Natural Ways to Cope With Stress

Yesterday I spoke about the adrenal glands and the details of the stress response. This is our body’s normal response to a perceived stress. The problem with this system is we are now rarely stressed about survival or bears eating us and stressing more about our job, money, our future and a long list of other things. If we do not have a way to cope with these perceived stressors, it cause our bodies to be in a constant state of stress, keeping the fight or flight system activated and the stress hormones flowing. This can lead to long term emotional, physical and psychological problems. So today, I’d like to offer some coping mechanisms and ways to keep stress at bay via herbs, nutrition and essential oils. It is important to realize, that because stress is a multifaceted issue, affecting many different areas of health, a multifaceted approach to treatment needs to be taken, including options that address physical, emotional and psychological issues.

Tools and Techniques to calm and relax the body

There are so many different techniques that you can use to help you deal with stress. Below are a few options that work well for me, but make sure you find something that works well for you.

• First and foremost, find out what is causing your stress and address it. Is it work? Maybe it is time for a change of careers or at least time to draw lines about work time and home time. Is it family? Make time for you, separating from your family. This can be hard, especially for moms, but how can you help others, including you children, when you are struggling to help yourself. Sometimes there is nothing you can do to make the problem go away but just being conscious about its affects on you can make a difference.
• Relax! This is advice given to most people that are stressed out. Yoga, meditation, tai chi, reading a book or taking a bath can all be helpful.
• Make sure you are getting adequate sleep.
• Positive self talk and affirmations can help you from feeling out of control in the face of stress.
• Find a hobby. Sometimes finding something that you like to do and making time for it can help to balance out the stress of other areas of your life.
• Exercise! Get out side and move. Walk, run, hike, bike, play tennis or flag football doing any of these thing will help calm the body and the mind.
• Laugh loudly and often J

Herbs

There are many different herbs that can help the body deal with stress.

• Nerve Tonics, being high in calcium, magnesium, B vitamins and protein, help to nourish and tone the nervous system. This includes herbs like Oatstraw, skullcap, chamomile, hops and lemon balm.
• Nerve Sedatives help to ease tension and stress by soothing and nourishing the nerves and tissues. They can help to induce sleep and put the mind at ease at the end of a long day. This includes herbs like California poppy, passion flower, catnip, valerian, lemon balm and skullcap.
• Adaptogens help to increase the body’s ability to deal with stress. They will be discussed more at length in tomorrows post. This includes herbs like eleuthero, reishi, ashwaganda, nettles, schizandra and astragalus.

Nutrition

Nutrition is wonderful treatment approach that is, recently, gaining more ground and popularity. It is important to realize that eating certain food puts stress on the body and, whether you realize it or not, you will feel more stressed as a result. Before I realized I had a gluten sensitivity and was still eating wheat, I was stressed all the time! Giving up wheat and gluten really lightened my stress load. Here are some nutritional guidelines you may wish to follow to help keep your body less stressed and therefore you mind clearer:

• Decrease or eliminate your intake of caffeine, alcohol, soda and junk food. You may think that it helps you deal with mental stress, however, it only puts more stress on the body, making thing worse.
• Decrease your intake of refined carbohydrates and processed foods. -Increase your intake of a variety of different fresh fruits and veggies, preferably organic. This will help to provide your body with the necessary vitamins and minerals needed for proper functioning. Again, the less stress we put on the body, the better.
• Make sure you are maintaining proper electrolyte balance. This doesn’t mean to drink one of those sugary sports drinks. Instead, try one of the recipes listed here http://theverbalherbal.blogspot.com/2012/06/rehydrate-with-homemade-electrolyte.html
• Supplement with B vitamins. Vitamin C may also be helpful.  

Essential oils

Essential oils can be extremely effective at helping individuals reduce their stress. They work by, not only, their constituents having a pharmacological effect, but also by smell through the olfactory system’s link to the limbic system, thus affecting our emotion state. There are many different essential oils that can be beneficial for stress:

• Essential oils to induce relaxation include bergamot, chamomile, lavender, sandalwood and ylang ylang.
• Essential oils to relieve tiredness include basil, black pepper, ginger, rosemary, peppermint, pine and thyme.
• Essential oils to lift the spirit, helping with depression and melancholy include bergamot, mandarin, melissa, neroli, rose and jasmine.

Stress is becoming an overwhelming epidemic in our culture. Even though some stress is normal and needed, in my opinion, for healthy functioning, the amount of stress that Americans deal with every day is sickening. Literally, it is causing people to become sick. So today I have provided tools to help combat stress and tomorrow we will talk the effects that stress have on the body if you do not keep it in check.

Sources:

Battaglia, S. (2003). The complete guide to aromatherapy (2nd ed.). Brisbane: International Centre of Holistic Aromatherapy.

Cohen, B. J., Taylor, J. J., & Memmler, R. L. (2009). Memmler's structure and function of the human body (9th ed.). Baltimore, MD: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott William & Wilkins.

Gladstar, R. (2001). Rosemary Gladstar's family herbal: a guide to living life with energy, health, and vitality. North Adams, Mass.: Storey Books.

Hoffmann, D. (2003). Medical herbalism: the science and practice of herbal medicine. Rochester, Vt.: Healing Arts Press.

Wildwood, C. (1996). The encyclopedia of aromatherapy. Rochester, Vt.: Healing Arts Press.

How to Make Savior Salve

Yesterday I spoke to the current state that comfrey is in. It is unfortunate that it cannot be recommended for internal use, but this doesn't mean that we won't make the best of it and external applications can be very effective. Today I want to show you have easy it is to make your own salve. This salve is super effective for cuts, scrapes, bruises, broken bones, torn ligaments, diaper rash and sore muscles. The main recipe was derived from a Rosemary Gladstar recipe; however, I tweaked it a little to fit my own needs. This is what you will need:

• 1/2 oz of comfrey root
• 1/2 oz of comfrey leaf
• 1/2 oz of calendula flowers
• 1/2 oz of St. Johns-wort
• Essential oils of your choosing (optional)
• 1 pint of olive oil
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of grated beeswax

Mix the herbs and the olive oil in an airtight jar and let the mixture steep for about two weeks.

At the end of the two weeks, empty the contents of the jar into a double boiler on the stove and warm the mixture for about an hour. Be sure not to heat the oil to high, you may end up destroying some of the active ingredients.

Strain the mixture.

I use paint strainer bags to strain my infused oils and tinctures because they are reusable. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Once the liquid is strained, place the liquid back on the double boiler on the stove and add the beeswax. Add 1/4 cup of grated beeswax for every 1 cup of infused oil.

Once the beeswax has fully melted, take you salve off of the stove and add the essential oils. I added 10 drops of lavender essential oil and 10 drops of tea tree essential oil for their added anti-microbial and vulnerary properties. Spoon your salve in airtight jars. I like to put it in a lot of little jars to give samples away to friends. 

This is one of my favorite topical applications for all sorts of skin issues and wounds and it is so easy to make. I call it the "Savior Salve" because it is for sure a savior helping with so many problems. I hope you like it as much as I do.



How to make Homemade Lotion

Today, like most other days, I want to show easy it is to make your own health and beauty products. Today I made face and body lotion. As with the few preceding posts, I have tried to stress that anything that you put on your skin will be absorbed into the blood stream and lotion is no exception. I live in a very dry climate so I'm no stranger to using lotion. No matter how much water I drink my skin always seems to need a little extra moisture, but so many lotions contain synthetic ingredients or artificial scents. And the "All Natural" lotions can be pricy. So I decided to make my own lotion. I was a little intimidated at first because I knew that lotion was mixing oil and water. Typically the two don't mix, however, at the right temperature the two solutions will mix, forming the lovely mixture we know as lotion.

The recipe I use is taken from Rosemary Gladstar's book "The Family Herbal." I know that I've said it before, but I will say it again, this book is a must have! For anyone interested in knowing more about herbalism or for the seasoned herbalist looking for some new recipes, this book is a wealth of knowledge and information about herbal living. So the recipe is as follows:

Waters
2/3 cup of distilled water
1/3 cup of aloe vera gel
1 or 2 drops of essential oil
Vitamins A and E as desired

Oils
3/4 cup of apricot, almond or grapeseed oil
1/3 cup of coconut oil or cocoa butter
1/4 teaspoon lanolin
1/2 to 1 ounce of grated beeswax

Mix all the waters into a measuring cup. I feel that the 1 to 2 drops of essential oil that Rosemary called for is far too few. I would use up to 40 drops of essential oil depending on the oils you are using. The essential oils also add healing properties as well as a wonderful aroma. Once the waters are mixed, Set them aside and let them get to room temperature.

Mix all the Oils into a double boiler over low to medium heat.

Heat the oils just enough to melt all the ingredients together. Remove from the heat and place the oils in the blender.

Let the oils sit in the blender until they reach room temperature. When this happens, the mixture will get thick, creamy and turn a beige color. I like to poke the top of the mixture to see what it looks like on the bottom. If there is still some oil that has not solidified you need to let the mixture cool a little longer. Once the solution has reached room temperature put the lid on the blender, removing the small circle on the top of the lid. Turn the blender on its highest speed and slowly start adding the water to the center of the mixing oil. You may need to stop the blender and at times to hand mix the mixture. but resume blending and pouring water until all has been mixed together.

What you will end up with is thick, creamy lotion. When you rub it on your skin it may seem greecy at first, but after a few minutes the oils will absorb into the skin. Place into jars and label. I like to put some into little sample jars to hand out to my friends (they always like to try my latest and greatest). If your lotion doesn't turn out the first time, try again. It is well worth the perseverance.

Sources:

Gladstar, R. (2001). Rosemary Gladstar's family herbal: a guide to living life with energy, health, and vitality. North Adams, Mass.: Storey Books.

Clear face and skin with natural remedies for Acne

Acne is not a fun condition to have. Not only does it have the obvious effect of lesions on the skin, but it can also be detrimental to the self of steam of the individuals that it wreaks havoc on. The western allopathic treatments for acne include awful drugs that are so dangerous to the user that mandatory birth control is issued with the drug because of the birth defects that are associated with taking the drug while pregnant. The topical applications aren’t much better. They are often harsh chemicals and pharmaceuticals that a lot of times don’t make much of an impact. But there is hope with alternative treatments for acne. First, for a little info on the condition.

The Science of Acne
Acne vulgaris occurs when there is an inflammation of sebaceous gland. The canals of these glands become blocked causing blackheads (open comedones), whiteheads (closed comedones) and pustule clusters that are located on the face, neck, back and chest. Blackheads turn black because the contents of the comedo, or the hard plug blocking the pore, is exposed to the air, thus turning it black. Closed comedones are not exposed to the air and therefore do not oxidize.

Demographics
Acne is the most common skin disorder affecting nearly 17 million Americans, most of which are between the ages of 12-25. Severity of the acne depends on the extent of the hormone imbalances, keratinisation, sebum production and bacterial colonization. Androgen imbalances, because of its control over sebacious glands, is said to be linked, in some cases, to the severity of acne.

Natural Alternatives for Acne Treatment
I know that when you have acne it may seem like there are no options and this is something that you are stuck with. But have hope! There are many alternatives including herbs, essential oils, nutrition and supplements, along with a few random tips to help you and your face become free from the mask of acne. But figuring out what works best for you may take some time. Many of the herbs take several months to see a difference and when you don’t find it is helping, keep trying different things until you find what works best for you.

Nutrition
Nutrition is, perhaps, the most important battle to tackle when addressing acne. Here is information regarding nutritional links with acne: 

• High glycemic loads seem to make acne worse so try a diet high in protein, fruits and veggies and low in carbs.
• There has been some links made between food allergies and acne. The most prominent culprits are dairy and wheat but corn and soy may cause problems as well. You may wish to do an elimination diet to determine if you have any food allergies.
• Menstrual related acne has been shown to improve with a high intake of vitamin B6. Some foods high in vitamin B6 include bell peppers, turnip greens, summer squash, shiitake mushrooms, spinach, tuna, beef, chicken and turkey.
• Improving overall digestion and elimination helps to insure that toxins and excess hormones are being removed in via the appropriate pathways and not through our skin. Eat plenty veggies to keep things moving.
• Drink plenty of water!!! Flush the system as much as possible, removing toxins and keeping the body and skin well hydrated.

Essential Oils
Essential oils can be very beneficial to topically helping with acne. The oils can be helpful in decreasing infection, decreasing sebum production, promote skin healing and decreasing scaring, decreasing inflammation and helping soothe the emotional stress and anxiety associated with acne. Helpful oils include geranium, lavender, lemon, lime, neroli, rosemary, rose otto and tea tree. These essential oils can be used in a facial steam or a warm compress.

Supplements
Supplements that you may wish to take include:

• Probiotics: everyone should take them. With the amount of antibiotics our doctors over prescribe, our bodies can use some more defenses.
• Vitamins A and E and other antioxidants: In studies, patients with acne were tested and shown to have lower levels of vitamins A and E.
• Supplementation of zinc has been shown to reduce the number of pustules, papules and closed comedones.

HAA (Herbs Against Acne)
When it comes to herbs, there are many approaches you can take and I feel that hitting on all areas can insure that you are treating the whole picture.

• Stimulate the lymphatic system with cleavers, echinacea and calendula
• Purify and clean the blood with burdock, yellow dock, holy basil and chickweed
• Detoxify the help to stimulate the liver, improving digestion and excretion. It is so important to make sure that you are having more than one bowel movement a day so that toxins and hormones are not sitting in the colon and reabsorbing into the blood stream. Dandelion root, burdock root and nettles are a few that can help
• Antibacterial herbs, including echinacea, goldenseal and garlic, can help to get rid of bacteria that is colonizing on the skin
• Nervines to calm the nerves and address the stress and anxiety associated with this condition especially during adolescence. Lemon balm, scullcap and valerian can all be helpful.
• Topical applications of calendula can help to promote healing

Etc.
Other random tips:

• Keep your face clean. Use a all natural, genital cleanser to make sure the skin is being kept clean
• Use facial cosmetics sparingly. Makeup and lotions can add to the already congested pores making the condition worse
• Do not pick or squeeze black heads. Doing so can further lodge bacteria in the skin making things worse.
• Do not touch the afflicted area unless your hands are very clean. Failure to do so can make the condition worse.
• Keep your stress to a minimal. Stress can exasperate the issue.
• Get at least 15 minutes of direct sunshine a day (without sunscreen). Studies have shown that this can help clear up acne.
• Exercise can be used to relieve stress and to help with a better body image.

Overall, keep the faith that there is a solution out there for your acne. Meeting with a trained herbalist can help you to better pinpoint the cause and better find a solution.

Sources:

Battaglia, S. (2003). The complete guide to aromatherapy (2nd ed.). Brisbane: International Centre of Holistic Aromatherapy.

Green, J. (1991). The male herbal: health care for men & boys. Freedom, Calif.: Crossing Press.

Levy, J. d. (1997). Common herbs for natural health (Rev., expanded ed.). Woodstock, N.Y.: Ash Tree Pub..

Wildwood, C. (1996). The encyclopedia of aromatherapy. Rochester, Vt.: Healing Arts Press.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20666829

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20338665

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17951128

http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/news/thyme-for-a-more-natural-cure-to-acne27032012.htm?type=external

http://www.celiac.com/articles/179/1/Allergy-and-Intolerance-by-Lydia-S-Boeken-MD/Page1.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18422736

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16681594

Homemade Herbal Shampoo

I love making my own health and beauty products. I feel that it adds an extra glow to my features knowing that I can make a quality product, that doesn't negatively effect my health and costs pennies to make. Who says that beauty has to come with a high price tag?

The recipe I am making today is easy to make and can be tailored to your own personal needs, using different base oils, essential oils and herbs. The recipe I use is based off of one out of Rosemary Gladstar’s book “The Family Herbal.” This is my favorite book to suggest to individuals that are just getting started in herbs because it provides a number of herbal recipes for so many different issues. I have tweaked a few thing that I feel make the recipe better for my personal use.

The recipe is as follows:

• 12 ounces of distilled water
• 1 ounce of herbs (combination selected from the list below)
• 3 ounces of liquid castile soap
• ¼ teaspoon oil (type selected from the list below)
• 25 drops of essential oil (type selected from the list below)

Directions:

• Bring the water to a boil and then add the herbs. I suggest using 3 or 4 different herbs at equal parts. Cover the pot and let the herbs simmer for 5-10 minutes. Cool and then strain.
• Mix the other ingredients together and store in a shower safe container. I like to rinse out an empty shampoo container and fill it with my homemade mix. Make sure it is well labeled.
• Shake well before using.

Normal Hair

Herbs: Comfrey, lavender, red clover

Essential Oils: Roman chamomile, geranium, lavender, mandarin, neroli, rose otto, clary sage, rose, ylang ylang

Base Oils: jojoba oil

Dry Hair

Herbs: Calendula, marsh mallow root, nettles, lavender, comfrey root

Essential Oils: Roman chamomile, lavender, rose otto, sandalwood, clary sage, myrrh, peppermint

Base Oils: olive oil

Oily Hair

Herbs: rosemary leaf, witch hazel bark, yarrow leaf and flower, lemongrass

Essential Oils: Basil, patchouli, rosemary, tea tree, bergamot, cedarwood, grapefruit, clary sage, lemon
Base Oils: sweet almond oil

Dark Color Hair

Herbs: Sage, black walnut, comfrey leaf

Essential Oils: Clary sage, rose

Light Color Hair

Herbs: Calendula, chamomile, comfrey

Essential Oils: Chamomile, clary sage, lemon

 

I will give a warning that this shampoo doesn’t foam up as much as normal shampoo. If you feel that you need more suds, add more castile soap to the mix. I like to rotate my homemade blend with a store bought shampoo. I hope your hair likes this shampoo as much as mine does. 

Sources:

Battaglia, S. (2003). The complete guide to aromatherapy (2nd ed.). Brisbane:

International Centre of Holistic Aromatherapy.

Gladstar, R. (2001). Rosemary Gladstar's family herbal: a guide to living life with

energy, health, and vitality. North Adams, Mass.: Storey Books.

Wildwood, C. (1996). The encyclopedia of aromatherapy. Rochester, Vt.: Healing Arts

Press.

All Natural Homemade Hand Sanitizer

Nowadays everyone is worried about germs and how to protect yourself from all the dirt and grime in the world. Hand sanitizers have become extremely popular among our germaphobic culture, but most hand sanitizers on the market are not all that effective and some of them are even dangerous. Today I’d like to provide you some information on why not to use the mainstream hand sanitizers and what alternatives we have.

When it comes to commercial hand sanitizers you have two options: chemical based or alcohol based. Sanitizers that have a chemical based active ingredient are dangerous to the user. In April of 2011 the FDA started cracking down on companies that claimed that hand sanitizers prevent infections from bacteria and viruses. Not only were they making false claims, but triclosan, an ingredient in many “antibacterial” products, is proving to be more harmful than helpful. Triclosan, and other "antibacterial" chemicals, are readily absorbed through the skin and into the blood stream disrupting the body’s endocrine system and helping create antibiotic resistant superbugs.

If your hand sanitizer doesn’t contain nasty chemicals then the active ingredient is alcohol. If the percentage of alcohol is greater than 60% then the sanitizer will reduce the number of germs on the skin but will not kill them. The downfall is that it stops working after about two minutes when the alcohol has evaporated. If there is visible dirt and grime on the hands then there is little chance that the sanitizer will be effective.

So my goal is to provide an easy to make product that is safe and effective (for more than 2 minutes). Even many of the homemade hand sanitizers use alcohol as their main active ingredient. I wanted to focus the antimicrobial activity of my homemade hand sanitizer on essential oils (EO’s). Essential oils are lipid soluble allowing them to dissolve the cell walls of bacteria, where most of the energy metabolism takes place. They can also stay active for 60-90 minutes after they are applied. This recipe is also well rounded in its ability to fight bacteria (lavender, tea tree, rosemary and lemongrass), viruses (eucalyptus and tea tree) and fungi (lavender and tea tree). Lavender, tea tree and rosemary also activate the immune system by increasing the activity of white blood cells. Witch hazel extract also has some antiseptic and antimicrobial properties as well. The recipe is as follows:

¼ cup of lotion or aloe vera gel

1 Tbs Witch hazel extract

10 drops of tea tree essential oil

10 drops of lavender essential oil

8 drops of rosemary essential oil

8 drops of lemongrass essential oil

5 drops of eucalyptus essential oil

Mix all ingredient together and place in a glass gar with a pump. For a more traditional feel to the hand sanitizer use the aloe vera gel. If you prefer to have a more moisturizing feel, use the lotion.

Do not use on serious burns, cuts or wounds and avoid using if nursing or pregnant and on very small children. It may cause minor skin irritation. Don’t forget that nothing beats the germ fighting ability of soap and water but when you are unable to wash your hands, use this all natural, homemade hand sanitizer.


Sources:

Battaglia, S. (2003). The complete guide to aromatherapy (2nd ed.). Brisbane:

International Centre of Holistic Aromatherapy.

Wildwood, C. (1996). The encyclopedia of aromatherapy. Rochester, Vt.: Healing Arts Press.

http://www.brighterdayfoods.com/PDFDocs/j/JRMU0UJ26H3H8PDWUGS7PDXMLJSS1JW4.PDF

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/21/health/21cons.html

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/witch_hazel_extract.php

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/hand-sanitizer-minutes-effective-killing-germs-long-term-research-article-1.190969

http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm251816.htm

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/07/AR2010040704621.html

Daily Herb-o-Scope - Unstuff with natural remedies for Chronic Sinusitis

The sinuses are air filled spaces in the face for the sound from the voice to resonate. There is not adequate drainage from the sinuses to the nasal cavity so they can become blocked easily trapping infection. When these cavities become inflamed and infected they can cause headaches, ear aches, post nasal drip, congestion, pain, pressure, face tenderness and a loss of smell. Sinusitis can be caused by stress, allergies, food allergies, structural issues (polyps or deviated septum), environmental issues (smoke, dust, air pollution, animal dander, etc.) or microbs (bacteria, virus or fungi). Long term, sinusitis can cause changes in the epithelial lining of the sinus cavity causing the growth of polyps which block the flow of mucus creating a breading ground for bacteria, thus perpetuating the problem.

When sinusitis becomes chronic, lasting more than 12 weeks or when it is reoccurring, happening more than 4 times a year, it can take a toll of the health of the entire body and on the mental health of the individual. So here I have provided some natural remedies to combat chronic sinusitis. 

Herbs can be a great way to help alleviate the symptoms as well as help to balance out the body for long term relief. Helpful cooling herbs for sinus infections of a hot nature (yellow or green nasal discharge) include:

• Elder berries (Sambucus nigra): dispels wind-heat, resolves mucus damp, promotes detoxification, softens deposits and reduces inflammation.
• Echinacea root (Echinacea angustifolia, E. purpurea, E. pallida): reduces infection and inflammation, stimulates immunity, reduces allergies, dispels wind-heat, promotes tissue repair, and relieves pain and swelling.
• Andrographis (Andrographis paniculata): anti-infective, immunostimulant, and anti-inflammatory.

Helpful warming herbs for sinus issues of a cold nature (white or clear nasal discharge) include:

• Angelica root (Angelica archangelica): dispels wind -cold and wind-damp in the head, stimulates immunity and reduces infective.
• Cocklebur (Xanthium sibiricum): mucostatic, decongestant, anti-inflammatory, anti-infective and dispels damp-cold in the head  (The fruit of this herb looks like little drill bits to help drill out sinus congestion).
• Magnolia bud (Magnolia liliflora): nasal/mucosal restorative, decongestant, anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, immune regulator and dispels damp-cold in the head.
• Horseradish (Cochlearia armoracia): opens the sinuses, reduces infection and promotes tissue repair.

          Other helpful herbs include:

• Adaptogen herbs to help strengthen the body and strengthen any deficiencies that may be causing reoccurring issues. Such herbs include American Ginseng, Ashwaganda, Astragalus, Reshi mushrooms, Schisandra Eleuthero and Suma.
• Chinese formulas Bi Yan Pian and Pe Min Kan Wan may also be helpful, but check the indications to match you symptoms with the correct remedy.   

     While an infection is taking place, I find steam baths to be very effective. They help to promote drainage and decrease congestion. I take a pot of boiling water off the stove and set it on a chair or on the floor. Then I take a towel and create a tent over my head. Make sure you are careful not to burn yourself and have tissues ready because the drainage is pretty much immediate. Adding essential oils can multiply the benefits. Eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, pine, tea tree and thyme are a few of the essential oils that might help. If you decide to use them you only need to add a few drops to the pot of water after you take it off the stove. I also think the neti pot is very helpful.

     Personally, I feel that food allergies are a huge cause of many chronic and reoccurring sinus issues. There are certain foods that you may wish to avoid, either during an infection or long term. Dairy and wheat are foods that can increase mucus production and these are also foods that people tend to have food allergies to. Synthetic food coloring, preservatives, corn and sugar are also common allergens and can suppress your immune system. You may want to try eliminating these foods and then one by one add them back into your diet. This is a great way to see which foods you have issues with.

     Overall there are many things that you can do to help alleviate the symptoms of chronic sinusitis; however, if this is an ongoing issue you may want to consult an herbalist to help identify the root of your sinus issues.

References   

Battaglia, S. (2003). The complete guide to aromatherapy (2nd ed.). Brisbane: International Centre of Holistic Aromatherapy.


Chester, A. (1996). Chronic Sinusitis. American Family Physician, 53 (3), 877-997.


Hoffmann, D. (2003). Medical herbalism: the science and practice of herbal medicine. Rochester, Vt.: Healing Arts Press.


Holmes, P. (1996). Jade remedies a Chinese herbal reference for the West. Boulder (Colo.): Snow Lotus Press.


Holmes, P. (2007). The energetics of Western herbs: a materia medica integrating Western and Chinese herbal therapeutics (Rev & enl. 4th ed.). Cotati, Calif.: Snow Lotus Press.


Levy, J. d. (1997). Common herbs for natural health (Rev., expanded ed.). Woodstock, N.Y.: Ash Tree Pub..


Tierra, M., & Frawley, D. (1988). Planetary herbology: an integration of Western herbs into the traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic systems. Twin Lakes, Wis.: Lotus Press.


Tierra, M. (1998). The way of Chinese herbs. New York: Pocket Books.