Sinusitis: Cure & care by Ayurveda

Sinusitis is an upper respiratory tract disorder. Some of the bones of nose and face have empty spaces, called sinuses. The inner lining of these sinuses are lined with soft mucus membrane. Due to different causes, the mucus membrane swells and this leads to accumulation of mucus or phlegm in these sinus cavities. In due course, bacteria develop in these sinuses leading to sinusitis.

Some causes of sinusitis include increased intake of dry, oily, spicy, or too hot or too cold foods, and foods that are indigestible and incompatible foods causes swelling and irritation of the tissues of the sinuses. Other factors responsible for this condition are suppressing natural urges of tears and vomiting, exposure to cold or dusty and dry weather, staying awake till late in the night, and sleeping in the daytime.

Some Symptoms of sinusitis are:

• Running nose with thick, yellow or greenish discharge from the nose or down the back of the throat
• Nasal obstruction or congestion, causing difficulty breathing through your nose.
• Pain, tenderness and swelling around your eyes, cheeks, nose or forehead.
• Aching in your upper jaw, teeth and sore throat.
• Severe head ache, ear pain, facial pain.
• Low grade fever, lack of appetite, and fatigue.

Ayurvedic treatment of sinusitis involves liquefying and expelling aggravated body energies with the use of certain Ayurvedic herbs and diet as well as nasal therapies and applications. The Panchakarma treatment of Nasya is quite effective in dealing with sinusitis.

• Shad Bindu Tailam or Anu tailam: This nasal drops will reduce nose congestion. These oils initially may provoke bouts of sneezing and running of water from the nose. If properly inhaled, these oils remove the blockage of the path from the sinuses of the nasal cavity(hollow space).

• Jeevandhara ( Mixture of Camphor, Menthol, etc.): Few drops of of jeevandhara along with nasal inhalation of steam and should be inhaled twice daily will reduce congestion.

• Maha Laxmi Vilas Ras (SIRO) or Lakshmi Vilas Ras (Nardia): Symptoms like headache, pain in forehead, nasal allergy are treated with the above medicine. These will build up the immunity if used for a long period.

A few other lifestyle treatments include practicing Yoga as well as practices like Sutraneti (Nasal Cleansing with Thread), Jalaneti (Nasal Cleansing with Water, Kapalabhati (Frontal Brain Cleansing Exercise), Bhastrika Pranayama, and Anulom Vilom Pranayama. It is important to note that all Ayurvedic medicines and treatments should be taken under the supervision of a qualified Ayurvedic Doctor/Physician.

Itoozhi Ayurveda, one of the leading Ayurvedic Hospitals in Kerala, offers effective cure for Sinusitis and related ailments.