However, if you come down with these uncomfortable symptoms, there are products that you can use to minimize your suffering while you wait for your sinuses to clear up. In addition to over-the-counter (OTC) medications and medicated nasal sprays, the following products are highly recommended.

Humidifiers

During winter months in colder climates, we find ourselves cranking up the furnace to stay warm, but air that has been run through a heater dries out, and that dry air can wreak havoc on your sinuses. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, your home should be between 25 and 40 percent humidity during the winter, but some homes can dip to 10 percent humidity, causing sore throats, bloody noses and sinus problems.

Dry, heated air has been shown to thicken mucus and irritate sinuses, causing the symptoms we equate with sinusitis. A humidifier, particularly in rooms where you sleep, can help boost your home’s humidity to ideal levels and ease your sinus pain.

Saline Spray

Not to be confused with medicated nasal sprays, saline sprays offer a supercharged boost of humidity for dried-out nasal passages and sinus cavities. Because saline does not cause the withdrawal symptoms associated with medical sprays (which can make your congestion worse when you try to wean yourself from them), and they can be used safely up to six times per day, they are a great way to moisturize your nose.

They are portable (unlike humidifiers), so saline sprays are an ideal way to keep your nasal passages happy and your sinuses irritation-free when traveling to dry climates or during the winter months when you start feeling dried out.

Steam Cloths

Steam has been shown to be a great way to ease congestion naturally, and healthcare providers often recommend hot showers to ease the discomfort and congestion from cold and flu symptoms. Many also claim that steam wraps provide the same relief.