Natural remedies for sinus infections
You know that feeling of an oncoming sinus infection? The pressure starts on a subtle level and you know what’s coming (but you beg it to not)? Sinus infections suck and after helping my boyfriend and clients overcome them on a chronic level, I want to share what I’ve learned with you. In this blog, I’ll discuss natural remedies for sinus infections.
First, let’s talk big picture.
CHRONIC SINUS INFECTIONS
I’ll cover acute infections below but first, if you’re getting chronic infections, make sure you assess what else could be going on with your immune system. In this corner of the internet, we are big on digging into root causes. The point of this article is not to just give quick fix advice but to guide you to root causes and then, provide solutions for when you catch some bug and you wanna prevent it from becoming a killer sinus infection.
If you’re battling regular sinus infections, consider an assessment with a functional medicine lens to look into why. Things to consider:
Gut health (especially if getting frequent antibioitcs for these)
You can read more about taking care of your gut here and here.
Poor food foundation (aka shitty diet)
High stress or poor sleep
Possible food sensitivities
Hidden tooth infection or poor oral microbiota
Stealth infection
Mold
MARCoNS (Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Coagulase Negative Staphylococci). MARCoNS is an antibiotic resistant staph that resides deep in the nasal passage. It's not an infection but a commensal colonization that can become an infection. These bacteria can create systemic inflammation because they send endotoxins to the bloodstream. MARCoNS is found in many people with biotoxin illnesses but less so in those with healthy immune systems.
Ok, let’s say you’ve ruled out those things or you’re currently working on them but you still want to build a toolkit to have on hand in case a sinus infections starts to creep in. I get it. We have these things in our cabinet too. Nobody has time for feeling like their head is gonna explode.
ACUTE SINUS INFECTION
Before I outline the process. Let’s talk science.
The science behind the process:
Iodine: Iodine kills all classes of pathogens on contact: viruses, bacteria, fungi, yeasts and protozoa. Remember the orange liquid rubbed on a patient pre-surgery in all the movies? That’s iodine. It’s said to kill pathogens within 30 seconds of contact. Not even MRSA is resistant to iodine (1).
Colloidal Silver: SIlver has been demonstrated to eradicate bacteria (even MARCoNS) (2-4). Hydrosol silver has been used orally, nasally and intravenously to treat a wide variety of infections. Hydrosol silver by itself can be effective as an antibiotic and an antifungal, and research shows that it is synergistic with those agents as well, making them more effective.
Biocidin: Biocidin is a biofilm disruptor. Ya know when you wake in the morning and have a thin layer of sticky stuff on your teeth? That’s biofilm and they’re not just on your teeth. Pathogens can hide in biofilms which makes it harder to them(5). Biocidin is known to bust through that biofilm layer so the infection can be targeted (6).
XClear: Xylitol has demonstrated some antibacterial properties and there are many, many case study stories with the product XClear, which includes xylitol (7). Xylitol is a sugar alcohol. It naturally occurs in many fruits and veggies and has a sweet taste. In this case, we’re not using it for sweetness but rather for antibacterial properties.
Neti pot or nasal clearing device: To flush the fluids up into the nasal cavity.
Now that we’ve covered the why, here’s the what and how.
NASAL RINSE PROCESS
If you feel an infection coming on, you'll want to do a rinse or spray multiple times/day. Best results seen when done at least twice per day & up to every hour. The silver and iodine need to be in direct contact with an infection to kill it.
What you’ll need:
Silvercillin by Designs for Health (found on Fullscript portal)
Lugols Iodine 2 (one bottle lasts a long time)
Biocidin liquid drops by Bio-Botanical Research (found on Fullscript portal)
Option 1:
Best for present or chronic sinus infections:
Includes: Silvercillin + Iodine + Biocidin + neti pot
Choose your neti pot. While a basic neti pot will do, if you have chronic infections, mold or MARCons, consider a more powerful nasal clearing device like this one. The suction function really does make a difference.
Fill ¼ of the container you use with Silvercillin by Designs for health (or colloidal silver product)
Fill the rest of the container with water
Add 1-2 drops of Lugols Iodine 2 (careful, too much will burn). One bottle lasts a long time!
Add 10-12 drops Biocidin Liquid drops by Bio-Botanical Research
Heads up, I’ve had clients see black stuff and biofilms come out with this protocol. Especially when the suction neti pot is used. Gross, but also very satisfying if you’ve been dealing with sinus issues for awhile!
Option 2:
Best for prevention or use between neti pot sessions. It's also a more convenient route.
Includes: Xclear + Silvercillin + Biocidin + spray bottles
1:1 ratio of Silvercillin by Designs for health plus Xlear in a nasal spray bottle
Add 10-12 drops of Biocidin Liquid to container
Use at least twice during the course of the day. You can also do this between full neti pot sessions
Remember, you if you feel like you’re getting sick, your immune system is working for you so give it some love with rest, nutrients & fluids!
Disclaimer: Please consult your doctor if a sinus infection is ongoing. This blog is not considered medical advice and does not create a client-provider relationship.
FAQ:
What about iodine and thyroid? I’m not talking about oral intake here so no concerns.
Where can you find these things? Many are linked. The silvercillin and Biocidin can be found on this portal: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/nutritionbyrobyn It’s free to create an account and you’ll receive 10% off each order. I receive a small percentage but anything I recommend is based on experience & effectiveness (not dollars).
Resources used to help develop this protocol:
Nathan, Neil. Toxic: Heal Your Body from Mold Toxicity, Lyme Disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, and Chronic Environmental Illness (p. 77). Victory Belt Publishing. Kindle Edition.
Myhill, Sarah. The Infection Game: life is an arms race . Hammersmith Books Limited. Kindle Edition.
Client experience & case studies
References:
(not yet published) Gilbert, L. (2016). Preliminary Report on Activity of Biocidin against Borrelia Species (Rep.). University of Jyväskylä Dept. of Biological and Environmental Science.