
We truly can get instant sinus congestion relief with quick DIY natural remedies whipped up from basic household supplies.
And I have here a must-read guide to help you do just that covering :
- Instant sinus congestion relief
- Best kitchen herbs for sinus congestion and a blocked nose
- Quick DIY sinus relief remedies.
PLUS simple lifestyle changes that prevent chronic sinus congestion.
This post is not qualified medical advice. See a doctor for ongoing or recurring sinus congestion.
Table of Contents
Instant Sinus Relief

Acting fast at the very first sign of a blocked nose is the key secret to instant sinus congestion relief.
And we can do that using every day household supplies and without rushing out for OTC medicines.
So as soon as your nose feels blocked alternate some of these sinus relief techniques every 3 or 4 hours :
- Warm Compress
- Foot Massage
- Quick Hot Shot
- DIY Herbal Tea
- Onion On Bedside Table
- Gentle Steam
- Herbal Steam
- Natural Chest & Back Rub
- Humming
- Radiator Humidifier
Warm Compress
Run a face cloth under warm but not too hot water, squeeze out and use as a warm compress over the bridge of nose and cheek bones.
Foot Massage

Foot massage sounds a strange way to relieve sinus congestion but I find it really helps with kids at bed time.
Simply massage their feet for five minutes or so with any oil you have to hand. It helps circulation in our body so it naturally unblocks itself.
Gentle Steam
Many of us were brought up to relieve sinuses with a hot steam under a towel but gentle is best.
A 5-10 minute gentle steam with slightly cooled water unblocks sinuses without stimulating more excess mucus production.
Quick Hot Shot

A number of basic spices in your kitchen cupboard e.g. cayenne pepper can unblock sinuses fast.
Simply add a good pinch to either :
- A glass of water and gargle with it
- Or a dessert spoon of natural yoghurt or coconut oil and hold it in your mouth before swallowing.
Check out this list of natural decongestant spices for alternatives.
Humming
Humming truly can give instant sinus congestion relief!! Who knew??
It has been shown to increase air movement between our nose and sinuses and helps clear blockage.
Radiator Humidifier
You don't need a fancy air humidifier to relieve sinus congestion at night.
Simply hang a slightly damp clean tea towel or muslin cloth onto a warm radiator. It will do just as well.
Onion On Bedside Table

Sleep with half a freshly cut onion on your bedside table - cut side up - to relieve sinus congestion over night.
You can also make these quick onion tea and onion soup cold remedies.
Natural Chest & Back Rub
Gently massaging both the chest and the back improves circulation throughout our respiratory system and makes it easier to breathe.
You can just use basic oil you have in your kitchen or bathroom e.g. coconut oil or shea butter.
DIY Herbal Tea

You can make your own quick decongestant herb tea very easily from common kitchen herbs.
Mint is good but all these sinus relieving herbs do the trick. Simply :
- Pour a cup of boiled water
- Over 1 teaspoon of herbs
- Seep for 4 or 5 minutes
- Then strain
- Drink neat or add honey or lemon.
Herbal Steam
Adding a few herbs to a gentle steam can give even more congestion relief. Check out this list of the best herbs for sinus congestion in your kitchen.
Some people swear by essential oils but there is lots of dodgy marketing behind many oil brands and good old fashioned herbs do the job.
Cycling through a few of these techniques every 3 or 4 hours really will give instant relief and stop congestion building up.
Best Herbs & Spices For Blocked Noses

You can quickly unblock sinuses by adding the basic herbs and hot spices listed below to :
Many of the herbs and spices here are also natural antibiotics that prevent and tackle sinus infections.
You can also add them to any soups, stews and smoothies you're making.
NB If you are pregnant or on medication seek medical advice before taking herbs and spices.
Hot Decongestant Spices

The best decongestant spices to add to quick hot shots, congestion remedies and healing recipes are :
Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper is my go to ingredient for blocked sinuses.
Simply make a quick hot shot or add a teaspoon to soup or stews to feel sinuses unblocking instantly.
Or for instant sinus relief all day long make this quick cayenne water.
Horseradish
For fast sinus relief hold a teaspoon of chopped horseradish in your mouth and it's juices will get to work.
Garnishing food with horseradish helps promote healthy sinuses.
Cumin
Cumin is another great everyday spice you can add easily to a hot shot and all sorts of food to help keep your sinuses open.
Mustard
Get back into the traditional habit of garnishing food with a little good mustard for everyday sinus health.
Turmeric
Turmeric is a natural antibiotic, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory that can ease long term sinus issues as well as help with back pain!
For instant relief add it to a hot shot or a warming cup of golden milk.
Black Pepper
Seasoning food with black pepper can help ease inflammation all over our bodies including our sinuses.
Garlic
Cooking with garlic - another natural antibiotic, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory - boosts sinus health.
Added to a quick hearty soup with onion, cayenne pepper, oregano, ginger and black pepper it can instantly open up our sinuses.
Natural Decongestant Herbs

The best naturally decongestant herbs - and gentle spices - to add to DIY sinus relief tea and steams are:
Cilantro / Coriander
Cilantro or coriander can be combined with fennel and cumin for sinus relieving flavouring and can also work well as a gentle tea.
Oregano
Oregano is a handy sinus relieving garnish for everyday meals, makes a lovely quick sinus relief tea and smells great in a gentle steam.
You can easily grow oregano from cuttings in a kitchen herb garden.
Mint
Menthol in mint is believed to thin mucus and open up our airways to make it feel easier to breathe.
Drink mint tea for sinus relief and add to gentle steams. It's also good for relieving stress headaches.
Ginger
Ginger in a herbal tea or steam can help relieve dry sinus congestion.
It is a natural antibiotic and antihistamine and great in this deliciously simple sinus relieving pineapple & ginger smoothie.
Chamomile
Chamomile can be very helpful for sinus congestion tied to allergies.
It is a useful herb to have around as it may also help ease insomnia, stress, headaches and period pain.
Feverfew
Feverfew is a little flower similar to chamomile that can help with sinus congestion headaches.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is another good decongestant all rounder that combines well with ginger in sinus relieving teas, baking and smoothies.
Fennel Seeds
Fennel seeds can ease congestion by relaxing our respiratory system.
Add a teaspoon to food or if you like the flavour make quick tea with honey to sweeten. You should avoid fennel seeds if you're pregnant.
You really can relieve blocked sinuses easily with the instant sinus relief tricks PLUS these naturally decongestant herbs and spices.
And it is always a good plan to keep home remedies super simple.
But if you're pretty handy in the kitchen give these natural sinus congestion remedies a go ...
Sinus Congestion Remedies

These super power sinus congestion remedies can all be made pretty quickly with basic ingredients:
They are easier to master at first if you are nursing someone else and not fighting a horrid cold yourself.
If you are the one suffering stick for now to the quick remedies above.
But after a bit of practice these sinus remedies will become recipes you can whip up however rotten you feel.
Cayenne Water
Combine well in a jar or blender jug any of these that you have :
- 2 lemons juiced
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- A few turns of black pepper
To dose yourself up throughout the day for instant sinus relief :
- Strain into a shot glass
- Knock it back.
Or try this similar lemon & cayenne pepper water recipe ...

Pineapple & Ginger Smoothie
Pineapple has unique antihistamine properties that help ease congestion and this quick smoothie can relieve and prevent blocked sinuses.
Just chuck into a blender :
- ½ can unsweetened pineapple
- Knob of fresh ginger sliced
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ banana (I flash freeze slices)
- 2 spoons natural yoghurt
- Handful cashew nuts
- 2-3 cups of water
- PLUS ice cubes.
Or for an added energy boost if you've got sinus congestion with a bad cold try this pineapple & ginger smoothie recipe ...

Cold Relief Tea
At first signs of a cough, cold or blocked nose I whip up a pan of this quick cold relief tea which is chock full of sinus relieving ingredients and incredibly comforting ...

Natural Vapour Rub
You can very quickly make your own natural vapour rubs to avoid some of the chemicals in OTC products you may prefer to skip ...

Although, you can use any oil you have for a quick back and chest rub.
Nasal Wash
Rinsing out blocked nasal passages with a saline wash can wash out loose mucus and dust and soften thick congested mucus.
To make a saline wash combine :
- 1 teaspoon of pure salt (free from iodide, preservatives and anti-caking ingredients).
- ⅓ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup of cooled boiled water.
Add your nasal wash to a nasal bulb, squeeze bottle or neti pot and then :
- Standing over basin
- Tilt head to left
- Gently pour or squeeze the saline wash into your right nostril
- The wash will run out of left nostril.
For more details on making and using a saline wash to clear sinuses read this detailed guide ...

Golden Milk
Golden milk is a traditional remedy for relieving sinus congestion.
I just blend up these ingredients and warm the mixture on the stove:
- 1 cup of milk per person
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger or peeled knob of fresh ginger
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Pinch cardamom
- 1 or 2 turns of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
You do NOT need all the ingredients. Go with what you have of these :
- Milk of any kind
- Hot spice e.g. turmeric, cayenne
- Gentle spice e.g. cinnamon, ginger
- Soothers e.g. honey, coconut oil.
But if you prefer a step-by-step recipe this golden milk remedy is good ...

How To Prevent Recurrent Sinus Congestion

You can help prevent repeated sinus infections by regularly adding decongestant herbs & spices to your favourite everyday recipes.
But repeated sinus congestion symptoms can be a sign of health issues elsewhere in our body and environmental issues in our home.
You may be able to relieve these symptoms with some of these lifestyle changes :
- Anti-inflammatory diet
- Improved gut health
- Balanced immune system
- Perimenopause remedies
- Beauty detox
- Less toxic cleaning
- A deep declutter.
You should always seek medical advice for persistent and / or repeated sinus congestion.
Anti Inflammatory Diet
Repeated sinus congestion can be tied to general inflammation in our body and you may find it recurs alongside joint or back pain.
If that sounds familiar an anti-inflammatory diet may help.

Improved Gut Health
Our sinuses along with our gut are key defences in our immune system. Curiously poor gut health can keep our sinuses on heightened alert.
If you suffer with recurrent digestive problems as well as blocked sinuses, restoring gut health may help.

Balanced Immune System
Our immune system is a complex balancing act - it needs to be on alert but not in constant panic!!!
Recurrent sinus congestion alongside swollen glands can be a sign our immune system is off kilter due to basic nutritional deficiencies e.g. iron, vitamin D, magnesium.
Simple diet and lifestyle changes can help balance our immune system.

Perimenopause Remedies
Sinus congestion can weirdly be a symptom of perimenopause!!!
Fluctuating hormones disrupt our immune system. Simple diet tweaks such as more magnesium from leafy greens can reset the balance.
Perimenopause can also trigger heavier periods and more frequent periods which may cause nutritional deficiencies - especially iron - which weaken our immune system and trigger over reaction in our sinuses.

Beauty Detox
Common beauty products are another surprising trigger for recurrent sinus problems.
Fragrance free soap, shampoo and conditioner can help relieve sinus congestion AND skin problems such as itchy scalps and dandruff.

Less Toxic Cleaning
Common cleaning products we use daily can trigger sinus problems.
Avoiding bleach based cleaning products may help and there are lots of easy ways to switch to more chemical free cleaning to reduce the load on our respiratory health.

Deep Declutter
Another trigger for recurrent sinus issues is simply household dust.
Thorough dusting has - lets be honest - gone out of fashion!!
And even if we are good at whizzing around weekly with the vacuum, dust can easily build up :
- Underneath beds
- Behind sofas
- On top of wardrobes
- In cushions etc ...
A deep declutter makes it much easier to dust well quickly but often.

So there you go, a huge guide to sinus congestion relief covering :
- Instant sinus relief
- Herbs & spices for sinus relief
- Sinus congestion remedies
- Recurrent sinus issue causes.
I do hope these simple remedies help - I would love to hear your feedback.
Do save for quick reference and for more quick home remedies follow me on Pinterest.
Original image sources : rawpixel.com
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