I was able to eliminate my sinus infection using home remedies.  However, I am not a doctor, my website is educational, not diagnostic, and this is not medical advice.

Healing.  That’s what I’ve been chasing for the past 4 years as I’ve struggled through the diagnoses of Hashimoto’s, Lyme disease, adrenal exhaustion, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.  

I don’t want to just treat these issues… I want to heal them.  I’ve been working my way through books and blogs and anything I can get my hands on to try to understand more about the holistic approach to medicine. I desperately want to be better equipped to treat my family!

A couple of weeks ago, I caught the cold that my toddlers had been passing around the house.  It had just been a cold for everyone else, but for me, it laid me out flat for days.  What happened to me?  I used to be able to handle getting sick, but now that my immune system is on the fritz, a cold does me in?

Naturally, my cold progressed into a sinus infection, and I had a decision to make.  I could go down to the clinic and get an antibiotic (which wouldn’t work if it was viral), or I could try to treat it naturally.

After doing some more research, I found that most sinus infections are viral and will actually go away without antibiotics, and since I am trying to rebuild my gut health, antibiotics should not be my first choice.  

Since we previously lived in a moldy environment, I knew that there was a high chance that this sinus infection was either viral or fungal.  That doesn’t make it more pleasant to deal with, it simply tells me that getting an antibiotic would likely have no impact on the symptoms. 

The symptoms were still brutal: negative pressure in my cheekbones and face, throbbing teeth, and horrible headaches.  I’ll be honest, as someone who has given birth naturally, twice; I may actually prefer that to the facial pain that comes with a sinus infection.  There’s just something about the sensitive nerves in your face throbbing with no relief that really does you in.

Treating A Sinus Infection Without Antibiotics

I started with doing a nasal rinse 3-4 times per day.  I use the NeilMed Sinus Rinse kit, and I add a drop of tea tree oil and a drop of rosemary oil to the salt that you put at the bottom of the bottle.  

Always be sure you boil and cool the water first to kill anything that is in the water, or use distilled water.  The tea tree oil is amazing at killing off bacteria.  One drop is it though, otherwise it’ll burn and it doesn’t feel great.  Don’t ask how I know.

Next, I parked myself on the couch next to our diffuser and I set up a combination of thieves, oregano, and tea tree oil in it.  I focused on deep breathing, using my nostrils as much as I could. My goal was to get the essential oils far into my sinuses, and reduce inflammation, which began helping immediately.

As far as supplements go, I used this sinus spray, Sinus Blaster tincture (I got mine from Sprouts), and homemade elderberry syrup (I make them into gummies for the kids). Repeating them throughout the day is what really helped me to stay on top of the pain.  I also alternated this nose spray which really helped with inflammation and pain as well.

I also took extra Vitamin D and Vitamin C, both of which help to boost the immune system functionality. 

Diet-wise, I loaded up on raw garlic, organic raw honey mixed with cinnamon, herbal immune-boosting tea, and homemade bone broth.  Taking in as many liquids as possible is key, because it helps thin the mucous, allowing it to drain easier.  I ate mostly healing soups, to ensure that I was getting the right nutrients and helping to support my body.

The biggest part of the diet is this: do not eat any sugar.  Read that again, and then again.  Sugar suppresses the immune system, which will allow viruses and infections to spread more, cause more problems, and be harder to uproot.

Using this method, I was no longer in pain by day 2, and rapidly began improving from there.  The swelling in my sinuses took probably another week to subside, but with the infection being gone, that was barely bothering me.  

Now, don’t take this the wrong way- I wholeheartedly believe in modern medicine and am not anti-antibiotics.  I think they have a time and a place.  However, I also believe they are seriously overprescribed and should be avoided if there are natural ways of dealing with a problem.  

My goal is to treat the smaller things that often go away on their own (ear infections, sinus infections, anything viral) naturally, and save the antibiotics for things we don’t want to mess with!

Always, always, always trust your gut when it comes to deciding how to treat yourself and your family.  If you’re not sure, see a doctor!

Update Notes:

This post was originally written in February 2016.  It was updated December 2018.

I am not a doctor and this information should not be considered medical advice. You should seek the advice of your own medical professional for your own situation.