Stuffed up sinuses and sinus pain caused by a common cold or allergies can be cured. Even sinus blockage caused by bacterial infection can be cleared until the infection heals. Simple home treatments are usually effective for acute sinusitis that lasts up to four weeks.
Hold a warm, moist cloth to your face several times each day. Wet a face cloth with hot water. Let the temperature settle to warm. Hold the cloth to your face against the nose, cheeks and forehead until the cloth is no longer warm enough.
Sip a hot drink a few times each day. Make tea or another hot drink. When cool enough to the tongue, sip until the drink stops steaming. While you drink, breathe in the steam.
Drink plenty of fluids. Pour an 8-ounce glass of fruit juice or other healthy drink. Drink slowly. Drink several glasses a day to keep body fluid levels high.
Breathe in steam through the sinuses two to four times each day. Run hot water into a sink in a bathroom with the door closed. Once the sink area is filled with steam, hold your face over the sink and breathe the steam into your sinuses behind your nose, cheeks and forehead. Keep breathing in steam until the sinuses clear.
If the blockage is strong, inhale an over-the-counter nasal saline spray through the nose several times each day. Ready a spray by shaking. Hold up your nose, spray and inhale through your nose.
Tip
Use these home treatments only for the sinus blockage. The treatments do not cure the cause. If you have a bacterial infection, you must either wait until your bacterial infection heals or get antibiotic treatment from a doctor. The treatments also do not cure allergies or viral infections from a cold or flu. If your sinus congestion is too strong for these home treatments alone, take over-the-counter decongestants three to five times each day. You can take decongestant sprays or pills with pseudoephedrine. For sinus pain or pressure, take over-the-counter acetaminophen or ibuprofen.