Do you have nasal congestion or drainage, difficulty breathing through your nose, sneezing, or nasal discharge?
Unfortunately, it sounds like you may be dealing with sinusitis. Acupuncture can be a helpful way to support sinus symptoms, and there are also simple dietary and lifestyle changes that may complement your acupuncture treatments.
Here are some ways you can support your treatment at home. As always, I recommend experimenting with a few of these approaches and paying attention to what works best for your individual body.
Diet
- Make a tea using magnolia flower, basil, ginger, and green onion. Traditionally, these ingredients have been used to support respiratory and sinus health.
- Add foods such as ginger, green onions, bananas, garlic, black mushrooms, chrysanthemum flowers, mulberry leaves, and apricot kernels to your diet.
- Pay attention to foods that seem to aggravate your sinus or digestive symptoms. Some people find that reducing dairy, gluten, highly processed foods, and processed sugars helps them feel less congested.
Nasal Care
- Try inhaling the steam from a tea made with mint, basil, and ginger. Be careful to avoid getting too close to boiling water, as steam can cause burns.
- A saline nasal rinse, such as a neti pot, can help rinse away mucus and irritants. If you use a neti pot or other nasal irrigation device, always use distilled, sterile, or previously boiled and cooled water.
Lifestyle
- Get plenty of fresh air.
- Try acupuncture!
- Give yourself a gentle facial massage.
- Use a saline nasal rinse as needed.
- Drink plenty of water.
Your acupuncturist can also create an individualized herbal formula based on your particular symptoms—whether your main concerns are nasal congestion and drainage, headaches, or other symptoms that tend to accompany your sinus issues.
The goal isn’t simply to treat the symptoms; it’s to look at the bigger picture and figure out what your body may need.
Good luck, breathe deeply, and enjoy the fresh air!
A Note on the Recommendations
Some of the diet and lifestyle recommendations in this article are adapted from The Tao of Nutrition by Maoshing Ni, Ph.D., C.A., and Cathy McNease, B.S., M.H.
Cathy McNease was my teacher when I attended the Santa Barbara College of Oriental Medicine. She is an amazing and wise resource, and she continues to teach diet and Chinese herbs in California.
