Essential Oils for Sinus Sufferers

It seems like something is always “getting us” when it comes to sinuses. Health articles in popular magazines bloom with advice on managing sinus problems. If it’s not the pollen, it's the toxins in the air. There is mounting evidence that indoor air pollution, especially in for the form of household mold, is a significant factor in sinus health.

Essential oils can help with sinus relif in several ways. They can provide purely symptomatic relief, but they are best used to prevent little problems from becoming bigger problems. Essential oils can work in our bodies by breaking up sinus congestion before it becomes infection. They can also work by improving indoor air quality. If you have a nasty sinus infection or chronic problems, you will want to consult a medical professional.

If you are one of the many who suffer from mild or occasional sinus problems, you may find the following essential oils helpful:
PEPPERMINT. Breaks up congestion. Germicidal
EUCALYPTUS. Breaks up congestion. Germicidal
ROSEMARY. Breaks up congestion. Germicidal
LAVENDER. Eases pain. Moderately antifungal.
TEA TREE. Strongly antifungal
OREGANO. “The canon”. Breaks up congestion. Antifungal. Germicidal.

You can blend two or three essential oils to combine their power into an even more powerful synergy for more complete sinus relief. The best way to use your synergy is by inhalation. Here are a few special tips:
• Put a couple of drops of your blend on your pillow and wake up clear.
• Put a few drops on a tissue to sniff during the day.
• Load your blend into an inhaler blank for ultimate convenience.
• Put a few drops on your shower floor (plug the drain), and breathe in the oils with the steam.
• If you are really plugged up, try a steam inhalation. Put ½ inch boiling water in a coffee cup. Add 2 drops of your blend to the water. Tent over your head with a small towel. CLOSE YOUR EYES! Breathe in deeply for as long as you can stand it. It may take a little time, but this usually breaks through the crud.

Keep your air conditioner or evaporative cooler squeaky clean with regular service. I also like to add essential oils to the water in my evaporative cooler to prevent mold formation. During the winter, you can put a few drops on your furnace filter or use an essential oil diffuser in your home.

Finally, check out your pillow. This could be the major source of your sinus problems. Here is the down and dirty on pillows. Dust mites eat the flakes of skin that we naturally shed. Like all other animal, they eliminate what they cannot digest. Lots of people who are allergic to dust are actually reacting to the mite excrement. Up to 70% of the weight of some old pillows is dust mite poop! Newer pillows can be washed (add some mite-busting oil eucalyptus to the wash water) and thoroughly dried. As for that old, heavy pillow (you were probably wondering how it got heavier!), toss it.