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Tie an herb bouquet to the faucet with ribbon while water fills the tub. Use Lavender to calm you, Rosemary to rejuvenate and stimulate, Thyme to rejuvenate the nerves and Sage to enhance your memory. During cold and flu season, hang fresh Eucalyptus in the shower.
This will aid in clearing the sinuses. Fresh eucalyptus sprigs will last about 2 weeks.
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Sinus Troubles
Stuffy noses, head colds, runny eyes - all part and parcel of winter
time and very very annoying. How can you enjoy all the fragrant aromas
of the Solstice dinner with all the trimmings if your nose is all
blocked up and your throat all raw? Truthfully, you can't.
Unfortunately, we haven't yet found a cure for the common cold - the
best bet is to boost your immune system with healthy foods, stay warm
but not overheated, ensure the air in the house gets freshened
periodically by opening up a door or two, and drink lots of water.
As for the symptoms, there are some things you can do to combat those.
A stuffy nose arises when an irritant enflames the sinus tissues -
they get all swollen and blocked up. This can - in turn - affect the
ears and your balance, the mouth and taste, and the throat. The
easiest way to work on a stuffed nose is to make it run - yes, I know
that's an icky thought, but at least the germs and mucus are then
leaving your body. It also helps to clear out any irritants in your
nasal passages contributing to the stuffiness, such as dried mucus. So
grab an onion, slice it open, and hold it up to your face. I know that
sounds horrid, but it really works quickly. It's the principle behind
menthol lozenges - irritate the nasal passages to unblock the sinuses
- and it's a lot quicker.
Once your nose is unblocked, use eucalyptus oil (in a burner) to keep
it that way. And eat hot spicy foods. What better excuse to dig into a
tasty Thai curry? The hot spices have an added benefit - in your
congested state your sense of taste is greatly reduced and most foods
taste bland. This often leads to a disinclination to eat. Digging into
a hot and spicy chicken soup however offers flavours your poor palate
can appreciate.
The other thing I recommend is saline for the sinuses. While it won't
clear up the congestion in and of itself, it does provide soothing
relief (especially if you chill it first) and it helps kill the nasty
bugs and wash out the gunk. This in itself will alleviate some of the
congestion.
* 1/4 tsp iodised salt
* 1/4 tsp baking soda
* 8 oz water
Mix the ingredients together and use a dropper to squirt a few drops
up each nostril whenever needed. If you have a very congested head and
are totally stuffed and glugged up, you may need to really clean out
the sinuses. Start by mixing up a double batch, warm it to blood temp,
lie down on a bed your side with your head over the edge, and gently
drip saline into one nostril, allowing it to drain through the other
and your mouth. Once you have dripped half the batch through one
nostril, roll over and repeat on the other side. This will thoroughly
flush out the sinus cavities. Sounds disgusting, I know. But this is
very effective - it's called a neti. And if your sinuses get that bad,
this will not seem anywhere near as unpleasant as it sounds right now.
Source Unknown
Winter, a lingering season,
is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.
~John Boswell
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