Essential oils can be used as an additional therapeutic and preventive remedy during colds. With their help, you can relieve headaches, sinus or throat inflammation, or just improve your mood. The main thing is to use only natural essences and avoid exceeding the recommended dosages.
Sinus infection: what’s the problem?
During a sinus infection, the nasal lining swells and mucus production increases. As a result, maxillary sinuses get clogged and impair the sense of smell. Due to the swelling and a large amount of secretions, breathing through your nose can become extremely difficult. A person with a sinus infection might lose appetite and refuse to eat. Almost all people that experience this condition have trouble sleeping and become irritable.
Contrary to popular belief, this is more than just a slight inconvenience that can go away by itself. Lack of treatment leads to complications and problems. In case of sinus inflammation, nasal mucosa can’t fully perform its protective function (filtering dust particles and infectious agents in the air). When your nose is stuffy, you breathe through your mouth, which means that viruses and bacteria enter the lungs unhindered. This can lead to bronchitis and pneumonia. When untreated, sinus infection might cause otitis, chronic sinusitis, and even meningitis.
Today, people actively use essential oil-based remedies to treat sinusitis. 100% natural products not only relieve breathing but also help fight the cause of the disease: viruses and bacteria. Let’s look at the essential oils that help with sinus infections and how to use them.
How to choose the right essential oil
Essential oil is a multi-component mixture of substances of different chemical nature. This means that in some cases, individual intolerance (dizziness, rapid pulse, ringing in the ears, increased blood pressure, itching and reddening of the skin, breathing difficulties) may occur.
For children, the elderly, people with chronic liver disease, and cardiovascular and nervous system issues, essential oils should be recommended and used with extreme caution. It’s not recommended to use them for pregnant women or people with hormonal disorders. It’s highly undesirable to use these aromatic substances for inhalations with a nebulizer: it can lead to severe lung and heart failure.
Before using any essential oil, perform a personal intolerance test. Never use them undiluted.
Top 10 essential oils to fight a sinus infection
Here are 10 natural essences that can help you recover or prevent the illness.
Eucalyptus
The essence of Eucalyptus Globulus obtained from the leaves and branches of the tree, is widely used in medicine. It has antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. Commonly used for steam inhalations.
Clove
Clove oil is a powerful antiseptic. It has antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Can be used to fragrance the room with an aroma diffuser.
Geranium
This oil is obtained from the pink geranium (Pelargonium Roseum). The medicinal properties are due to the presence in the composition of more than 120 terpenoids. These are biologically active substances that have antiseptic, disinfectant, antispasmodic, and expectorant effects.
Cinnamon
The source of cinnamon oil is the bark of different species of trees in the Laurel family. Excellent tonic, it gives strength, cleanses the air from viruses, and enhances the activity of other oils. Keep in mind that cinnamon oil is often counterfeited, choose only reputable manufacturers.
Tea Tree
Tea tree leaf essential oil (Melaleuca Alternifolia) has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. It strengthens the body’s immune system.
Lemon
A well-known antiseptic and powerful antioxidant. A spray of lemon essential oil will help fill the room with freshness and relieve headaches.
Lavender
Lavender (Lavandula Officinalis) oil contains about 300 different organic compounds: vitamins A, C, E, acids, and tannins. It helps to cope with nasal congestion.
Rose
This oil has a tonic and restorative effect, relieves fever, harmonizes and improves mood.
Peppermint
Peppermint relieves breathing in case of a stuffy nose and has a slight vasoconstrictor effect. The remedy relieves headaches and sinus inflammation.
Thyme
Oil of thyme contains a large amount of thymol which is a strong antiseptic. It’s widely used to prevent bronchitis, pharyngitis, and laryngotracheitis.
How to treat sinus infections in children
You can help your child even without putting drops in their nose. Soak tissues or cotton pads with a mixture of oils – for example, peppermint, eucalyptus, and lavender. Put them in various places: near a baby’s crib, in the playroom, on the table in the nursery. At night, the aroma of essential oils will help your child breathe more freely and they will sleep much more peacefully.
If your child doesn’t have a fever, you can do a kind of inhalation by preparing a bath with essential oils. Most young children hate inhalations but they do love to bathe.
Take 2 drops eucalyptus, 4 drops cypress, and 3 drops peppermint, mix them and add the mixture to the bath foam. For a child, it’ll only take 15 minutes to relieve nasal congestion and improve breathing.
By the way, adults should also use essential oils in the bath and sauna: when the pores are dilated, biologically active substances quickly enter the body and kick the cold and sinus inflammation out of your body.
When you feel the first symptoms of sinusitis, it’s important to put a timely stop to it. If you smear the area under the nose with some essential oils, such as eucalyptus, lavender, or tea tree, it will be over before it starts: essential oils work very quickly. If you don’t manage to deal with it quickly, essential oils can still come in handy. You can massage the maxillary sinuses using the oils: mint and eucalyptus are great for that.
How to get rid of sinus infection quickly
Using a mixture of oils, you can get rid of the illness by applying aromatic remedies to the biologically active points. This method is particularly helpful for those who have already become addicted to any medical drugs like sprays that stop the runny nose but don’t cure it.
Take 50 ml of olive oil as a base and add 5 drops of each of the following essential oils: pine, geranium, rosemary, eucalyptus, and 2 drops of peppermint.
You can also use another blend: add 5 drops of sage oil to 30 g of olive and 4 drops each of peppermint, geranium, and eucalyptus, as well as 2 drops of pine. Massage your forehead and sinuses with this blend several times a day in a circular motion.
Thyme oil is a good remedy for rhinitis. Mix 2 drops of it with olive oil (half a teaspoon) and put the drops in your nose 3 times a day. You can also inhale thyme oil by soaking a tissue or a handkerchief in it.
Essential oil inhalations to treat sinus infection
The following steam inhalation methods will help in case of sinusitis: mix 2 drops each of bitter orange and rosewood oil, add 1 drop of black pepper. Inhale the steam for about 4 minutes.
You can use black pepper oil for a cold inhalation as well. Mix 2 drops of eucalyptus with 1 drop of black pepper and inhale several times during the day for 1 minute.
You can also prepare a balm to treat the sinus inflammation for a few days or a week. Store it in the refrigerator, in a tightly closed container. To prepare it, melt Vaseline (1 tbsp), hold it over steam in a small bowl, and add 6 drops eucalyptus and 2 drops peppermint. You can also use tea tree or thyme oil instead of peppermint. Apply the resulting balm to the mucous membrane and sinuses several times a day.
You can also do steam inhalations using various oil blends: 3 drops of lemon and cinnamon; 1 drop lavender, pine, and thyme; 3 drops eucalyptus, pine, lemon; 3 drops eucalyptus.
You can add the aromatic remedies to hot water (0.5 l) and immediately inhale the steam: cover your head with a large towel, bend over the bowl with the hot liquid and inhale the vapor deeply for up to 5 minutes. Repeat it up to 5 times a day.
A hot bath with some tea tree oil helps both children and adults. It’s best to take a bath in the evening: add 5-6 drops of oil to water, soak in hot water for 15 minutes, and then get under a warm blanket. Use the following mixture for the bath: 3 drops of tea tree, 5 drops of eucalyptus, 2 drops of spruce.
Diffusing essential oils at home or office during seasonal infections and epidemics will stop the multiplication of viruses and significantly reduce your chances to get sick. Add 20 drops of eucalyptus and tea tree to 100 ml alcohol or vodka and spray it in the air every hour.
In a child’s room, you can spray a mixture of eucalyptus, tea tree, myrtle, and spruce oils several times a day and let your child inhale these oils.
Essential oils are much safer than many fancy drugs for sinus infection: they work gently but effectively. They don’t just help you heal faster but also prevent you from getting sick. Of course, before using essential oils you should make sure that you don’t have even the slightest allergy to any of their components. In general, it’s worth remembering that these oils, like many other remedies, are not a cure-all. So if sinusitis doesn’t go away within a week, see a doctor: you might need another kind of treatment.
