Help :(

Yesterday, I developed a Sinus Infection due to really bad allergies. I have no health insurance, and I don't know what to do.

Does anyone know any at home remedies to help me get through this? It hurts really bad.

I don't know that it will get you through, but inhaling salt water into your nostrils has helped a lot of people. Just about a 1/2 tsp. salt dissolved in 1/2 c. water about every hour or two. It's not pleasant but it sure beats paying a dr. if it takes care of it. If not, you'll need to bite the bullet and see the dr.

It's not really inhaling but a sinus wash does help. If you have the money to get a neti pot (sold at most drug stores $10-$20 and comes with salt mixture to add to water), great, but if not, here is how you do it.

1. First time you might want to use less salt but 1/4 tsp salt in 1/2 cup luke warm water (they say use room temp but I find warm more comfortable).
2. Find a container that will allow the water to be poured out slowly and fill it with the salt water solution.
3. Tilt your head to the left over the sink. breathing through your mouth, slowly pour the water into your right nostril. Allow the water to come out your left nostril.
4. Repeat on the other side

Another thing you can do if you can't see doing a saline wash is buy some sinus saline ($2-$5) and just mist your sinuses. You can even use it like the wash but using much less water. If you have the money try the aerosol kind (simply saline) since it doesn't have preservatives and therefore better tasting and has a much finer mist.

Good luck

I think that simplest thing is to ask in pharmacy what they recommend for your allergy. You can just buy it off the shelf in drugstore. They have guite a selection of different pills and they really help in less than half an hour.  I cannot advertize any medication here, but I am sure they can give you advice what you can buy without prescription. No problem. Pills are not expensive, one or two will help you and you can keep the rest for next time you need it.

Regarding above message: You have been probably watching Oprah (or Doctors) show some time ago. The above advice may help with sinus congestion, but not with allergy.  For allergy you need antihystamine to stop allergy.

Saline solution is slighly salted water, so you don't have to buy it. For anyone who wants to try it (not pleasant at all), you can mix little bit of salt (be easy on salt) into warm water, fill small plastic bag with it,  make little hole in corner of the plastic bag (hold it closed!!), tilt your head left sideways over the sink and let water go into right/top nostril till it will fill your sinus cavity and come our through your other nostril. It takes some skill.  You can also look around the house and find something to use as salted water vessel i.e. little tea pot so be creative instead of buying something you would not be able to use or would hate to use ever again.

Good luck. 

I'd recommend that you go see a general physician first to get treated for your sinus infection. However if you want to explore your allergies, I highly recommend seeing an allergist, especially if you are discovering that the off the shelf medications are not relieving you of the symptoms (this is what happened to me). What the allergist can do is prescribe a stronger antihistamine (pill or nasal spray), specialized nasal spray to desensitize the nasal passages (usually stronger than off the shelf sprays) and give you an allergen skin prick test to track down which allergies you have. And then recommend what to do for avoiding your allergies. If you come down with a wheeze, it's important to see the doctor/allergist to get an inhaler....or rush to the ER if you can't breathe.

If you really do have a bacterial sinus infection and you see continuous Yellow Mucus, you should take this seriously. If left untreated without antibiotics, the infection can go up into your brain and then you can have serious complications. Your brain is not far from your sinuses. If you don't have insurance, tell your doctors office up front and they might charge you a lower base rate that they don't charge the insurance company. Then when prescribed antibiotics, ask the doctor if he/she can prescribe something that is lower cost than most quick acting conventional drugs. Doxycycline is one such antibiotic. But it depends on what the doctor knows... then while handing over the prescription to the pharmacist, ask if they can give you a generic brand.

note: what I like about going to see the allergist is that he always has a whole rack full of sample nasal sprays that he gives out for free if I need something right away (of course during my appointment). It's a way for the drug companies to promote the products. My allergies are severe and require fast acting relief. But I think that most other people who don't get bad allergies, can probably resort to homeopathic remedies, which my allergist doesn't supply because he's not an alternative medicine doctor. I saw my allergist recently and he supplied me with a whole handful of free drugs. :)

Original Post by magan:

Regarding above message: You have been probably watching Oprah (or Doctors) show some time ago. The above advice may help with sinus congestion, but not with allergy.  For allergy you need antihystamine to stop allergy.

She was asking for help with the pain from a sinus infection and a sinus wash will help but it is better for preventing than curing. I wasn't saying anything about the allergies. And no I did not get it from Oprah (been doing it 20 years or so). Yogis have been doing it for centuries and my doctor even recommends it.

There's a homeopathic remedy known as tapping that can help relieve the pressure caused by sinus infection.  Its a very gentle tapping with your first and second finger on the face above the eyebrows, and on your cheekbones, where your sinuses are.  Its related to accupressure I think?  I don't know where it comes from, but it works.  I've had a couple of different massage therapists recommend it.

I don't recommend echinacea, because it makes my allergies worse, but peppermint oil in a steam bath is really good for clearing your sinuses.  The way to do this is to boil water on the stove and drop 5 or six drops of oil in it sit down at a table and cover your head and the pot with a towel. Make sure to protect your table and your hands from the hot pot!!!  sit under the towel for about 10-12 minutes, inhaling the steam. 

The reason you got an infection is because your sinuses were full of mucus due to bad allergies.  You may not be able to alleviate the infection without antibiotics.  Give this a try, but if you're not better (without fever) in a week, go get antibiotics.  If you have CVS in your area, the minute clinic is a very cost effective solution for people who don't have insurance, and they tell you the cost up front. Generic antibiotics are not expensive.