Is a Sinus Infection Contagious? The Best Natural Remedies You Need

Symptoms like a runny nose, tenderness under your eyes, headache, and around your nose may make you think you are suffering from a cold or a sinus infection. It is imperative to know the difference between both. Colds can become a sinus infection as both of them are caused due to a virus. But there are several times when bacteria may cause a sinus infection. 

So, what is a sinus infection?

A sinus infection happens when the air-filled pockets in your face, called sinuses to get filled up with fluid, also inflaming the sinus lining and keeping them from draining. The trapped music may let bacteria grow, which leads to infection. Factors that may increase the risk of sinus infection include:

• Smoking 

• Allergies

• Recent cold 

• Structural problems with sinuses

Some of the signs of sinus infection include having a runny nose, headaches, facial pain, fever, cough, sore through and swelling around your eyes. If you have thought if the sinus infection is contagious, you should know that as many times a sinus infection is caused by viruses, it may be spreadable precisely like all other infections such as colds.

If you have caught a sinus infection, it is crucial to use the best hygiene skills. Always wash your hands, cough, and sneeze in the nook of your elbow and make sure you are using disinfectant wipes to clean up daily touched items such as doorknobs and switches. 

Natural remedies for sinus infection:

1. Drink a lot of water:

To help remove all of the viruses from your systems, you should make sure that you are perfectly hydrated. It would help if you were drinking around 8 ounces of water. It will keep you well hydrated, and you will fight off many illnesses, including sinuses. 

2. Eat foods having antibacterial properties:

To fight off the virus, you can add antibacterial foods such as ginger, garlic, and onions into your meal. You can also try having a cup of ginger tea. Add up raw honey for having an extra boost. Honey is jam-packed with antioxidants and has antifungal and antibacterial properties.

Consuming antibacterial nutrients will significantly help you soothe your illnesses and metabolism improvement. 

3. Add more moisture:

Keeping sinuses hydrated may help in relieving the pressure built. To get some moisture in, you can try the following tips:

1. At night, sleep with a switched-on humidifier in your room to help to relieve nighttime and get nasal blockages away. 

2. In the day and when you are about to go to bed, you should use your natural saline nasal sprays. These may be obtained from any local drugstore and sued many times a day to help break up the congestion. It would help if you also avoided any spray that has oxymetazoline in it, as you may become dependent on this spray. 

3. Get your sinuses exposed to some steam. You should take hot showers regularly and breathe in damp air too. You can fill up some bowl with boiling water and lean on it for 10 minutes. Cover both the bowl and your head with a thicker towel. Keep your nose about 10 inches above the water. 

4. Clear sinuses using oils:

In some home remedies for sinus infections, you can try healthy oils for it. Eucalyptus oil may help open up the sinuses and eliminate any mucus. A study has found that the primary ingredient in eucalyptus oil, cineole, helped many people with acute sinusitis recover a lot faster.

To alleviate sinus or upper respiratory infections, you can use eucalyptus oil externally over the temples or your chest or inhale using a diffuser when these oils are added to boiling water. You should make sure that you are only using food-grade essential oils. Rubbing one drip of every oil on the roof of your mouth and then drinking a glass of water is the best. 

5. Use a neti pot:

A sinus treatment that is very easy to do is nasal irrigation is the process mostly sued to remove or erase the signs of sinusitis. Research shows that using a neti pot with the saline solution rids some symptoms of chronic sinusitis. You can follow the given directions for using the neti pot:

1. Fill up the pot with saline solution 

2. Incline your head on the sink on a 45 angle degree

3. Inset the spout of this pot into your top nostrils. Carefully pour the saline solution into that nostril. 

4. Repeat this process with your other nostril. 

Always be careful to sanitize the neti pot after using it every single time. If you only were using distilled water for it. Water straight out of your sink might have contaminations such as bacteria or some parasites that may make your condition a lot worse. 

6. Put some warm compression:

Natural remedies for sinus infection include applying some moist and warm heat that may help soothe the sinus pain. Place a damp, warm towel around the nose, eyes, and cheeks to ease your facial pain. It will assist in clearing the nasal passages from the outside. Using warm compressions is one of the most used sinus treatments at home. 

7. Get a prescription:

Your doctor is doubtful to suggest antibiotics unless you have chronic sinusitis or if the sinus infection you have is bacterial. Your allergist will determine whether your sinus infection is due to bacteria or a virus. Results are found by:

• Asking about the signs you have 

• Carrying out a physical test 

• Swabbing inside of your nose

• Then you will be suggested some medicines. 

These are some ways to get sinus pain relief. These at-home sinus remedies are a great way to come out of your painful condition. So, if you were asking if a sinus infection is contagious, then yes, it is contagious in some instances. You can avoid interaction with your fellows to reduce the outspread of your condition to others.

Reference Links:

Is it a cold or sinus infection — and am I contagious?

https://www.allinahealth.org/healthys...