Summer is many people’s favorite time of year. Gotta love that warm weather, sunshine and longer days. However, the summer can be tedious for those of us with sensitive nasal passages and sinuses.
Sinusitis is something that’s not uncommon during the summer months. And it can reduce a person to a snotty, sniffling mess. If you’re one of the unlucky ones experiencing symptoms this summer, here’s some ways to feel better, pronto!
Flush it out
The easiest and quickest way to provide relief to your nasal passages is by rinsing. A neti pot is filled with saline solution to rinse the nasal passages. And it can potentially offer fast comfort for the pain.
Start by standing over a sink or bathtub. Tilt your head to the right. Then place the syringe full of saline at the tip of your left nostril. Empty the solution into your nose until it comes out the other nostril. Now repeat this process tilting your head to the left.
Yes, you’ll feel a weird sensation as it enters your nose. However, this process will make you feel so much better. Totally worth it! Just make sure to always use filtered water. And clean your neti pot well between uses.
Bromelain
Bromelain is a protein found in pineapple. Don’t want to eat massive amounts of pineapple? Not to worry. It’s easily available in supplement form.
Bromelain helps reduce swelling in the sinuses. And it assists in relieving any summer sinus discomfort. Be patient because it can take some time for the full effects to kick in. But you’ll likely soon be breathing much easier.
Steam your face
One of the most relaxing and fun ways to tackle sinus issues is to steam your face. Do this for 5 to 10 minutes with some menthol or eucalyptus essential oil. The process is easy.
First, boil a kettle of water. Then pour the water into a bowl or dish and add a few drops of essential oil. Now place your face over the water with a towel over your head and wait for the steam to penetrate your nose. In just a few minutes, things will start to loosen and you’ll start to feel much better.
Drink lots of water
Yes, I’m talking about drinking water again. Drinking water may seem like a drag, especially when you’re sick. But your body needs to be hydrated to fight off any pollutants.
When you’re sick, you may want to warm up the water a little to make it easier o drink. Consume at least 6 glasses a day. And help your body flush out those toxins and bacteria which are infecting you.
Get spicy
Spices can be a great way to awaken the senses when you have a cold or the sniffles. First, let’s state the obvious. Strong spices may be the only thing you can taste when your sinuses are congested.
But they also have healing properties. You can add them to hot water with lemon or cook them in your food. Spices such as cinnamon, turmeric and ginger are all ideal for clearing the sinuses due to their anti-inflammatory properties.
Do you have a favorite way of naturally dealing with the summer sniffles? Let me know in the comments below!
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*Photo courtesy of Pixabay
Great tips! I’ve used all these except bromelain… might have to try that next time!
It couldn’t hurt!
One thing I luckily don’t get is sinus problems during the summer. I tend to get them in between summer and fall, and then in the spring for a few weeks. The one thing that a follower on instagram told me to do was to try essential oils. I was a little dubious at first, but low and behold they worked like a dream! I created my own lil rollerball perfume with a mixture of essential oils made for sinuses and they worked so well. Great post! xx
Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com
I have this allergy essential oil formula I bought that’s works really well. Amazing what you can do with them.
Ideally, you’ll want to combine some of these methods. Personally, I have been known to bring a spoon and a jar of habanero salsa into the shower with me. The combination of steam and spicy food provides immense relief with lots of sinus clearing. But seriously – drinking more water is one of the biggest things we forget to do. It helps on so many levels, sinus being one of them.
I’ve never tried the spicy food actually in the shower!
While I still can’t get used to using a neti pot, some of your other suggestions have worked great for me. It was actually the pharmacist who suggested the spicy food to me, while filling my prescription for a sinus infection. I thought he was asking me out on a date, when he asked if I liked spicy food! Lol!
That’s so funny! I would have thought that was a pickup line too!
I deal with allergy almost all year around where I live because it warm where I live. I need to eat more spicy food.
Allergies are truly the worst.
I swear by these when I’m sick. I don’t like taking any medications unless I am absolutely miserable, compound that with being pregnant, my summer cold knocked me on my butt this year. Flushing sinuses and bromelain are my go-tos whenever I start feeling stuffy. Excellent list for those who prefer to go without anything OTC.
Glad you like these too!
These are great tips and tricks for summer sniffles, my allergies have been pretty bad this summer so I am definitely going to try these, thanks for sharing!
~xo Sheree
poshclassymom.com
Hope you feel better soon!
I think the idea about steaming your face is a really good one. Also I didn’t know that about turmeric! I’ll have to give that a go too.
Turmeric is great for so much!