Sinus health
Try using a saltwater (saline) solution for your sinus health. To make the solution, mix ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of baking soda in 1 cup of distilled water (at room temperature). If you use tap water, boil it first to sterilize it, and then let it cool until it is lukewarm. You may also purchase a saline solution at your pharmacy. Gently squirt the solution into your nose. Aim the water toward the back, not the top, of your head. The water will run through the nasal passages and into the back of your throat. Spit it out through your mouth. It will not hurt you if you swallow some of the water. To squirt the solution, you can:
- Use an all-rubber ear syringe, which you can buy at a drug store
- Use a medical syringe without the needle
- Use a Waterpik, set on low
- Pour solution into your hand and "snuff" it up through your nose, one nostril at a time
When a saline rinse doesn’t do the trick, try a warm ginger compress. Steep 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root in 1 pint boiled water for 15 minutes. Strain. Dip a washcloth into the warm tea and apply to your cheeks and forehead. As the cloth begins to cool, remoisten it. Re-warm the tea if necessary. Repeat until your skin feels tingly and warm.
The active constituents in Osha and Grindelia thin mucus whether it’s thick and ropy, or dried-out and sticky. These herbs stimulate hair-like cells in lung and bronchial linings that keep mucus streaming in the right direction—up and out. Mucus quality and flow are improved, respiratory passages are opened, and mucous membranes function better.
