11 Ways How To Use Garlic For Sinus Infection Symptoms Relief

Updated: 11/11/2019

It is estimated that approximately about 35 million Americans suffer from sinusitis or a sinus infection annually ^[1].

Sinus infection is a swelling, inflammation of the tissue that lines the sinuses, resulting in an infection. Sometimes, it causes pain and mucus build-up. Once you suffer from a sinus infection, you will know how unpleasant it could be. It is even worse than a stuffy nose. According to estimation, sinusitis is the 5^th most common medical diagnosis that antibiotics are prescribed for in the United States ^[2].

Whilst antibiotics for a sinus infection are a common conventional treatment, most sinus infections are the result of viruses or colds. Thus, they will become better when your nasal congestion improves ^[3]. Fortunately, there are many natural ways to handle a sinus infection, such as the foods you add and don’t add to your diet, essential oils, saline nasal sprays, and natural ingredients around home.

This article will focus on using garlic for sinus infection relief. However, before that, you need to gather some basics about sinus infection and garlic’s benefits and uses. Check out on TrueRemedies.com!

 What Is A Sinus Infection?

Medically known as rhinosinusitis, a sinus infecrion happens when the nasal cavities become swollen, infected and inflamed.

Healthy sinuses are filled with air, yet when they turn into blocked and filled with fluid, the germs will develop and lead to an infection. Some conditions causing sinus blockage are the common cold, small growths in the nose lining named nasal polyps, allergic rhinitis, and a deviated septum.

There are some types of sinusitis:

• Acute sinusitis often starts with symptoms similar to that of the cold, including stuffy, runny nose and facial pain. Acute case of a sinus infection often starts suddenly and lasts from 4 to 12 weeks.
• Subacute sinus inflammation often lasts from 4 to 12 weeks.
• Chronic sinusitis comes with the chronic inflammation symptom, lasting from 12 weeks to longer.
• Recurrent cases of sinusitis occur a few times per year.

Is a sinus infection contagious? It may depend on the cause in the first place. In case a virus causes your sinusitis, then you may spread that virus. It means that the individual catching your virus (sickness) will likely get a cold, possibly turning into a sinus infection or still staying a cold ^[4].
However, if you have a sinus infection which is virus based, then you may have a few contagious days prior to actually getting sinus infection. Because bacteria also cause sinusitis, your infection could not be spread to others. Nonetheless, a bacterial sinus infection is more intense and lasts rather longer than a viral type.

What Are Signs And Symptoms Of A Sinus Infection?

A number of sinus infection symptoms are common to different types of sinusitis. The common symptoms are:

• Yellow, thick, foul-smelling nose discharge
• Congestion
• Blockage in the nose
• Postnasal drip
• Pain or sinus pressure around the face and eyes
• A cold which does not disappear or gets worse
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Cough
• Earaches

Importantly, it is worth noting that these symptoms could happen with the common cold. When these symptoms keep happening for more than 10 days, you probably get a sinus infection. Those people having two or more symptoms above, or have green or yellow, thick nasal discharge, then it might be acute sinusitis ^[5].

People with chronic sinusitis keep having these symptoms for about more than 12 weeks or experience:

• Pus in nasal cavity
• Fullness or congestion in the face
• Bath breath
• Tiredness
• Tooth pain

What Causes Sinus Infection?

It is said that any health issue blocking off the discharge channels of your sinuses could result in a sinus infection, including respiratory infections, hay fever, and exposure to allergens like dry air and pollutants, non-allergic rhinitis, obstructions in the sinus or nasal cavities, air pressure changes, infections caused by dental issues, physical injury to sinuses, viruses, bacteria, and fungi.

The most common bacteria causing a sinus infection are Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus.

What Are Risk Factors?

Some risk factors of a sinus infection are:

• Asthma
• Frequent diving or swimming
• Nasal decongestant overuse
• Nasal polyps
• Exposure to cigarette smoke or air pollution
• Dental infection
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Pregnancy

How Does Garlic Work For Sinus Infection?

Considered as one of the best antibiotics in the nature, garlic is really a great solution for a sinus infection. Because colds usually result in a sinus infection, using garlic will not only naturally treat a sinus infection, but also prevent it at the beginning.

It was shown that people who took either a placebo or garlic supplements for 12 weeks during the cold season from November to February were less likely to suffer from a cold. In case they got a cold, they seemed to recover faster than a placebo group. For those in placebo group (did not take garlic), they had a greater risk of contracting more than one cold over the period of 12-week treatment.

In addition, garlic also has the ability to prevent the common cold virus thanks to its biologically active component named allicin.

To understand more clearly about how garlic helps in treating sinus infections, we now give some specific reasons behind its benefits:

• Garlic has potent anti-viral, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, helping fight off bacterial infection that causes the problem. Not to mention allicin, scordinin is another component responsible for such beneficial properties of garlic.
• Garlic also has expectorant and decongestant properties that unclog sinus cavities while providing you with a relief from the congestion and pressure.
• Other components like vitamin C, selenium, some enzymes, sulphur, etc. also improve the immunity to combat infections causing bacteria ^[6].
• Its anti-inflammatory effects can also help relieve you from pain and swelling associated with a sinus infection.

How To Use Garlic For Sinus Infection Relief?

To make use of garlic for general health improvement for adults, the WHO recommends taking 2-5 grams (approximately a clove) of fresh garlic, 2-5 mg of garlic oil, 0.4-0.12 grams of dried garlic powder and 300-1000 mg of garlic extract, or other forms of garlic’s extraction that are similar to 2-5 mg of allicin ^[7] [8].

Also, there are some other ways to use garlic for sinus infection, which will be described below:

1. Garlic Steam

This method can provide a relief from the infection along with other discomforts accompanied by sinus infection. Steaming allows garlic’s benefits to teach sinus cavities.

• Add 3-5 crushed garlic cloves into boiling water
• Let it simmer for several minutes before turning off the heat
• Cover your head using a bedsheet or a towel, lean towards the hot water
• Inhale the steam and exhale.
• Do it for a few minutes before removing the towel and relaxing
• Repeat this routine twice per day for better results

Note:

• Avoid getting too close to hot water to avoid burns.
• Do this method before hitting the hay to have good sleep.

2. Garlic And Turmeric

Because of antibacterial and antiseptic properties of turmeric, this amazing spice gives a relief from discomforts of sinus infections.

In reality, while there is a lack of research on the ability of turmeric for sinus infection treatment, this does not stop people around the world from making use of turmeric for sinus infection. The curcumin, an active ingredient in turmeric, can heal sinus cavities and clear the airways. Because sinus infections are resulted from nasal inflammation, turmeric with its anti-inflammatory effects when combined with garlic is really one of the most worth-trying ways to use garlic for sinus infection:

• Place a pan on low heat
• Boil up 1 cup of water in that pan over medium heat
• Add 2-4 garlic cloves into the boiling water
• Let it boil for another 2-3 minutes
• Add ½ tablespoon of turmeric powder into, stir well
• After removing it from the heat, pour the solution into a cup
• Drink this juice regularly to get a relief

If you find turmeric rot at a local health store, buy it. Then, do the steps below:

• Mix 2.2” pieces of turmeric root with 1 tablespoon of raw honey, the juice of a fresh lemon, cayenne pepper and water to create a smoothie
• Add banana for taste (optional)
• Have this smoothie for several days to get good results

Many people notice a complete relief within 3 days if they have gotten a sinus infection for weeks.

3. Garlic And Tomato Juice

Tomato is high in vitamin A and possesses anti-inflammatory properties. So, it can repair the mucus membranes in sinus cavities.

How to combine tomato juice with garlic for sinus infection relief:

• Add 1 cup of tomato juice to a saucepan
• Boil it for several minutes
• Add 1 tablespoon each of minced garlic and lemon juice into, followed by ½ teaspoon of hot sauce and a pinch of celery salt
• After stirring well, allow it to simmer for a couple of minutes
• Remove the heat and pour that solution into a glass
• Have this juice twice per day to clear the problem

4. Garlic And Honey

Honey has decongestant and antimicrobial properties, ensuring a relief from sinus infection symptoms, including nose congestion.

• Blend 3-5 garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle
• After mixing well, add 1-2 tablespoons into
• Have this mixture before having meals
• Repeat this routine regularly

You can also mix olive oil with these two ingredients to get extra benefits for sinus infection relief.

5. Garlic Inhaler

This method acts as a natural decongestant for unclogging sinus cavities and thinning down mucus membranes. Therefore, it helps you breath easily.

• In ½ cup of water, add 4-6 garlic cloves
• Soak it there for 7-10 minutes, strain it
• Crush garlic cloves into a good paste
• Place the paste close to your nose, breathe in deeply and exhale
• Repeat this routine a few times per day

6. Garlic, Sea Salt And Olive Oil

To prevent the infection from spreading and alleviate postnasal drip, you can mix sea salt, olive oil and garlic for sinus infection removal.

• Crush 2 peeled garlic cloves into a good paste
• Add a pinch of sea salt and several drops of olive oil into
• Mix well, have it regularly to improve the healing process

7. Garlic Tea

Garlic when infused in water will relieve stuffy nose, headache and other symptoms of sinus infection.

• Take a few peeled garlic cloves to mince
• Add 2 quarters of water into and mix well
• Boil up and let it simmer for one hour
• Strain it into a glass
• Then, add a pinch of salt before stirring well
• Sip this solution before meals
• Repeat this routine regularly to treat and prevent sinus infection

8. Garlic Oil

Garlic oil also possesses the benefits of garlic in normal form. You can make use the oil of garlic for sinus infection relief at home.

• Add 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil plus with 2-3 tablespoons of minced garlic in a saucepan
• After that, place it on stove over medium heat
• Allow it to simmer for several minutes before removing the heat
• After the oil cools down, strain and store it in an airtight container
• Apply it over your forehead, around the nose, chest, and neck
• Repeat regularly to clear blocked sinus cavities

9. Garlic Rinse

In regard to using garlic for sinus infection treatment, you can make use of this spice in the form of rinse to help reduce inflammation, thin down mucus membranes and clear the congestion ^[9].

• Take a garlic clove to extract its juice before adding to a cup of boiling water
• Add a small pinch of salt, leave it aside till it becomes tepid
• Pour the water into a neti pot
• Pour the solution into your nostril while tilting your head
• Allow it to go over another nostril
• Reapply this method whenever you wan

10. Garlic And Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has a wide range of nutrients, including vitamin A, B1, B2 E, calcium and magnesium. These nutrients can clear sinus cavities and cure allergy symptoms effectively.

Furthermore, apple cider vinegar also thins mucus membranes almost instantly. After drinking apple cider vinegar, the first thing you notice is that your mucus’ color goes from thick to thin, from white or green to clear. This is a key to kick off a sinus infection.

To take advantage of apple cider vinegar and garlic for sinus infection relief, you should:

• Boil 2 cups of water
• Turn off the heat and add 4 crushed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of ACV into
• After mixing well, inhale the steam
• Repeat this procedure regularly

11. Garlic Dip

If you are a fan of dip recipes, then this is what you can try to relieve sinus infection by using garlic.

• Take a few garlic cloves to mince and add it to the mashed avocado pulp
• After mixing well, have it with garlic bread
• Enjoy this remedy when you need

How To Use Garlic For Sinus Infection In Children

Not only adults, but children are also probably the victims of sinus infection, in spite of lower risks. Some symptoms of sinus infection in children are headache, trouble breathing, pain around eyes, cold and cough. When not treated, it could lead to a number of health issues.

Thus, to treat sinus infection in children, you can add it to their diet. Or, you can also use the method below:

• Add a crushed garlic clove, several drops of each of eucalyptus oil and tea tree oil into a bowl of hot water
• After stirring well, let your children inhale that steam
• Do it for several minutes, then relax
• Repeat this routine regularly, particularly before hitting the hay to have good sleep

Note:

• Avoid letting your children get to close to the hot water to prevent any possible burns or discomforts.
• Do not put pressure whilst inhaling because it may lead to damage to nasal passages.

Precautions On How To Use Garlic For Sinus Infection

• You need to consult your doctor before using garlic for sinus infection in children to prevent any discomforts.
• Add garlic to your daily diet to boost mucus flow in the nasal passage, thereby giving a relief from sinusitis.
• Those people allergic to garlic should not use this spice, try another ingredient such as apple cider vinegar.
• Do not consume too much garlic to avoid side effects, such as bad breath, burning sensation, skin rash, allergies, breathing issues, intestinal or stomach problems, and so on.
• Do not take caffeinated drink to avoid dehydration, which is one of factor triggering sinus infections.
• Consult your doctor before using garlic for sinus infection if you are using blood thinning medications or any other type of drugs.
• Avoid dairy products to not worsen mucus secretion.
• Drink lots of water as well as herbal teas to thin down mucus consistency
• Relax properly to get faster recovery.

After reading this article, hope that you have gotten some necessary information to handle sinus infections by using garlic. If you have any concerns about this topic, the write to us in the comment box below. We appreciate your contribution and will reply as soon as possible.

Also, do not forget to share your experiences of using garlic for sinus infection because it can help other people with sinusitis.

For further information about health and beauty tips, do not hesitate to visit our DIY Recipes category.

• Nose
• Respiratory