Sinusitis Remedies

This New Year I got a new illness (for me) and one I don’t ever want to have again. I went down with a dose of the flu over Christmas and that left me with sinusitis. For the past two months I’ve been plagued by it. Essentially, the sinuses are a human design flaw. These narrow lined passages that run through the bones below, between and above your eyes are easily infected by viruses, leading to the infamous, bunged-up, head cold. But sometimes the inflammation persists when the cold has gone. Hence, sinusitis: characterized by persistent headaches, hearing and balance problems. So I worked my way through the over-the-counter remedies. I think I sniffed almost every type of decongestant up my hooter. But to no avail. In desperation, I turned to my GP.

Reassuringly, he told me that acute sinusitis could last for two months. And the problem wouldn’t be regarded as chronic until I’d had it for three months. He prescribed me a steroid nasal spray. That helped a bit, but it didn’t solve the problem. So I turned to natural remedies. The best I found were Olbas Oil and steam inhalation. These did give me some temporary relief. But the symptoms always returned. So I rang the group practice again. A different GP prescribed a new steroid spray and recommended I do nasal douching. ‘What’s that?’ I hear you say. Well, you mix one teaspoon of salt with one teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and add one pint of boiled water. When the mix cools you squirt it up your nose with a syringe whilst sniffing hard.

I don’t know whether this was what did the trick, but over the past couple of weeks the problem has been easing and I’m beginning to return to some sort of normality. One thing is for sure, my poor old nozzy certainly needs a good rest.