You are here: Q&A->
Page 58->Sinusitis remedies during pregnancy
Sinusitis remedies during pregnancy
My 38-year-old daughter suffers with severe sinusitis; at times, her whole face aches and even her teeth are tender. The problem is, since she is five months pregnant – and still breastfeeding a 10-month-old baby, the doctor cannot prescribe anything, Can you help?
The remedy that I would recommend if your daughter were not pregnant and/or breastfeeding is the new SinuFix combination supplement made by NaturalCare, which provides anti-inflammatory nettle, bromelain and quercetin; plus, the anti-viral herb, goldenseal, and antioxidant nutrient, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), to help protect against the allergic reaction to an infection that underlies sinusitis.
It also provides immune-supporting echinacea and zinc - but unfortunately for your daughter, the only one of these herbs and nutrients she can safely use during pregnancy is zinc. This is better than nothing since this nutrient can help bolster the immune system to protect against those micro-organisms that cause the common cold, (often a precursor to sinus problems), but she will need to stick to a safe pre-natal daily dose of 7.5mg only.
The other useful thing she can do, which is both cheap and safe, is to practice one of the cleansing Yoga kryias; jala neti. I have written about this practice in this column before and if you missed the article then click here.
Basically, Jala Neti works because it helps keep the nasal and sinus passages clear of infection and other pollutants that could be causing this adverse reaction. What she will be doing is flushing salt water through the nasal passages. To get started, she will need a special Jala Neti pot which she can buy from The Sivananda Yoga Centre in London’s Putney (020-8780 0160), SinuFix is £19.95 for 60 capsules, from Victoria Health (0800-413596).