(NaturalNews) There's nothing quite like a sinus infection. You get to experience non-stop pressure and pain. Your face hurts. Your head hurts. Possibly, your teeth hurt as well. Left untreated, the infection can involve the bones of the face and in rare cases, can actually spread to the brain.
Our sinuses are open spaces or pockets above and beside the nose that are lined with mucous membranes. Each time we breathe in through the nose, mucus acts as the first defense against pathogens and foreign substances we inhale. Small particles are trapped by mucus, which is continuously swept towards the throat by cilia, tiny hair like structures. Mucus is swallowed and stomach acid neutralizes most of the pathogens that reach it.
Sinuses become infected when they cannot drain properly. When sinus tissues swell, mucus becomes trapped and the sinus fills, causing pressure and pain and creating a perfect environment for an infection to breed.
Sinus infections can be viral, bacterial, fungal or a combination; they can be acute or chronic.
How to avoid sinus infections
If you suffer from recurrent sinus infections or chronic sinus infections, Candida is likely to be a part of the problem. At the very least, you immune system needs help. A truly healthy diet will help heal the infection and rebuild your immune system.
Diet
Eat real food, not processed food. Your diet should consist of 80% raw, fresh, organic produce, more vegetables than fruit. Be sure to include healthy fats. Omega 3 essential fatty acids are an important addition to your diet, and they reduce inflammation. (Reduction of inflammation, and swelling that accompanies it, allows the sinuses to drain. Avoid all artificial flavorings, colorings, and preservatives as well as MSG, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and GMOs. And here's what may be the hardest part: stop eating sugar. Sugar feeds Candida as well as viruses and bacteria. In addition, each time you eat sugar, it takes your immune system a good three days to recover.
Avoid all allergens. Many people who aren't aware that they are allergic to dairy, find that eliminating it from their diet stops a cycle of chronic sinus, respiratory, and ear infections.
Detox
To heal your immune system, you need to cleanse your body. A good cleanse will help kill off Candida, parasites, and pathogens. You need to rebuild the balance of your gut so the healthy bacteria keeps Candida and bad bacteria and the toxins they exude in check. If your sinuses are the only thing your immune system has to deal with, it will do a much better job of healing any current or future infection. (To learn more about how to detox, see the link below.)
Treat sinus infections with irrigation
Flushing the sinuses with saline solution can aid in reduction of swelling and remove excess mucous along with debris and pathogens. A neti pot can aid you in sinus irrigation. To make a saline solution, use 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to 16 ounces (2 cups) of warm water.
Be sure that you use the following:
Distilled water or boiled water.
Real salt, but not sea salt. It can have algae in it. Make sure it is fine and has no additives (no iodine or flavorings).
Baking soda without aluminum.
Treating chronic sinus infections
Chronic sinus infections take time to heal, and come back easily if the sinus cavities haven't fully healed. Anyone who suffers from chronic sinus infections needs to look at radically changing their diet.
For chronic, or otherwise serious sinus infections, we recommend irrigation and Shillington's Herbal Snuff (recipe). It's not pleasant, but it does the trick. Herbal snuff works great as long as your eating well, but it can contribute to a lung infection if used while eating poorly (dairy, sugar, etc.). For a more in depth, holistic approach for sinus infections and the immune system as a whole, see the first source link below and check out Bullet Proof Your Immune System.
About the author: Michael Edwards is the founder, owner, editor-in-chief, and janitor for Organic Lifestyle Magazine and Green Lifestyle Market. At age 17, Michael weighed more than 360 pounds. He suffered from ADHD, allergies, frequent bouts of illness, and chronic, debilitating insomnia.
Conventional medicine wasn't working. While he restored his health through alternative medicine he studied natural health and became immersed in it.
