Can oregano oil help for Sinus Congestion

Sinuses can be irritating and somehow an embarrassing condition to deal with. It leaves you unable to do anything especially during the early stages of the infection, causing you to feel tired, experiencing some headache on the forehead, and not to forget the post-nasal drip and congestion.

This nightmare of an infection can be treated by taking a few simple steps with oregano oil and you can experience immediate results and regain control of your health in no time. Using oregano oil for sinus infection is natural and a less complicated treatment method of which you can take advantage of from the comfort of your home.

Reading further will help broaden your understanding of sinus infection, what it is all about, what actually causes the infection, the signs and symptoms, and how oregano oil can be used to remedy sinus infection, the pain, and congestion. Also, you will be able to get some simple practices of how you can prevent this irritating infection in the first place.

What you need to know about sinus problems.

The sinuses are known to be small and hollow spaces that drain into the nose. The medical name for sinus conditions is sinusitis (1). They are found in the air chambers in the bone behind our eyebrows, cheek, and jaw. Sinus infection normally occurs when the lining of our sinuses are inflamed (2).

The sinuses can be inflamed after a cold or if they are blocked after a hay fever or other allergies (3). On a normal condition, our sinuses are filled with air, when they are blocked or filled with fluid it can enhance the growth of viruses or germs which can cause infections (4).

Sinus infections can be very irritating and leave you very uncomfortable. You can experience being stuffed up and witness yellow, green, or gray mucus-flow through the nose. Sinus conditions often come with pressure or pain around the eyes, forehead, cheeks, and even the teeth in some cases.

Dealing with acute sinusitis can last for over two weeks. The durability of sinus conditions greatly depends on what type of sinus infection you are suffering from. Sinus infections which are caused by bacteria can last for a period of 10 to even 14 days. However, chronic sinus conditions can last for over 12 weeks. Chronic sinusitis that involves nasal polyps can last for 12 weeks and even more. Allergies or a deviated septum can also cause chronic sinusitis that can also last for 12 weeks and even more (5).

Many individuals who suffer from sinus infections are concerned if antibiotics can help solve their problem, but this can not be the right treatment for you if you are dealing with a sinusitis condition caused by a virus. It is very important to understand the cause of your infection before taking treatment.

Antibiotics can’t cure virus infections but antibiotics can kill bacteria. The majority of sinus infections are caused by viruses and allergies (6), which makes some cases difficult to treat with antibiotics and causing more harm than good as antibiotics are known to kill even the good bacteria in the system.

It is not an easy task to determine if your sinus condition is a viral or bacterial base infection just from the symptoms. The best way to tell what type of sinus infection you are dealing with is by paying close attention to the duration of the symptoms. You will be able to experience improvement with a viral sinus infection after 5 – 7 days.

On the other hand, a bacterial sinus infection will last longer than 7 days (7). It may last even longer than 10 days and your symptoms may start to get better then gets even worst. You may experience severe pain and tenderness around your eyes and down to the nose. Signs of skin infections are likely to show up like redness and rashes that may spread very fast. Also, you may experience a fever above 102 ° F (8).

Another issue many people worry about sinus infections is if the condition is contagious. To tell if a sinus infection is contagious or not we need to, first of all, determine the cause of the infection. If a virus is responsible for sinusitis then it can be viral and spread to other individuals around an infectious person. But if the infection is caused by a bacterial, then it can’t be contagious but will be more intense and last for a longer time period (9).

Over 35 million Americans suffer from sinusitis annually (10) and sinus infections are considered the fifth most common medical diagnosis and motive for the prescription of antibiotics in the US (11).

What causes sinus inflammation

Any condition that may cause swelling in our sinuses or prevent the cilia from moving mucus can cause sinus infections. Such conditions may include a change of temperature or air pressure, allergies, excessive use of decongestant nasal sprays, smoking, swimming diving, and the presence of polyp that may block the sinus passages which may lead to Sinusitis (12).

Sinusitis is common after you must have had a cold. The cold virus infects the lining of the sinuses which causes them to become swollen and narrow. The body’s reaction to this is seen as more mucus is produced which eventually blocks the swollen sinuses. In such a situation, the built-up mucus favors the growth of the virus or bacteria which can cause a sinus infection (12a).

Other common causes can be attributed to hay fever, physical injury to the sinuses, allergy, deviated septum, nasal bone spur, infections due to a dental issue.

The exist five viruses that can cause sinusitis; Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus (13).

Sinus infection signs and symptoms

• Headache
• Pain or pressure in the forehead, nose, cheek and between eyes
• Nasal Congestion
• Fever
• Bad breath which is known as halitosis
• Cough and sometimes worse at night
• Limit sense of smell and taste
• An ache in the teeth (14)
• Earaches
• Fatigue
• A Cold that may get even worse

How does sinusitis Spread?

Sinus infections can spread the same way as one can get cold and flu. We can breathe in the virus and also as we touch things and placing your hands to the mouth. As we go by our daily activities, we might give a handshake with an infected person, we touch handles of doors probably touched by a sick person, and we can also pick the virus when it gets exposed to the air through sneezing (15).

Using oregano oil for sinus infection

Oregano was first used by ancient healers dated thousands of years back for respiratory problems which raises any doubts about the healing oregano can bring. Oregano oil is comprised of healing properties which may include, anti-viral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-fungal, and many more. These characteristics of oregano oil give it the upper hand over infections like sinusitis.

The beneficial characteristics of oregano can be attributes to two active compounds known as carvacrol and thymol found in the oil. These compounds are known to be responsible for all the healing potential of oregano oil.

Oregano oil is even considered the best alternative to pharmaceutical antibiotics. The fact that these chemical-based pharmaceutical antibiotics are known to destroy the good and bad bacteria in our system has made us cause many individuals to pick on organic and natural home treatments like oregano oil.

Major concerns about using oregano oil

Here are some things to consider before using oregano oil;

First, it is important to talk with your doctor for more better advice before using oregano oil in any way.

Oregano oil is not advisable for pregnant and nursing mothers. If you are dealing with diabetes, you should avoid the use of oregano. Oregano can lower blood sugar levels. Also, if you are taking anticoagulants or blood-thinning medications, you should not use oregano as oregano is known to promote the flow of blood in the system. People allergic to plants like mint, marjoram, sage, basil are likely to be allergic to oregano as they all belong to the same plant family (Lamiacaea plant family).

Please read more about the major safety concerns on using oregano oil and their interaction with some medications.

How you can use oregano oil for sinus pain and congestion

The best way to use oregano oil for sinus infection is through diffusing the oil in your living area or steam therapy. You can use a diffuser or vaporizer with 5-6 drops of oregano oil, and with about 500ml of water or the required water level for your diffuser and diffuse the oil in your living area and in your room as you go to bed.

You can also try inhalation steam therapy. You can add 5 drops of oregano in a bowl of boiled hot water and inhale the vapor. You can use a towel over your head to avoid the vapor from escaping. You should try to close your eyes to avoid any irritation to the eyes.

You can also inhale the oil directly from the bottle or add a drop on a handkerchief and inhale.

For an effective treatment, you can take oregano capsules orally. This can help to fight the virus from within and boost your immune system. You can add 2-3 drops of oregano oil mixed with a tablespoon of a carrier oil and take orally. You can fill the mixture in empty gelatin capsules and you will have your own homemade oregano capsules.

You can also add 2-3 drops of oregano oil in a glass of water and drink. If you dislike the taste of oregano, then you should stick with oregano capsules. Oregano oil is not to be used directly for a long period of time. You should use oregano directly for about 14 days max.

Also, you can make some oregano tea to drink and keep warm. You can use a few leaves of oregano in hot water and let it steep for at least ten minutes and drink especially before going to bed.

Some control and prevention practices of sinus infection

• Do not smoke and avoid passive smoking
• Washing of hands regularly with soap and water during cold and flu season. Also, avoid touching the face
• Avoid things you are allergic to
• Avoid direct contacts with a sick individual
• Keep warm during cold periods

Control

• You will need plenty of rest.
• Drink plenty of water and sip hot liquid regularly
• Try lying on the side that lets you breathe easily
• Avoid alcohol
• Stop smoking
• Use humidifier or vaporizer in your living area
• Use moist heat on the face by using a warm wet towel. Or you can breathe in steam through a warm wet towel (16)

Foods to Avoid.

1. Sugar – Sugar can decrease white blood cells which are good in fighting infection
2. Dairy Products – Dairy products are known to support the production of mucus easily.
3. Four and grains – Refined flours can also cause the production of mucus
4. Fruit Juices – Avoid fruit juice with sugar.
5. Salt – Salts can lead to dehydration without proper water intake. this can slow the process of healing (17).

EndNote

Oregano oil can single-handedly fight against sinusitis be it viral or bacterial base. This is due to the fact that oregano oil is both antiviral and anti-bacterial. Oregano oil is also anti-inflammatory which can help with the inflamed sinuses. When using oregano oil, it is very important to make sure the oil you are planning to use is 100% organic and therapeutic grade with carvacrol levels up to 75-82 percent. The wild origanum vulgare is the plant the oregano oil is extracted from and which contains all the far-reaching healing potentials.

Always remember to use carrier oils to dilute your oregano oil as oregano oil is considered a hot oil and can cause serious burns. You can also use oregano capsules for your convenience. Share your experience below so we can all learn from it. Just by sharing you can impact the lives of many other people.