One of the first conditions I began formulating for as a budding herbalist was sinusitis. Having chronic hay fever myself, I found it only fitting to concoct some sort of super tincture in the hopes of wrangling in the misery and vanquishing it out right then and there. Oh, how naïve I was!
Nowadays I know for a fact that incessant sneezing can be stopped rather quickly with just a drop of lobelia, or better yet, avoided altogether by incorporating stinging nettle into my daily meals. No need for that gazillion herb formula that could knock over a cart horse, no sir!
Herbal preparations can be quite simple yet very effective and they certainly don’t need to be part of a 50 ingredient blend in order to work for most things, particularly sinus issues.
As far as I’m concerned there are 3 main types of sinus troubles: runny, stuffy, and dry. For each of these types, there are certain herbs that will work better than others based on energetics; the effect that herbs have on the body like moistening, drying, warming, cooling, etc. So even though some herbs are “labeled” as “good for sinus trouble” it’s important to know if that herb is actually good for your TYPE of sinus problem.
For instance, goldenseal is a popular herb for sinus issues. However, goldenseal
is very drying so it would be terrible to give to someone with dry sinuses. Make sense? Good!
The next thing to determine if the frequency of the sinus issue. Is it chronic (allllll the time), does it come and go, or is it acute (happens only when inhaling something especially bothersome like fumes or smoke)? Knowing this information with help determine which herbs to use and how long you will need to stick to an herbal regimen along with what life changes you may need to make in order to get well. Obviously, it wouldn’t hurt to avoid dairy and wheat to help move things along.
How to Treat Dry Sinuses with Herbs
Dry sinuses most often indicate heat. The tissues and mucous membranes will be dry, tight, and “stingy” feeling when breathing through the nose. There could also be nose bleeds and a feeling of dry obstructions in the sinus and often the eyes will be dry as well.
The first thing to think about when dealing with dry sinuses is whether the person in question is properly hydrated. Make sure to incorporate healthy electrolytes daily (check out this recipe) and perhaps even use a humidifier in your bedroom. (I like this one
)
Dry tissues and membranes need herbs that are moistening (demulcent), so adding a strong cold brewed tea to your treatment will do wonders. Sometimes these preparations can be rather mucilaginous so if it’s too much for you simply dilute the cold brew tea with an electrolytes drink or water.
Some of my favorite moistening herbs for dry sinus are:
• Marshmallow
• Violet leaf
• Sassafras leaf
• Mallow
• Slippery elm
• Plantain
I recommend you use these herbs only as a cold brew tea as using them in tincture form will not work. Mucilage cannot be extracted in alcohol.
Also, make sure you are eating plenty of healthy fats such as grass-fed butter, coconut oil, ghee, and fresh salmon along with staying appropriately hydrated. Trust me, this will help!
For chronic dry sinuses, diet change (get those healthy fats!) and hydration should be the first things you look into. Adding in cold brew teas made with the moistening herbs above will greatly improve symptoms. Use the teas as needed.
For the coming and going type of dry sinus use the neti pot and the dry sinus oil. The cold brew teas, of course, will help and you can take them as needed.
For acute dry sinus trouble using any of the methods I discuss in this article until the symptoms are gone. Acute situations usually need to be treated in an acute manner for best results.
Topical Applications for Dry Sinus
One of the best remedies for dry nostrils, in particular, is homemade sinus oil.
Dry Sinus Oil Recipe:
• Fill a 1 oz amber
or cobalt
dropper bottle with sesame oil
• Add 1 drop each of cardamom, German chamomile, and helichrysum essential oil
• Seal the lid and roll the mixture in between your hands to mix
If you don’t want to make it, you can buy it here.
To Use:
• Add one drop to a clean q-tip
and swab the inside and around the nostrils
You should feel immediate relief!
Now, for those brave enough to do this, there is another way you can use this oil…literally snorting a few drops of it up your nose. Yeah, sounds crazy, but this seriously gives the best and most lasting results.
Simply:
• Lay on your back (or whichever way is easiest)
• Drop 1-3 drops of oil into one nostril first and “snort” the oil into the sinus cavity
• Sit up and spit out any oil that drains (don’t swallow it if you can avoid it)
• Do the same thing to the other nostril
This method has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years and is practically non-existent in western cultures. Needless to say, it sounds weird but works wonderfully!
Neti Pot for Dry Sinus
This is the method I often use not only as a means to alleviate the dryness but also to help treat or prevent a dry sinus infection (because yeah, those exists). using a Neti pot is an excellent way to treat any type of dry sinus issue. You can either use a demulcent tea (violet works really nicely for this) or simply use the traditional saline solution.
In either case, be sure to add your nasal salts
or this won’t be very comfortable at all.
When making a demulcent tea, make a strong cold infusion (using DISTILLED water) and then strain it very well. You don’t want plant particles up your nose, do you? Next, mix in the nasal salts and add the mixture to your neti pot.
Check out the video below to see how to use a neti pot properly:
Once you’re done, blow your nose to expel any mucus and leftover saline solution. You should immediately feel a difference which is no surprise considering this is probably the best dry sinus remedy!
This neti pot is made by my favorite sinus care company Baraka (and no, this is not a sponsored post). They make high quality ceramic neti pots as well as some pretty great nasal salts and oils.
This is the neti pot you could win above. It comes with a sample size of Baraka nasal salts, enough for one use.
Be sure to check out my other articles on sinus issues below:
Herbal Remedies for Stuffy Nose
Herbal Remedies for Runny Nose
How to Treat Seasonal Allergies Naturally
Essential Oils for Allergies
THE ULTIMATE ALLERGY-FIGHTING FOODS AND HERBS (AND SECRET TRICKS TO STOP ALLERGY ATTACKS)
