Apple Cider Vinegar

• The natural cure community often touts apple cider vinegar as a cure for everything from arthritis to heartburn, but in the case of your beleaguered sinuses, it really can make a difference. Apple cider vinegar tends to thin the mucus in the sinuses, making it easier to eliminate from the body (which helps carry bacteria and foreign substances out of the as well). You can sip the vinegar (1/8 cup diluted in 16 oz. of water) several times a day, or boil the diluted mixture and inhale the steam. Vinegar also has anti-fungal properties, which can be of tremendous benefit to those with allergies to mold and mildew.
  
  

Saline Rinses

• One of the most effective home sinus treatments is a saline rinse. Using a specialized pot (called a neti pot) with a long, slender spout, or a simple rubber bulb syringe, tilt your head over the sink with one ear facing the bowl. Let a saline mix (1 tsp. salt and a pinch of baking soda in one cup warm water) pour into the nostril that's on top. It will flow into the sinus cavity and out the other nostril, carrying with it old mucus, dirt, dust, allergens and bacteria. Right your head, blow gently, and repeat on the other side. The sensation takes some getting used to, but it is extremely effective, especially when used as a routine preventive measure.
  
  

Cayenne Pepper

• This treatment may sound scary--well, it is scary--but many people swear by it. It's quite simple: take a small pinch of cayenne pepper and sniff it up your nose. It will burn, but most people say that, while intense, the burn is not unbearable, nor does it last terribly long. Cayenne pepper also appears to have an antibacterial effect, which will help when there is an actual infection in the sinus cavities.
  
  

Humidify

• Dry air is a huge culprit in sinus irritation. When the air is dry, your body is attempting to humidify it by passing it through the sinuses. A continual "diet" of dryness leads your body to begin to overcompensate, and trouble begins. A cool air humidifier in your home or work place can work wonders in controlling chronic sinus problems; just be sure to clean it regularly so you're not puffing mold-laden air into your rooms. Even standing in a steamy shower, inhaling the steam from a hot drink, or sitting in a steam bath will help your sinus cleanse themselves of the "gunk" they're famous for accumulating.