5 Sinus Infection Self-Treatment Mistakes to Avoid

How often do you wake up with a stuffy nose or struggle with sinus drainage (postnasal drip) when the temperature drops?

When cold and flu season comes around, it’s common for adults and children to develop inflammation in their sinuses, a condition known as sinusitis.

Fortunately, there are good home treatments that adults and children can try when sinusitis strikes. But some common self-care treatments to alleviate congestion should be avoided, and others should be used with care.

What Causes Sinusitis and Sinus Drainage Issues?

Sinus problems happen when the mucosal lining of the nose becomes inflamed, often increasing mucus production and possibly blocking the natural sinus drainage pathways. The sinus cavities can become infected if they are not draining properly.

In some adults or children, especially those with allergies or asthma, this recurs regularly, leading to constant pressure around the nose, postnasal drip, headache, fatigue, or other symptoms.

Before you reach for a sinus infection remedy that you found online or that your third-cousin recommended for sinus drainage, know that not every method is safe or effective.

Here are five sinus remedies to beware of:

1. Boiling Hot Water in a Steam Tent: Is It Worth It?

It’s a long-standing remedy, right? You boil a pot of water, tent a towel over your head, lean over the liquid, and let the warm mist soothe and moisturize your sinus passageways, clearing blocked sinuses and helping you feel better.

Except that research has shown this familiar treatment is not actually very effective, and without care, it can actually cause unintended harm.

If you do choose to use this method anyway, it is critical that you let the water cool a bit, and not to place your face too close to the water, or you may burn your face.

This is especially a risk with children. A review in BMJ documented seven cases in a six-month period in which kids suffered burns, usually to the face, from being too close to scalding water. (In two cases, the pot of water spilled onto them.)

This danger is why doctors and parents have been advised to skip the steam remedy with children unless the children are closely supervised throughout the treatment.

RELATED: Do I Have a Cold or the Flu?

2. Don’t Ingest or Put Essential Oils Up Your Nose

Essential oils, especially eucalyptus oil, may help you feel like you can breathe more easily when you have sinusitis, although a review in BMJ concluded that scientific evidence for the oil’s effectiveness is lacking.

Eucalyptus may stimulate a cool sensation in the nose that can create the feeling of improved airflow. Other people like to inhale relaxing scents like jasmine or lavender when they feel ill.

Regardless, never put essential oils up your nostrils. Most essential oils are too strong to be placed directly on the skin, let alone in the sensitive tissue of the nose.

“I tell my patients not to choose a random tonic and put it into their nose,” says Anthony Del Signore, MD, an assistant professor of otolaryngology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

Instead, add a few drops to a hot bath. You can also place a drop or two on a cotton ball and sniff, or use a special diffuser designed to stream it into the air. And there is also some evidence that taking essential oils as an oral dose (as directed) can reduce cold symptoms, per a research review.

RELATED: 8 Ways You Could Be Making Your Cold Worse

3. Don’t Use Tap Water for Nasal Irrigation

Nasal irrigation, or rinsing the sinus passages with a saltwater solution, is an effective way to treat sinusitis and open blocked sinuses. Some studies have found irrigation does improve sinus symptoms.

But it is critical that you use either distilled water or boiled water that has cooled, to ensure that the water you run through your nose has been sterilized. Don’t use liquid taken directly from your sink or shower. This is because, in some cases, the unsterilized tap or shower water can introduce a harmful parasite into the sinuses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that, very rarely, people using nasal irrigation with tap water have become infected with the dangerous parasite Naegleria fowleri. These organisms may not cause harm if swallowed, since stomach acid wipes them out, but they can live and thrive in the passageways of your sinuses.

To avoid this potential risk, purchase sterile saline sprays, such as Simply Saline or other brands. Or you can make your own saline solution by using water labeled “distilled,” or boiling your tap water for three to five minutes. If you’re using boiled tap water, cool it to lukewarm and store any extra water in a clean, closed container for use the following day (but not longer).

RELATED: Kid-Friendly Sinus Infection Coping Strategies

4. Never Give Honey to Babies for Sinus Congestion or Other Symptoms

For children over age 1 and for adults, honey mixed with lemon and warm water is effective for soothing the sore throat that often accompanies a sinus drip, says Barbara Rolnick, MD, a pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Studies have also found that honey helps to battle the germs in your body. As one research review noted: “The ingredients of honey have been reported to exert antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory … [and other] effects.”

But honey should never be given to babies younger than a year old, warns the American Academy of Pediatrics. Experts caution that honey can be a source of the rare but dangerous spores that can lead to infant botulism in children at this age.

5. Don’t Live With Lingering Sinus Infection Symptoms: Consult a Doctor

If sinusitis symptoms in you or your child persist for more than a week, consult with your physician. You should also talk to the doctor if symptoms seem severe or suddenly worsen.