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Lifestyle and home remedies

By Mayo Clinic staff

These self-help steps can help relieve sinusitis symptoms:

  • Get plenty of rest. This will help your body fight infection and speed recovery.
  • Drink plenty of fluids, such as water or juice. This will help dilute mucous secretions and promote drainage. Avoid beverages that contain caffeine or alcohol, as they can be dehydrating. Drinking alcohol can also worsen the swelling of the lining of the sinuses and nose.
  • Moisten your sinus cavities. Drape a towel over your head as you breathe in the vapor from a bowl of hot water. Keep the vapor directed toward your face. Or take a hot shower, breathing in the warm, moist air. This will help ease pain and help mucus drain.
  • Apply warm compresses to your face. Place warm, damp towels around your nose, cheeks and eyes to ease facial pain.
  • Rinse out your nasal passages. Use a specially designed squeeze bottle (Sinus Rinse, others) or neti pot to rinse your nasal passages. This home remedy, called nasal lavage, can help clear your sinuses. If you make your own rinse, use water that's contaminant-free — distilled, sterile, previously boiled and cooled, or filtered using a filter with an absolute pore size of 1 micron or smaller — to make up the irrigation solution. Also be sure to rinse the irrigation device after each use with contaminant-free water and leave open to air-dry.
  • Sleep with your head elevated. This will help your sinuses drain, reducing congestion.
Alternative medicine Treatments and drugs
References
  1. Sinuses|Sinusitius|Rhinosinusitis. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions-a-to-z-search/sinuses,-sinusitis,-rhinosinusitis.aspx. Accessed March 25, 2013.
  2. Lalwani AK. Current Diagnosis & Treatment in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. 3rd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=39. Accessed March 25, 2013.
  3. Fact sheet: 20 questions about your sinuses. American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/sinuses.cfm. Accessed March 31, 2013.
  4. Aring AM, et al. Acute rhinosinusitis in adults. American Family Physician. 2011;83:1057.
  5. Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM): Prevention & control. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/prevention.html. Accessed March 24, 2013.
  6. Meltzer EO, et al. Rhiosinusitis diagnosis and management for the clinician: A synopsis of recent consensus guidelines. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2011;86:427.
  7. Hayward G, et al. Intranasal corticosteroids in management of acute sinusitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Family Medicine. 2012;10:241.
  8. Leung RS, et al. The diagnosis and management of acute and chronic sinusitis. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice. 2008;35:11.
  9. Sinupret+. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed April 1, 2013.
  10. SinuGuard. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed April 1, 2013.
DS00170 July 2, 2013

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