joannqn Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 About three weeks ago DH and I came down with a sinus-type cold. He's all better. I'm still fighting it. I've been taking zyrtec everyday for allergies. To that I've added sudafed, which helps unblock my ears a little and reduce the discomfort there. I'm also doing sinus irrigation, and nothing comes out but the water. On the days that it hurts (face, headache, ear pain, teeth hurting), I take ibuprofen. Some days I feel like I'm drowning because my nose is so congested and I can get enough air. Is there any effective home treatment for sinus infections? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 I treated a really bad sinus infection with apple cider vinegar. Take several shots a day. If you can take at least 2T each shot. A chaser of honey helps with the after taste. Some people put it in hot tea and sip it. I prefer to down it all at once and get it over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyFL Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Sinupret (natural remedy in pill form) and saline rinse? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate CA Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 About three weeks ago DH and I came down with a sinus-type cold. He's all better. I'm still fighting it. I've been taking zyrtec everyday for allergies. To that I've added sudafed, which helps unblock my ears a little and reduce the discomfort there. I'm also doing sinus irrigation, and nothing comes out but the water. On the days that it hurts (face, headache, ear pain, teeth hurting), I take ibuprofen. Some days I feel like I'm drowning because my nose is so congested and I can get enough air. Is there any effective home treatment for sinus infections? The only non-prescription thing that worked for me was colloidal silver nasal spray. http://www.amazon.com/Source-Naturals-Wellness-Colloidal-Silver/dp/B0014H1MKU CS is a natural antibiotic and did the job for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Switch to sudafed (pseudoephedrine NOT phenylephrine--you will have to get it at a pharmacy). Stop the antihistamines. Get either the 12 hour and take it in the morning or get the 4 hour and MAKE SURE to take it every 4 hours, until 4 hours before bed. It can keep you up at night. Add plain Mucinex. It helps by drawing fluid to your mucous membranes, thinning down the mucous so it can come out. Follow the directions on the package! You can take it around the clock. Make sure to drink lots of fluid with it, that is how it works. Brand name is taken less often than the generic so the generic may or may not be a savings. You can get Mucinex D that has both in it if you want, but if the pseudoephedrine keeps you up at night, you can't split them up. Continue with the sinus rinse. Unless you have allergies, antihistamines can make sinus infections worse. They dry out the mucous but don't get it out of there. The crusties inside your sinuses are the perfect breading ground for bacteria. They can make it worse, not better. They may make you feel better....but the bacteria are happier too. Since you most likely wont be taking the Sudafed at night, get a cheap nasal spray decongestant. ONLY use at night, when you aren't using the Sudafed. You can have a rebound effect from the nasal spray so don't use it for more than 5 consecutive nights ( or 3 days if you use it throughout the day). Skip 3 days, then you can use it again if you need to. If you are using the Mucinex, you don't need to worry about non-drying vs, drying nasal sprays unless they are the same price. The Mucinex will help with that. Using Mentholatum or Vicks can help, as do steamy showers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 The only non-prescription thing that worked for me was colloidal silver nasal spray. http://www.amazon.com/Source-Naturals-Wellness-Colloidal-Silver/dp/B0014H1MKU CS is a natural antibiotic and did the job for me. Before anyone uses colloidal silver, please look into the possible health risks. "Natural" does not ensure safety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 I used to live near this guy http://www.bartonpublishing.com/blog/colloidal-silver-natural-remedy-gone-bad-blue-skin-man/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate CA Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Before anyone uses colloidal silver, please look into the possible health risks. "Natural" does not ensure safety. I have used it for 15 years so I think I can recommend a nose spray without any great harm being done to society. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate CA Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 I used to live near this guy http://www.bartonpublishing.com/blog/colloidal-silver-natural-remedy-gone-bad-blue-skin-man/ You might want to do a little more research on this guy. http://colloidalsilversecrets.blogspot.com/2008/02/colloidal-silver-blue-man-and-argyria.html He was DRINKING as much as 20 ounces a DAY. Any overuse of anything will produce problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted April 7, 2011 Author Share Posted April 7, 2011 Thanks for the ideas. Tap, I have to use the antihistamine. I have bad allergies during the winter, and I am unofficially (testing was negative but life says otherwise) allergic to dust...and this house is the dustiest house I've seen. I'm miserable without the Zyrtec. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ange Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 What you described sounds *exactly* like me these past 2 months. I went over a month w/ sinus infection, or so we thought; had CT of my sinuses; went to ENT; he says the inflamation all goes back to allergies. I also take allergy meds, but I'm about to begin sublingual allergy drops. I just had all the allergy testing done for them. I also found out I am allergic to yeast. So I have to go on a yeast free diet for 3-4 weeks, and then be careful after that. I am super allergic to dust as well as everything else inside and out...what you describe sounds like allergy to me. I suggest you have your allergies checked out once again, perhaps w/ ENT as well as or instead of allergist, perhaps you need a different or stronger allergy med or you need shots/drops to desensitize you. Hope you feel better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn in Mo Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 I was going to post everything triple tap typed, with only on addition - we also use Liquid Advantage from our health food store - http://www.sunriseherb.com/m7/Wisdom%20of%20the%20Ages--advantage-liquid-concentrate-2-fl-oz.html I put 10 drops in 4 oz of grape juice to hide the bitter taste. I also add 10 drops to our sinus irrigation water. Keep up the irrigation, frequently, even if you aren't seeing huge results. Keep drinking lots of pure water and avoid dairy. Sinus infections are just no fun! I feel awful for you! Rest up. I hope you feel better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 About three weeks ago DH and I came down with a sinus-type cold. He's all better. I'm still fighting it. I've been taking zyrtec everyday for allergies. To that I've added sudafed, which helps unblock my ears a little and reduce the discomfort there. I'm also doing sinus irrigation, and nothing comes out but the water. On the days that it hurts (face, headache, ear pain, teeth hurting), I take ibuprofen.Some days I feel like I'm drowning because my nose is so congested and I can get enough air. Is there any effective home treatment for sinus infections? Heat can be very good for sinus pain. My face is frequently hidden by a heating pad in the spring :tongue_smilie:. Heat is cheap and has few side effects. Also try steam bowls - hot water in a bowl, put a towel over both your head and the bowl - did that sooo many times when PG! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmnew2004 Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Have you tried the neti pot? It's totally natural just water and saline....of course the right mix so that it doesn't burn, but they have great instructions and a saline pkt included. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 D-hist is fabulous stuff. http://www.amazon.com/Ortho-Molecular-Products-Natural-capsules/dp/B0006ON6D8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302223096&sr=8-1 I can't take pills that big, so I open up the capsules and put it in juice. My 12yo and my 18yo are both taking this right now. Oh, we also use Esberitox, an immune system booster: http://www.amazon.com/Enzymatic-Therapy-Esberitox-Chewables-Tablets/dp/B0013OUGL0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1302223214&sr=1-2 The dosage on D-hist is 2 capsules, 3x/day. So you'll go through 6 capsules/day. The dosage on Esberitox is 4-6 tablets, 3x/day. This means that you'll go through 12-18 tablets/day. When I was miserably sick back at Christmas and went to a natural pharmacy, the pharmacist there gave me a bottle of D-hist and told me to go home and immediately take 3 pills along with using a nasal spray (couldn't use neti-pot, nothing went through). I used the nasal spray 2x/day for 3 days along with using D-hist 3x/day for a full week. The relief I had about 20 minutes after the first dose of D-hist was HUGE. It didn't cause any drowsiness either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kchara Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 I've heard that using a Neti pot, with a SMALL, like 1 small drop, of tea tree oil added can help. I haven't used that remedy myself, though. :grouphug: Hope you're feeling better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 I have used colloidal silver with success also. I believe that moderation is the key in most things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Quote: Originally Posted by joannqn About three weeks ago DH and I came down with a sinus-type cold. He's all better. I'm still fighting it. I've been taking zyrtec everyday for allergies. To that I've added sudafed, which helps unblock my ears a little and reduce the discomfort there. I'm also doing sinus irrigation, and nothing comes out but the water. On the days that it hurts (face, headache, ear pain, teeth hurting), I take ibuprofen.Some days I feel like I'm drowning because my nose is so congested and I can get enough air. Is there any effective home treatment for sinus infections? Heat can be very good for sinus pain. My face is frequently hidden by a heating pad in the spring :tongue_smilie:. Heat is cheap and has few side effects. Also try steam bowls - hot water in a bowl, put a towel over both your head and the bowl - did that sooo many times when PG! :iagree: And long hot showers (with windows shut and fan off) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Thanks for the ideas. Tap, I have to use the antihistamine. I have bad allergies during the winter, and I am unofficially (testing was negative but life says otherwise) allergic to dust...and this house is the dustiest house I've seen. I'm miserable without the Zyrtec. No problem, just add the others too it. I have to take an anithistamine part of the year also. I just make sure to add the pseudoephedrine with it to keep my sinuses clear....or I will get a sinus infection in a few days of being on it. I also skip my antihistamine on days that I can, just to give my body a break. With a dust allergy, that would be hard. DD12 has HORRIBLE allergies, her whole face will visably swell. In fact she is doing allergy shots this year to see if they will help her. Once a week or so, we switch off of her 24 hr med, and just use Benadryl during the day(she usually takes both Zyrtec and Benadryl throughout the day), at night we make sure she takes a shower, rinses her nose, and then just uses eyedrops until morning. It gives her system a break. If it is raining outside, we will do this for a few days. It seems to help her body react to the 24hr antihistamine better....(I have no idea why). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted April 8, 2011 Author Share Posted April 8, 2011 No problem, just add the others too it. I have to take an anithistamine part of the year also. I just make sure to add the pseudoephedrine with it to keep my sinuses clear....or I will get a sinus infection in a few days of being on it. I also skip my antihistamine on days that I can, just to give my body a break. With a dust allergy, that would be hard. DD12 has HORRIBLE allergies, her whole face will visably swell. In fact she is doing allergy shots this year to see if they will help her. Once a week or so, we switch off of her 24 hr med, and just use Benadryl during the day(she usually takes both Zyrtec and Benadryl throughout the day), at night we make sure she takes a shower, rinses her nose, and then just uses eyedrops until morning. It gives her system a break. If it is raining outside, we will do this for a few days. It seems to help her body react to the 24hr antihistamine better....(I have no idea why). I usually don't take anything during the summer. Then again, I don't know about this house. It doesn't take long before I have dusted layered so thick on the blinds that it looks like I haven't dusted in over a year. I've learned that this house requires the windows to be de-molded every 3 weeks (or I get vertigo) and the blinds are caked within a month or two (I avoid cleaning them). I can't take Benadryl unless there is an adult in the house. Each dose knocks me out for about 5 hours. OTC eye drops, I found out, have a rebound effect. I found out the hard way. Plus, they sting like crazy. Ugh! I should probably start my son on the shower and rinse in the evening routine. He's allergic to pollen and has oral allergy syndrome. His nose notified us when the pollen started...and we have a huge birch tree in the back yard. This is our first spring here so we don't know how bad it's going to be. So far his Claritin and Flonase has been keeping it under control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 I usually don't take anything during the summer. Then again, I don't know about this house. It doesn't take long before I have dusted layered so thick on the blinds that it looks like I haven't dusted in over a year. I've learned that this house requires the windows to be de-molded every 3 weeks (or I get vertigo) and the blinds are caked within a month or two (I avoid cleaning them). I can't take Benadryl unless there is an adult in the house. Each dose knocks me out for about 5 hours. OTC eye drops, I found out, have a rebound effect. I found out the hard way. Plus, they sting like crazy. Ugh! I should probably start my son on the shower and rinse in the evening routine. He's allergic to pollen and has oral allergy syndrome. His nose notified us when the pollen started...and we have a huge birch tree in the back yard. This is our first spring here so we don't know how bad it's going to be. So far his Claritin and Flonase has been keeping it under control. This seems quite silly, but sometimes when I read posts, I wish I played the lottery and won. I would have to run and hide from my own family (they would certainly knock me off to get at the $$). There are some people here though, who I would really love to give a boost to. You and your house situations over the years, are one of those. I swear, you are jinxed in the house department!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted April 8, 2011 Author Share Posted April 8, 2011 What a nice thought! For the most part, we are pretty happy in this house. It's safe. It's quiet. At night, we can hear the frog's croaking from the nearby retention pond; we even gathered some eggs so we can watch them grow into tadpoles and then frogs. DH caught a frog in the backyard this week and showed the kids! In the summer, we already know, we'll be serenaded by the crickets. We feel safe enough here that we let DD stay home by herself for an hour one day, and we let the big kids ride their bikes in the neighborhood instead of just our street. It's a bit tight but I'm decluttering more and more to make it work. The mold and dust make me sick but it can be cleaned and medicines help. There's still a few things that need to be fixed but work good enough for the time being. I'm not sure if we'll stay here beyond our initial lease but it works. If I had medical insurance, I'd have gotten antibiotics to clear the infection already. When I'm sick, my attitude tends towards self-pity. That's when our financial situation gets the best of me and I forget how much we DO have. In another month or two, the sun will finally be shining more often than not and I'll be a whole new person...not sick, happy, energetic. Can't wait! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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