the advice of your physician or other healthcare professional.
Even more, you should not use it to diagnose or treat a health problem. Before changing or discontinuing your existing medication, treatment, or care, or taking any dietary supplements, be sure to consult with your healthcare professional or doctor before starting any diet or program, or if you suspect you may have a medical condition.
Stay healthy!
Written by: Maria-Helena Loik
This article was originally posted on Ecosh.com
Pictures: Pixabay.com, Pexels.com, Shutterstock.com
Sources:
- https://www.enthealth.org/conditions/sinusitis/
- https://www.healthline.com/health/acute-sinusitis#prevention
- https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/default.htm
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acute-sinusitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351671
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/#:~:text=Smokers%20and%20passive%20%22smokers%22,day%20than%20nonsmokers%20%5B8%5D.
- https://observer.com/2018/04/the-5-most-powerful-all-natural-antibiotics/#:~:text=Onions%3A%20Onions%E2%80%94a%20food%20often,sulfur%20compounds%20called%20cysteine%20sulphoxides.
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321108#seven-best-natural-antibiotics
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3665023/
- https://www.healthnwellness.in/health/cabbage-leaves-the-remedy-for-feet-swelling/
- https://draxe.com/nutrition/grapefruit-seed-extract/