Treating Sinus Infection: Nasal Irrigation

Treating Sinus InfectionTreating sinus infection – Nasal irrigation is considered as one of the best procedures that can be applied when treating sinus infection. This process helps get rid of excess mucus and other foreign matter from the nose and the sinuses of the patient, thus treating sinus infection. It washes the nasal cavity and can be a very good personal hygiene practice. This process is done by snorting a handful of water from your hands or using a neti pot, and studies have proven that nasal irrigation presents zero side effects and so it is considered as the safest way of treating sinus infection (sinusitis).

Nasal irrigation solutions can be prepared at home using salt, baking soda and water. Salt is very important as it is capable of drawing water and mucus out of the cells within the sinuses and so it is a very important ingredient in the solution. To make an appropriate saline solution, simply take a teaspoon of salt and mix it in a pint of water. Pickling salt or kosher salt are best used for this purpose, but make sure not to add too much salt in your solution as this may cause the sinusitis to worsen (sinusitis).

Baking soda can help dissolve the mucus and so it should be added in the above-mentioned solution, for added effectiveness to the salt. A teaspoon of baking soda will be enough for the solution, and again, do not go over the required amount and as much as possible, keep the quantity of the water to a pint. Some may prefer using warm water for the solution, but you should know that cold water can be very helpful in reducing the swelling of the mucus membrane and for any nasal congestion. When treating sinus infections, distilled or boiled water should be preferred to make sure that it is clean and free from harmful microorganisms. Make sure to stir your solution well to mix it and make it uniform, but do not shake it. When you shake your solution, it might produce bubbles which can irritate the nasal passages during the process of irrigation.



Once the solution is prepared, you can use a small pot made for irrigating nasal passages or you can just simply sniff the solution directly from your hands. Aside from that, you may also purchase a nasal spray where you can place the solution in it and use it to irrigate your nasal passages. With the solution placed inside a nasal spray, tilt your head and spray it to one nostril, and allow the solution to exit to the other nostril. Repeat the same method with the other nostril until you are relieved. When treating sinus infections using nasal irrigation, make sure not to use any unused solution as it might already be infected with bacteria. You need to prepare a fresh solution every time you are to irrigate your nasal passages to make sure that it is clean and safe to use.

If you are not confident with the given method on treating sinus infection, you may consult your doctor and ask for an advice on how you can get rid of your sinusitis or sinus infection. Treating sinus infection depends on the severity of the condition, but if it is not severe, there are lots of available home remedies that you can use to relieve the discomfort and pain brought by your sinusitis (refer to parts 6 & 7 of our Home Study eCourse).