With cold weather comes a wide variety of cold and flu symptoms, such as nasal congestion and painful sinus headaches. During the winter, many people find themselves at the doctor’s office getting prescriptions for antibiotics and decongestants, but medications often come with side effects and lose their effectiveness over time. However, constantly blowing your nose all season can be very painful, inconvenient, and irritating to the skin.

So here are some alternative solutions for clearing your head this winter and fighting congestion through natural and holistic means.

Flush & Irrigate Nasal Passages

Saline washes can be an effective way to fight sinusitis because they flush out mucous and help drain the nasal passages. One popular example is the neti pot. Keeping the sinuses moist is especially important if you’re fighting a cold or seasonal allergies.

It’s also important to stay hydrated when you’re ill to help flush toxins out of your body. Hot chamomile or green tea with a little lemon and honey creates a soothing sensation and may stimulate the flow mucous to ease a stuffy nose.

Use Warm and Cold Compresses

Another way to keep your nasal tissues moist is to use a warm compress on your face. An alternative is to place your face over a pan of steaming water. The hot vapor from steam can loosen up clogged mucous inside your nose.

If you’re experiencing sinus pain as well as congestion, you can use a cold compress after the warm one to alleviate pain. A bag of frozen peas will also do the trick if you don’t have multiple compresses around the house.

Spice Up Your Diet

Spicy foods aren’t just delicious, but they may help clear up mildly clogged sinuses as well. Hot peppers and spicy mustard can help open up the nasal passages and give you some relief. Capsaicin, which is the active ingredient in red chili peppers, has been studied for its pain-relieving symptoms as well.

Also, add some garlic to your diet when you’re feeling sinus pain and pressure. This herb has antifungal and antibacterial properties that can be effective in preventing and treating colds. Garlic pills can be taken in place of raw garlic if you can’t stand the taste.

Crystal & Jade Steam Grottoes

At Aura Wellness Spa in Midtown Manhattan, we have four different therapeutic grottos that are designed to ease specific symptoms and conditions. Crystal & jade steam grottos are ideal for people suffering from congestion and sinus headaches, as well as other respiratory ailments like asthma and bronchitis. That’s because the steam loosens up the chest muscles to promote healthy air flow and also helps the body maintain hydration by coating the skin with moisture and preventing the loss of body heat through evaporation.

To add to their detoxifying and healing properties, crystal & jade steam grottos use precious stones to promote positive states of mind and emotional responses based on their color: unconditional love (pink), transformation (purple), harmony and peace (green), passion (red), and wisdom (orange).

Make your grotto appointment at the first signs of respiratory illness and start feeling relief right away!